tests that will explain what happened and if it’s recurring.’
‘Are you saying this could happen again?’
‘I’m saying that it’s possible.’
‘So, what happened might not be a one-off?’
‘Steph, please,’ she sighed.
I couldn’t help but fidget, back, forth, back and forth on the tip of my toes, as we waited for another lift.
‘Steph, please,’ Aunt Cass said again.
‘I can’t help it.’
She sighed, and the lift door opened. As the door closed, I caught my reflection in the mirrored wall. My hair was stiff and knotted. I made a useless attempt to comb it with my fingers.
We stepped from the lift into the corridor. The hospital was a huge rabbit warren. It took forever to find the emergency department. I stood in front of two transparent doors. Aunt Cass took my hand and led me to a row of empty chairs, where we sat waiting for news from Dad.
‘Are you hungry?’ she asked.
‘Nope,’ I said, peering beyond her, hoping to see my dad.
Thirty minutes on and there was still no sign of him. My legs ached with all the waiting. I picked up a magazine; it was old, like three years old. The front page had a photograph of a model in a slinky bikini. She didn’t have an ounce of fat on her bony frame. The caption above the picture read Career Versus Health. I rolled up the magazine and started slapping it against my hand.
Aunt Cass reached out and placed her hand on mine.
The double doors flapped open and a boy around my age walked out. He had thick blond hair that was stiff, like mine. He was wearing a pair of board shorts and a white T-shirt with a picture of a monkey smoking a bong. That didn’t impress me one bit. He made eye contact with me and dropped his head. He’d been crying. He turned right, and disappeared around the corner.
An hour passed. I took my phone from Aunt Cass’s bag. Libby’s name was on the screen. I pressed re-dial, but it went to voice mail. I chose not to leave a message and scrolled to Willow’s number, then changed my mind. Aunt Cass rested her head against the wall, with her eyes closed. The heaviness of her breathing told me that she was asleep.
As I stood to stretch, the boy with the stiff hair returned wearing fresh clothes, a blue checked shirt, blue jeans and boots with the laces undone. He was accompanied by a girl, who I guessed was either a sister or girlfriend. His tanned face held a frown, and I noticed the girl’s face was blotchy. I tried not to stare and was relieved when they disappeared behind the doors.
I sat. ‘I hate this place,’ I said, loud enough to wake Aunt Cass. The doors opened and at last Dad walked out. Aunt Cass stood and I ran over to him. ‘How’s Mum?’
‘They’re still running tests.’
I frowned. ‘Still?’
‘They’ve done a chest X-ray and blood tests. I imagine they’ll also do a CT scan and possibly an MRI.’
‘So, it is Mum’s heart?’ My words came out loud.
‘Calm down!’ ordered Dad. ‘Let’s not start guessing.’
I made a conscious effort to keep my voice low. ‘Dad, I’m not stupid. I know what a CT scan is. You did one on Milly, the wombat. She had a heart problem, remember?’
‘I’m not saying that you’re stupid, Stephanie. If it is her heart, they’ll call in a cardiologist.’ His voice broke. ‘Please – be patient.’ He reached out, tucking me under his arm. I knew that he was stressing because his body oozed an unnatural heat.
We sat and a wave of silence came over us. Finally, a doctor came out to see us. We stood to attention.
‘Doctor Wong,’ he said, shaking Dad’s hand, and pointed to the chairs, gesturing that we sit. He reached for a chair and sat facing us. ‘I was asked to check your wife’s test results,’ he told Dad, and Dad’s jaw tightened. ‘Mr Conner, we’re picking up that there is an issue with Kim’s heart. We’d like to carry out further tests. The good news is that we don’t believe that Kim has had a heart attack, so there is no fear of her heart muscle having been damaged. I’d like to start with an MRI.’ Dad was right. ‘We’ll also do a heart echo, and if we still have questions, we’ll do a nuclear heart scan. Kim’s answered most of my questions regarding family history. She tells me that you’re a vet.’
‘I’m with Taronga Zoo.’
Dr Wong placed his hands on his knees and stood, and Dad stood with him.
‘Thank you,’ said Dad.
Dr Wong shook Dad’s hand. ‘Ladies,’ he said, acknowledging Aunt Cass and me. I managed to squeeze out a smile. ‘We’d like to see Kim before we go,’ Dad told him.
‘Yes, of course. As soon as Kim returns from having the MRI we’re moving her up to the ICU. Just give us an hour or so.’
Soon after Dr Wong left, I caught Dad speaking softly with Aunt Cass. ‘Dad, there’s more – you know something, don’t you?’
Dad’s face was calm, but his words were sharp. ‘Stephanie, I’m not going to start guessing. Once the test results are back, we’ll have the full picture.’
Aunt Cass wrapped her arm around me. ‘No use in worrying ourselves sick, it won’t help. We need to stay calm for your mother.’ I knew she was right.
The ICU had patients attached to life-saving monitors that beeped, lights that flashed and tubes attached to masks that delivered oxygen. The ward was busier than Maccas after the movies on a Friday night.
A nurse dashed in front of me holding a green kidney-shaped bowl in one hand and a face washer and a towel in the other.
We were walking past a bed with people standing around it, when a high-pitched beeping noise sounded. Doctors and nurses came running from all directions. A nurse flared her nostrils at me, snatched the curtain and pulled it around the bed.
Dad placed his hands on my shoulders and steered me along like a pram. I glanced back and recognised the unlaced boots beneath the curtain. I wasn’t the only teen in crisis mode.
Mum sat propped upright in bed and took my hand. Her hand was warm against mine, and her lips were pink. ‘I’m all right,’ she told me.
‘Anything for attention,’ I told her.
‘I might be in the hospital for a few days.’
‘Enjoy the rest,’ joked Aunt Cass, but no one laughed.
It was after six when we left the hospital. We didn’t head back to Palmy to pick up our gear. Dad talked Aunt Cass into staying at our house.
Aunt
