The Change Up by Elley Arden

Author:Elley Arden
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: F+W Media
Published: 2016-04-14T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Rachel moved into the chair her mother had vacated when she’d left her husband’s side to find a ladies’ room. Since Helen Anne had gone home to relieve Liv, who’d been staying with Macy, Rachel was alone in the ER with her sleeping father. He was covered in a heap of warm blankets with wires monitoring his every move. Except for a bruise on his forehead, a scratch on his right cheek, and a few cuts and scrapes on his feet, he was in decent shape. Physically. But dehydration, hunger, and exposure, coupled with the usual Alzheimer’s symptoms, left him drifting in and out of rational thought and conversation.

Thank God for Sam. She texted him to share that sentiment and to tell him her father was okay. Short and sweet. But before he could respond, Rachel was pulled away by her father’s weak and raspy voice.

“Jackie?”

She grabbed his hand, careful of the wires. “It’s me, Dad. Rachel. How are you feeling?”

“Terrible.” He groaned, but it sounded more emotional than physical. “I’m so sorry I worried you.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“I don’t know what happened.”

“I know.”

“I’m scared.”

She fought the tears for no other reason than not to alarm him.

“I don’t know why I can’t remember some things,” he said.

“Because you have Alzheimer’s,” she said. It seemed particularly cruel that he had to be reminded of the very thing that was crushing him.

“Yes.” His voice trailed off with a hint of sadness. “I’m so sorry,” he said again. “Maybe we should sell the baseball team.”

It was like someone pressed rewind, and she vacillated between wanting to sob and wanting to shake the disease right out of him. “I’m trying,” she whispered, and then she dropped her head to his chest, closed her eyes, and let the beating of his heart soothe her. He could’ve died tonight, but he didn’t. That was what mattered now.

“Danny! You’re awake.” Rachel’s mother stood on the other side of the hospital bed, smoothing the hair off her husband’s bandaged forehead.

“I’m so sorry,” he said again, and Rachel couldn’t bear another minute of it.

She excused herself and escaped to the ladies’ room, never having felt so helpless before. She’d always believed that if you worked hard enough, you achieved. It wasn’t magic. It was cause and effect. She’d amassed power and fortune before she’d even turned thirty, following her father’s lead. But all the hard work, money, and power couldn’t have saved him today.

And it might not be able to save her in the future.

She hated that, hated this feeling of impotence. Rage so thick and deep stole her breath and challenged her balance. She leaned against the wall and grasped for composure, knowing anger wasn’t going to change anything. And that’s what needed to happen. Change. For starters, they couldn’t assume he was safe at home anymore. Fortunately, money could help with that. She would research and buy the best alarms and have the locks altered on the doors so that he couldn’t escape without someone being notified.

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