Lissy Romano

21| Baby girl.

Lissy Romano

"You have heart palpitations," Marco said, continuing to listen to my heartbeat.

"What does that mean?" I asked, my voice tinged with worry.

"I'll run an ECG. Do you want me to get Giovanni?" Marco asked, looking at me with concern.

"No... he'll just get anxious and tell the others. They're all busy right now, I don't want to disrupt their work," I replied, meeting Marco's blue eyes.

"Okay. Lay down, please." Marco directed as he prepared the ECG equipment.

I lay down, feeling a bit nervous as Marco attached the sensors to my skin. After a moment, he removed them, looking over the results.

"How was it?" I asked, anxiety creeping into my voice.

"You'll need to take medication for your heart," Marco explained. "You have tachycardia and palpitations... Did you take a hit to your chest recently?"

"No... yes. I was punched and kicked here," I said, pressing on my chest where my heart had been pounding.

"I'm sorry, Lissy. That could be the cause of your heart issues. Let's do an MRI, okay?" Marco suggested.

"Okay," I agreed, following him into the next room.

The MRI images were ready shortly after, and Marco examined them closely.

"Lissy, your ribs are fine—just badly bruised, no fractures. The last MRI showed a concussion. You need rest and to drink plenty of water. I'll put an IV in to give you fluids for the pain; it'll work much better than just ibuprofen. Tomorrow, I'll come by your place to give you more fluids, alright?" Marco explained, giving me a reassuring smile. He placed the IV in my arm and administered the pain medication, and I pulled my shirt back on.

"Fantastic. Thanks," I said, smiling back at Marco, feeling the effects of the medication already soothing the pain.

"Let's go to Giovanni, he's probably dying from lack of information," Marco said, laughing as he handed me a water bottle.

I chuckled as Marco opened the door, revealing Giovanni sitting just outside, his face a mixture of worry and relief.

"Is everything okay?" Giovanni asked, his concern evident.

"Sit down, Lissy. I'm going to steal your brother for a bit," Marco said, motioning to a nearby chair.

"You don't have to punch him for waking me up," I teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"I'll think about it," Marco said with a smile.

"Wait here. Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back," Giovanni instructed as he stood and walked off.

"Okay," I said, though I couldn't help but wonder where he was going.

Time seemed to drag on, and I eventually realized I needed the bathroom. The bottle of water Marco had given me was empty, and I couldn't ignore the thirst anymore. I stood and wandered down the hallway, looking for a bathroom.

"Yes..." I murmured quietly to myself when I finally found it.

A few moments later, I stepped out, only to realize I had no idea which way I came from. I turned, trying to retrace my steps, but suddenly I heard a deep voice behind me.