KoL The Hospital 13.30

Jess leapt to her feet as she saw her father coming down the corridor. She rushed towards him and registered the anxiety in his normally placid face.
 
“Any news?” he asked. “How’s she doing?”
 
“She’s ok Dad, she’s gonna be ok. Doctor is with her now but he said she’d be fine. He’ll talk to us both in a minute, now you’re here”.
 
Arnold Bowen breathed a sigh of pure relief, stress oozing out of his large body. He brushed one rough hand across his weather-worn face, pinching the finger tips into his eyes, pausing there for a second. The other hand came out towards his daughter and pulled her in towards him. She melted against his chest and threw her arms around him, squeezing him tight.  At 34 years old, she may be a grown woman leading capable of an independent life, but her Dad would always be special and she would always find comfort in his arms. For Arnie, the feeling was just the same, yet there was no one he would have trusted more with his wife’s safety.
 
“You think the doc’ll let me in like this?” he finally said, pulling away from Jess. I got your message and I came straight away, wellies and all.”
 
Jess stood back and laughed. “Yeah, maybe not quite what one would expect in a horspittal daddy darling, but well… we’ll let you off in the circumstances I think,” she said. “You know what, I’ll see if I can get you some boot covers – they must have some in surgery.” And with that, off she went.
 
As Jess came back, Arnie was thanking the doctor and saying his farewells.
 
“And?” she inquired.
 
“Oh, you missed him. Yeah. She’s good. She’s going to be fine,” he said.  “Just a panic attack apparently. Sure as hell scared us up though, didn’t she?” Arnold laughed his relief.
 
Jess passed him the boot protectors she had begged from a nurse near surgery.  “You should put this on and go in and see her.” She frowned as she remember her mother hanging on the to sink at home.  “Panic attack? Not a heart attack?” she asked. “She couldn’t breath, Dad,  I mean she was an awful colour, and she seemed to be in so much pain. Are you sure?”
 
Arnie put his arm around Jess’ shoulders and knocked the forehead of his grey head against her black one.
 
“Yes honey, that’s what the doctor said,” he told her. “Apparently a panic attack can have the same symptoms, and really bad, as a heart attack. Its common. Lucky us I say.”
 
“Oh,” muttered Jess, looking at her feet.
 
“Hey, you did the right thing,” Arnie reassured her. He lifted her chin with his big grubby hands. “You did the right thing – could have been her ticker, and then we could have ….”
 
Arnie stopped mid sentence and shut his eyes.
 
“Listen,” he said, getting himself back together. “Let’s not think about what could have been. I’m going in to see her right now. Wonder what brought it on, panic attack like that?” Arnie, turned and went through the green door, letting it fall behind him.
 
Alone in the corridor outside, Jess thought back to the picture she’d found on the floor and the crumbled letter in her bag. I wonder, she thought. 
 
She had the uncomfortable feeling she already knew, but she prayed she was wrong.