Blood Loss_A Magnolia Novel Read online

  “We’ve got a pulse! Weak but there,” the male paramedic exclaimed.

  Karina stood and helped them lift Betty onto the stretcher as tears of relief streamed down her face. Reaching behind her, she grabbed Betty’s purse and placed it on the edge of the stretcher. The sound of Gram’s voice drifted up the stairwell.

  “I’m goin’ with her to the hospital, and that’s all there is to it. She ain’t gonna go through this alone.”

  Once they were downstairs, Karina let go of Betty’s cool hand. The woman’s eyelids fluttered open as she pushed the oxygen mask away. In a breathy whisper, Betty said, “Stay…away…danger…from…”

  Karina didn’t have time to ask what she meant. Ruth appeared next to her and nudged Karina aside. Clasping her hands around Betty’s, she cooed, “Shhh, save your strength. I’m here, girl. You’re gonna be just fine. Takin’ a little trip to the hospital, that’s all.”

  Backing away, Karina noticed Seth stood rock still, mouth slightly ajar from shock. A lump of thick, wet tears pressed against her throat as she watched the interaction between two women who’d known each other longer than Karina had been alive. In a flash, the paramedics disappeared out the door and loaded the gurney into the ambulance, Gram right behind them.

  The adrenaline rush was over. Karina’s knees went weak as the shakes set in.

  “Sit. Now,” Cal ordered. He followed the instruction by wrapping his arms around Karina’s waist, leading her toward the closest sofa.

  Brushing off Cal’s embrace, angry and grateful for his presence at the same time, Karina swallowed hard. “I’m fine.”

  “You don’t look fine. In fact, you look like you need some help.”

  “Again, I’m fine. If you want to help someone,” Karina interrupted then lowered her voice, “take Mr. Thomas to the hospital. He’s got a thing for Betty, and I know he’ll want to go. He’s upset and doesn’t need to be driving.”

  Cal looked like he was about to protest, so Karina glared at him, holding up a finger.

  “What happened?” Wiley asked.

  Turning around, Karina gave a weak smile to both Wiley and Seth. Tears glimmered behind Seth’s eyes. “I’m not sure, Wiley, so it’s best to let the doctors figure that out. Seth, Mr. Benson will drive you to the hospital, okay?”

  Numbed from shock, Seth only nodded.

  “I’m goin’ too,” Wiley added.

  Karina watched Cal lead the two elderly men out the front doors then turned around and headed back upstairs to retrieve the food and lock Betty’s door. She was too shook up to wonder why Cal dropped by and was simply glad for the help. With Mom and Gram out, and only a skeleton crew until noon, Karina needed to stay on the property.

  Once she reached the top of the stairs, she noticed Cecil. He was as pale as a ghost. She could see the slight tremors in his hand as he chewed on the edge of a fingernail.

  “Heart attack?” Cecil whispered.

  Stepping past him into Betty’s room, Karina answered, “I’m not sure. All I know is she fainted then quit breathing.”

  While gathering up the tray and spilled food, Karina heard footsteps then the rustling of paper. She knew Cecil was rummaging through Betty’s things, which wasn’t right. “Cecil, do you mind?”

  “What in the world?”

  Sensing the unease in his voice, Karina let go of the tray and turned around to find him standing by the coffee table, gnarled fingers clasping several yellowed newspaper clippings. “What’s wrong?”

  “These…they’re all about them two!” Cecil pilfered through several more clippings on the table. “Why in the world did Betty keep them? And why was she lookin’ at them?”

  Walking over, Karina peeked over Cecil’s shoulder. “All about them two? Is Betty part of that duo?”

  Cecil’s watery blue eyes clouded over with worry as he dropped the pages like they were suddenly hot. “No…I mean…wait, what’s today?”

  Stunned by his reaction, Karina kept her voice calm and soothing, afraid any second another resident was about to take a trip to the hospital. “It’s Thursday.”

  “No, I mean the date!” Cecil answered, his voice taut with worry.

  “March second, why?”

  Backing away from the coffee table, Cecil muttered, “Exactly sixty years ago. Exactly!”

  Edging closer, Karina put a hand on Cecil’s arm, which was trembling. “What happened sixty years ago, Cecil?”

  Eyes wild with fear, it took several seconds for Cecil to form words. “Maud Crawford and Carolyn Singleton disappeared off the face of the earth.”

  Chapter 4

  Hot Springs, Arkansas – Thursday, March 2, 2017

  “How long does it take to poke me with a needle and play vampire? The appointment was for eight and it’s almost nine! I hate sittin’ around wastin’ precious time, plus I’m old and hungry. It ain’t right to starve an old man all night then make him wait!”

  LiAnn smiled at her father’s impatience. “Pop, not everyone is on your schedule. Stop complaining and sit tight. When it’s your turn, it’s your turn. That’s what you used to tell me when I was little, remember?”

  Junior shot LiAnn a look. “Don’t start with me, girl. No food or coffee makes me cranky. I never shoulda let you talk me into this.”

  “Pop,” LiAnn whispered, putting a cool hand on his thin arm. “Calm down. You know it’s for the best. You had six different doctors prescribing you medication which is way too many. In a perfect world, they would all communicate with each other, making sure the drugs they prescribed all worked together, but we don’t live in a perfect world. Things happen, mistakes are made, and sometimes items of importance fall through the cracks. Dr. Crow is an internal medicine specialist and works directly with your heart doctor, eliminating the other five. The fewer involved the less a chance for a mistake. Besides, after the stress you’ve been under, I’ll feel better knowing you have a clean bill of health.”

  Junior sighed. “I know, sugar, and I’m sorry. Your ma’s right. I’m a grouchy bear when hungry. Plus, I didn’t like sleepin’ without her next to me last night. It just felt all wrong. Guess that’s why I had some wicked nightmares.”

  LiAnn raised an inquisitive brow and almost asked what the dreams were about but stopped short. Most likely they were just like hers—about what happened to Karina and the house. Rather than make him relive the dream, she opted to steer the conversation to the new structure. “I think the new house is looking great. Karina is going to flip when she sees it. It’s sort of eerie how the design is so close to her own visions of a dream home.”

  Junior chortled. “Less than a year into retirement and you’ve already lost all your detective skills. Must be from all the lovey-dovey googly eyes between you and Andrew.”

  LiAnn laughed and then paused as realization of the statement hit her square in the chest. “Wait, Pop? What are you saying?”

  “I’m sayin’ it ain’t some eerie coincidence. It was done on purpose. Your ma and I had it built just for Karina. You’re with Andrew now, and we suspect y’all stay together, so our lil’ gal needs a place of her own. We had it built just the way we knew she’d want. That way, after we exit this world, we’ll go with smiles on our faces, knowin’ both our gals have the desires of their hearts. What better way turn a tragedy into a triumph?”

  LiAnn fought back hot tears. “You’re right, Pop. I did lose some of my investigative skills because it never dawned on me….That is just…the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. No wonder you’ve made sure to keep Karina away. All this time, I thought the reasoning behind the design of the house was because you wanted something totally different than before so you wouldn’t be haunted by old memories. It never occurred to me it was for Karina.”

  “Don’t tell your ma I spilled the beans. Or Karina. It was supposed to be a surprise for the first time we took her out to see the place. We sorta hoped it would help ease the awful memories of what happened from her mind.”

  Wiping away a
few straggler tears, LiAnn answered, “I won’t say a word Pop. Not even to Andrew. Promise.”

  Junior looked away to the clock on the wall, a hint of red dotting his cheeks.

  “Wait, does Andrew know?”

  Junior nodded. “He does.”

  “I’m not sure how I feel about being kept in the dark, but I guess if you decided to trust Andrew with such a big secret, you must be warming up to him, huh?”

  “Yep. He’s a keeper. My previous doubts are all gone.”

  “So, does this mean you and Mom plan on living with Karina?”

  Junior turned his gaze back to LiAnn and laughed. “Have you seen your ma in the kitchen at The Magnolia? You really think I stand a chance of convincin’ her to leave? She loves it there, and honestly, so do I. We both get to see our best friends each day and our lovely girls, who just so happen to be runnin’ the show. What more could we ask for as retirees? Oh, wait, I know! Great-grandchildren. The next time I see Bo, I’m gonna mention that to him. Maybe it’ll speed things up. We’ve already picked out what we want the little bundle of joy to call us—Pops and Lolli. That way, the little sprite can say, ‘I’m goin’ to visit LoliPops!’”

  LiAnn chuckled softly. “That’s so cute. Boy, you still like to stir up trouble, don’t you?”

  Junior bristled. “The pot’s already on the stove. I’m just turnin’ up the heat. Things seemed to slow down a bit after what’s-his-name showed up last month. Bo’s gonna be busy with plantin’ season in a few weeks, so he needs to kick up the heat before he loses Karina to that tattooed Californian. We’ve already had one biker in the family. We don’t need another.”

  LiAnn felt heat rise from her chest. Before she had a chance to respond to the dig at Karina’s father, a frantic nurse burst into the room.

  “I’m sorry it took me so long. It’s been a crazy day for a Thursday morning. Before I draw your blood, you haven’t had any food or liquid since midnight, correct?”

  “Nope, so hurry up and drain me so I can get back home. I’m beyond famished.”

  The nurse slipped on a pair of gloves and started poking around for a vein after tying a band around Junior’s arm. “Dr. Crow ordered a complete chemistry screen, also known as a Chem-20 test, so I’m going to need more than one vial. Oh, you’ve got great veins, Mr. Tuck. A stick and a sting…then you can go home. Ready?”

  LiAnn wasn’t squeamish by nature, yet seeing the sharp needle slip under her father’s frail skin and the tube fill with dark red blood forced her to look away.

  “All done! I’ll send this off to the lab, and Dr. Crow will call you in a few days with the results.”

  “We’ve got an appointment for next Tuesday with him,” LiAnn said.

  “Good. I’ll be—”

  An eerie, high-pitched beeping from the speakers in the ceiling drowned out the nurse’s words. The three distinct beeps were followed by a loud voice booming, “Code blue to ER. Code blue to ER.”

  The nurse’s attitude immediately changed. Grabbing up the vials of blood, she didn’t even acknowledge Junior or LiAnn as she ran out the door.

  “Code blue? What’s that mean?” Junior asked, watching as other staff members raced down the hallway.

  “Cardiac arrest in the emergency room,” LiAnn answered while retrieving her purse from the floor. “Come on, Pop. Let’s get you some breakfast.”

  Both exited the room and headed out to the main entrance. They were only a few feet away from the automatic doors when they saw Cal Benson escorting Wiley Wilson and Seth Thomas into the hospital.

  “What in the world?” Junior asked, letting the question trail off.

  LiAnn couldn’t fathom why the two elderly men were with Cal except for one reason. He’d been at The Magnolia when one of the residents fell ill. That had to be it! She exchanged a worried glance with her father, both seeming to sense something was wrong.

  The doors slid open with a gentle whoosh. Wiley spotted them first and said, “Ms. LiAnn! Junior! It’s just awful!”

  LiAnn’s heart skipped two beats, mind immediately returning to the day Karina was admitted to the hospital. “What’s wrong, Mr. Wilson?”

  “Don’t rightly know other than one minute Ms. Karina went upstairs to bring Betty breakfast and the next, the paramedics arrived and whisked poor Betty away in an ambulance!”

  Glancing over at Seth, seeing the terrified look on his face, LiAnn addressed Calvin. “Would you please take my father to the cafeteria to get some breakfast and then meet us all in the CICU waiting room?”

  “I ain’t goin’ anywhere until I call Ruth. She’s probably beside herself with worry!” Junior said.

  “She rode with Betty in the ambulance,” Seth whispered. “They wouldn’t let me.”

  “Come on, Mr. Tuck. Let’s grab some food in to-go boxes for all of us. We’ll eat in the waiting room.”

  Junior glowered at Cal, then looked over at LiAnn. She nodded her head in agreement, nudging him toward the adjoining hallway.

  Extending her hands to Wiley and Seth, LiAnn led them toward the other end of the hospital, praying silently that the code blue over the speakers earlier wasn’t for Betty Dravis.

  Her gut instincts refused to listen to the prayers.

  Wiley sat next to Seth and offered a comforting presence, toning down his usual banter. Seth hadn’t said a word or touched any of the food sitting in the Styrofoam container in front of him. Ruth and Junior huddled together like long-lost lovers. When another bout of tears came, Junior would reach for his hanky and wipe them away with such care it was like he was stroking a delicate bird. The visual made LiAnn think about Andrew and how he’d doted on her from the minute he arrived in Arkansas. Seeing the tender interactions between her parents, knowing full well how much they loved each other, and how similar the moment was to the many she’d shared with Andrew, cleared away the last traces of doubts.

  If Andrew ever proposed again, this time, she would give the right answer.

  Glancing across the room at Calvin Benson, LiAnn did her best not to scowl. No way, not in million years, could she ever envision Karina and Cal sharing something so sweet, so intimate, or so selfless.

  She could, however, picture Bo and Karina having that kind of relationship. LiAnn hoped her daughter would make the right choice. The anger she felt toward Bo from not protecting Karina the night the house blew up finally waned. Seeing them together and the way the boy treated her wiped it away. Yet ever since Calvin moved to Arkansas, Karina’s demeanor changed. Several times during the last month, LiAnn caught her daughter sitting outside in the garden, staring off into the sky, confusion clouding her beautiful features. The struggle inside her mind transferred to the paintings she created, all full of dark, ominous tones. She knew the majority of Karina’s angst stemmed from what happened at the farm yet sensed other issues bothered her as well. When LiAnn pressed her to talk about her feelings, Karina would shrug the questions off and mumble something about the farm or about work. LiAnn knew the answers were partial truths but not the only reasons for Karina’s mood shift.

  Calvin Benson’s presence ignited old feelings again inside Karina’s heart.

  God, now I know exactly how my parents felt about Kurt.

  Looking over across the room, LiAnn noticed Calvin was flipping through an old magazine, his legs bouncing slightly. The man looked completely out of place dressed in jeans, a tight t-shirt, black leather jacket, and matching boots. The dark tribal tattoos on his neck were visible, in stark contrast to the rest of them. She considered going over to talk with him yet refrained. The mother in her wanted to punch the bastard in the throat, instruct him to stay the hell away from her child. The woman in her knew that would be a mistake because if a parent intervened and disapproved of a companion, it generally pushed the child to run straight toward the relationship.

  That was exactly what she’d done years ago with Karina’s father.

  LiAnn’s thoughts were interrupted when a doctor appeared in the doorway.
The rest of the group stood in unison when he walked in.

  “Which one of you is related to Ms. Dravis?”

  “None of us,” Ruth answered. “She doesn’t have any family left. We’re her friends. She lives with us at The Magnolia. What’s wrong, doctor? Is she okay?”

  “I’m afraid I can’t disclose information—”

  “You can with me,” LiAnn interrupted. “I’m one of the managers of The Magnolia, and we have her HIPPA consent on file. If necessary, I’ll have the other manager send it to me in an email.”

  Seth stepped forward. “Please, at least tell us she’s alive. I can’t stand being kept in the dark!”

  LiAnn used the distraction to send Karina a text, requesting the form.

  “I know you all are anxious, but again, releasing confidential information is against hospital and federal policy.”

  LiAnn’s phone buzzed. Smiling at the speed at which her daughter worked, she clicked on the email, holding her phone up so the doctor could see the document. “There. See? Now, please tell us how Ms. Dravis is doing.”

  After examining the phone, the doctor seemed satisfied. “Ms. Dravis suffered a myocardial infarction.”

  “A what? Speak English, doc,” Wiley said.

  “A heart attack. She has several blocked blood vessels, so she’s being prepped for open-heart surgery. She needs three bypasses and a stent in one of her coronary arteries as well.”

  Ruth started to softly cry while mumbling a prayer under her breath. Junior put his arms around her. LiAnn glanced over at Seth and immediately moved to his side, wrapping her arm around his shoulder.

  “Is she awake? Can I go see her for just a minute? I’ve got to tell her somethin’,” Seth asked.

  “I’m sorry, but Ms. Dravis cannot have any visitors until out of surgery and recovery. I suggest going back home and getting some rest. The earliest she’ll be able to have visitors is late tomorrow afternoon. There’s no sense in all of you waiting here.”