[ fünfzehn ]
He ran into the living room, trying to get to the front door with his unconscious wife in his arms. Lolita and Erik were there, and the seventeen year old shot up from her seat on the couch when she saw her mother. "Oh my gosh," She gasped, bringing her hands to her face in shock. "What happened to my mom?" Erik got up as well, and watched his friend with concern.
"I don't know. She just fainted." Thomas explained, "I need to get her to the hospital."
"I'll go with you." Lolita said, grabbing her purse off the couch and rushing to the front door, where she opened it for Thomas. Erik followed behind them.
Thomas' car was parked in the front, to make space in the back for the party decorations. It had proved to be useful now. Lolita got the car door open and Thomas placed his wife in the front passenger seat. Quickly strapping her, in he went around to the driver's side. Before he climbed into the driver's side, he told his step-daughter, "I need you to stay here and tell everyone that the party's cancelled. Then you can catch up with us at the hospital. Gianluca can take you." Thomas instructed.
Lolita would have normally argued with him, asked him why he got to call all the shots, but this was her mother's health. She didn't want to put her mother in danger.
Still, she whined, "Please Thomas, you can't ask me to stay."
He saw the worry in her eyes, she loved Gabriella just as much as he did. He couldn't imagine staying behind, as he was asking Lolita to do. "Okay, get in the car quick. We need to go."
With that, the footballer got into the driver's seat.
Lolita turned to Erik and took his hand in her's. "I have to go, Erik. But I'm going to need you to find Gena and ask her to tell everyone the party is cancelled."
Erik nodded, "Okay. Text me whenever you can."
She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and got in the car. Then Thomas sped down the dirt path, on their way to the hospital.
-
Lolita and Thomas were in the waiting room. They were too concerned about Gabriella to be able to sit in the waiting room chairs. Lolita paced the small space of the waiting area, back and forth, while Thomas remained in one spot.
The doctor emerged moments later, and Thomas rushed to his side to hear the news. "We have her in her room, and she seems to be in a stable condition. But we just got a few tests done to see what exactly is wrong with her."
"Can we see her?" Thomas wondered.
The doctor nodded, "Of course. But for the time being, she can only receive visits one at a time."
Thomas and Lolita looked at each other. He was Gabriella's husband, and she her daughter. How would they decide who would be going first?
"You go first." Lolita sighed.
"But Lolita-" He argued.
She interrupted him. "My mother loves you. I'm sure she'll be very happy to see you."
Thomas cut the distance between them in a few strides and took both her hands in his. "There is no one your mother loves more than you, Lolita." Letting go of her hands and turning to look at the doctor, he continued, "Please doctor, I know Gabriella wouldn't be happy if she couldn't see both of us at once. Let the two of us visit her."
"Please doctor." Lolita's eyes were pleading.
With a sigh, the doctor finally agreed, "Fine. But just remember she needs to remain very calm."
