Chapter 52

MAXINE

I smiled as I left Chris at her dad's door. Of course I was not about to let her stop me from seeing Gus. I drove directly from the Evergreens Tower to the hospital five blocks away. At the receptionist desk, I asked, "Could you give me the room number of Gus Gallion please?"

"He has been moved from ICU to the cardiac care unit. His room is 5012, he is on restricted visitor list though. It's family only."

"I know, I'm his daughter. I was told the visiting hours were restricted but that I could see him."

"No that was only when he was in the ICU. Now that he has been moved he can have approved visitors."

"Thanks, I want to speak to the floor nurse at least. Thanks again."

I took the elevator up to the fifth floor. The nurse's station for Gus's room was a right turn and a thirty foot walk. "Hello, I'm Maxine Stone, Gus Gallion is my father. My sister Chris called me this morning, I just got here. Would it be alright for me to look in on him?" I asked.

"Maxine, I know who you are," the nurse replied. "I was your nurse after that mess last year."

"Oh, look." I saw her name tag read Angela Martin. "Angela, I really would like to see Gus this isn't business, it is personal. I promise I won't hurt him or anything."

"Gus told me you would be here and to let you in, if I wanted any peace today. He is just as ornery as you."

"That's Gus," I admitted.

"Go on back but don't stay long. I don't want to deal with his daughter either."

"Thank honey," I replied as I turned toward his room.

Gus looked a little pale, otherwise he looked just fine. "So here you are, I have been looking all over hell for you. Are you hiding from me?" I was grinning from just seeing him look as good as he did. Chris had me worried, but Gus looked just fine to me.

"Yeah, a man just can't get any peace at all around you. I'm old, I just can't keep up."

"Yeah, I heard I gave you a heart attack." I tried not to show how relieved I was.

"Not quite a heart attack, just a little scare."

"So did they turn the siren on?" I asked.

"What siren, I walked here from the Towers," he informed me.

"You what?"

"I walked here at about five this morning. When I woke up, I didn't feel just right, so I walked over and checked myself in."

"Your really are a fucking idiot," I replied.

"Not only do I have to deal with this crappy food, but now I have to deal with you calling me names." We were both smiling. Me, because I was so happy to see him doing so well. Why he was smiling I had no idea. "So how did you find out I was here. I didn't plan on telling anyone."

"I have something for you, so I went by your place. Chris was there instead of you."

"Ah oh," was all he said.

"Yeah, that pretty much describes my meeting with Chris. I'm a little pissed that I had to find out that way. You could have told them in the ER to call me."

"I didn't tell them to call her either. The form I filled out in the ER had next of kin. I figured they wanted to know who would bury me, if I died. I had no idea they planned to call her."

"You didn't tell her ... you know?" he asked.

"I told her that I fucked you every chance I got, but I didn't go into details."

"Good, and thank you," Gus said.

"Gus, it isn't just for you, I don't really want her to know that I have been impersonating her. She might just kick my butt. Chris and I are probably never going to do lunch," I explained.

"I doubt that she is so stupid as to try that kicking your butt. As for doing lunch, it would probably be a good thing if you two didn't get to be too friendly."

"Yeah, I'm really more the evil stepmom type." I said it with a smile.

"Should I tell her that she is going to have a new mommy?" Gus asked.

"I don't think I would do that just yet," I replied.

"Good, I don't really need the cat fight right now."

"So what's next?" I asked, "Hospital wise."

"They said I could go home, once they are sure the incision repair will hold. That will probably be tomorrow."

"Now if you don't call me so I can come get you and drive you home, I am going to be really pissed."

"Then you will have to be pissed. Chris has pretty much taken over at least for the weekend. She will have to be home first thing Monday morning. So if I don't go home tomorrow, you are next in line for Monday or later."

"Okay, but I would prefer to be first in line, but I do understand."

"Excuse me," a young woman in scrubs said, "I need to check his stitches."

"Right," I said standing to walk into the hall to wait.

"Why don't you get back to your own life Max? I'm just going to be sleeping most of the day. I am fighting now to stay awake."

"Fair enough old man, but you better call to say goodnight later."

"I will," he said.

I drove home to an empty house, okay an empty cabin. I lay on my small bed while trying to make a plan. I don't do drifting into things. I do react to things, and I do make things happen, but I don't do drift.

Gus being in the hospital was having a bigger effect on me than I expected. Sure I liked the old fart, but I knew for sure that I didn't love him. At least not the way husbands and wives love each other. So what about Chris? How did she figure into it? She was going to be there with Gus for the long haul, I knew for a fact that I wasn't going to be. So what should I do about Chris?