A Shot at Amore by Nora James

Author:Nora James
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Escape Publishing
Published: 2020-08-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Sofia watched her aunt sleep in peace. Would she be dead two days from now? Would she wake only to live another nightmare of imaginary monsters and visions of ghosts and try to tear out her own hair? Sofia hoped with all her heart that the doctor was wrong on both accounts. Thank goodness Antonio had been here to help. Even now that he had stepped into the corridor to make a few work phone calls, it was reassuring to know that he was seconds away.

Rushed footsteps reached her door and yet another doctor Sofia hadn’t seen before entered, a man of a certain age with round glasses and a somewhat dorky face. He looked the way she imagined Harry Potter would in middle age.

‘Buongiorno. I’m chief of staff, Doctor Rinotto. I’m taking over from Doctor Pagnani in Mrs, euh …’ He checked the name on the file he was carrying. ‘Mrs Conti’s case.’

‘You’re her doctor now?’ Why the abrupt change? If Nella really only had a day or two to live, why bother to get a different person involved? And a chief of staff too. Unless there was a problem—an unexpected test result, a mix-up, a misdiagnosis. ‘Is something the matter?’

Doctor Pagnani’s diagnosis was wrong. She’s not dying. Please let it be that.

‘Let me reassure you, nothing’s the matter. Doctor Pagnani has a number of complex cases and can no longer attend to all of his previous patients. Don’t worry, your, hmm …’

‘My aunt.’

‘Yes, your aunt, is in good hands.’

The chief of staff felt Nella’s pulse, lifted up her left eyelid.

‘So she’s all right?’ Stress stiffened Sofia’s shoulders.

The doctor nodded. ‘Absolutely. This is routine. You needn’t worry.’

Sofia crossed her arms. Something about this man bothered her, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Perhaps it was the way he avoided her gaze. But she had to know. She steeled herself. ‘Excuse me, but the previous doctor said my aunt only had a few days to live. He talked about the dying process. The thing is, zia Nella was very bright just before this all started. She ate a full meal. I hadn’t seen her like that for such a long time. There was real improvement, and then this … this episode of madness. Do you think it could be something else, a mental issue? Something temporary?’ Something that could be fixed with a pill or two, and Nella would be sent home? Sofia hoped so with all her heart. ‘Could it be that Doctor Pagnani has perhaps misdiagnosed her?’

‘It can be very distressing for family members but it isn’t unusual for there to be a sudden improvement just before a further deterioration.’

‘I’m not sure I understand. Are you saying you agree with what the previous doctor said?’

‘I have every confidence in Doctor Pagnani. I have read your aunt’s file and discussed matters with him, and I am sorry to say that we are in complete agreement.’

The floor seemed to move under her feet. Sofia held onto the back of a chair as she blinked back tears.

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