Kind Hearted (Patrick Kane)

24- Bad News

Victoria

"Alright Tori, you can take your break" the head nurse tells me and I smile.

"Thanks Mandy" I reply and she smiles back.

"Of course. Make sure you actually take a break this time and don't just eat while still helping patients" she smirks and I laugh.

"I'll try my best. But Mr. Martin loves when I come and eat lunch with him so I make no promises" I wink.

"Never change Tor, never change."

I grab my lunch and head to the break room. I see a few of my co-workers I'm lucky enough to call my friends eating their food and decide to sit with them. We sit and talk for a while before I notice one of the guys staring at me. I try to ignore it but he really looked like he wanted to say something.

"Is your dads name Andrew" he finally asks and I swallow hard. I know he works in the cardiology wing so the only way he would known that is from something he saw there.

"Yeah" I admit.

"A bunch of his test results came in today. I think you should take a look at them" he says softly so it doesn't cause a scene in front of everyone else at the table. I feel the tears come up in my eyes as my heart starts to race.

"Okay. Thanks for letting me know" I say with the best smile I could give in this moment.

"Of course" he nods.

I quickly finish my food before going into the cardiovascular wing. I go up to my fathers doctor who was also on break and tap her on the shoulder. She turns around and her face falls when she sees me.

"Oh, hey Tori. What brings you by" she wonders.

"Samuel told me that my dads recent test results were back and that I would probably want to look at them" I explain and I can tell by her body language how uncomfortable it made her that I knew that.

"Are you sure you don't want to come see it at the end of your shift instead" she asks and I shake my head.

"I can't walk around here and properly do my job feeling like something isn't right and I don't know what it is" I insist and she sighs.

"Alright. You can follow me and I'll give you what information we have" she explains and I nod.

I follow her into her office and she takes me to her desk. She hands me a thick file and I hold it in my hands. She gives me those sad eyes before resting her hand on my shoulder.

"Take your time with those. You're a smart girl and I know you can figure it all out. I'll tell Mandy that you'll be back a little late from your break" she explains and I nod.

"Thank you doctor" I say with a weak smile as she matches my smile. She pats my back softly before leaving me alone. I sit down in her chair and open up the folder. I skim through it because 80% of these reports are fluff or things that don't really matter. And it makes finding that important 20% that much harder.

Finally I find what I needed to see. It was highlighted in yellow with bold lettering. It said that his blood pressure was way too high and the chances of him having a heart attack was extremely large, almost promised. It wasn't a matter of if but when he would fall victim to his failing heart. He had let his condition go untreated for too long and it was about to catch up with him. No medication or prevention can stop something from happening and that terrified me. I shake my head as I go through all the numbers, trying to add them up. But the result was always the same.

Basically all this was is a big slap in the face. I need to get something done for him and soon. Even if I am too late I need to try to figure out how to keep his heart beating in time with mine. I needed to try and help him. I could not lose the only parent I ever had, I couldn't lose my idol.

After I'd seen enough I close up the files and set them back on the doctors desk. I go back to work and try my best to return to being the best person I know how to be. These people need me and deserve nothing but everything I got. I'm not supposed to be distracted or absent minded, these are these peoples lives we're talking about after all.

"Excuse me" someone says breaking me out of my trance. I see a girl about my age looking down at me. She had short brown hair and pretty blue eyes. She had on a gown and a band around her wrist letting me know she was a patient here. I give her my best smile I had as I try to make conversation.

"Hello. How may I help you" I ask her.

"Are you Victoria Tyler" she asks and I nod.

"That's me" I assure her.

"Woah. It really is you" she gasps.

"Do I know you" I ask.

"No. I just know you from the news" she admits and I nod. I get that a lot now.

"Ah. Gotcha. Is there anything I can do for you? Do you need a doctor or just want someone to talk with" I wonder.

"I could use a friend right now" she admits.

"I can do that" I smile. "What's your name?"

"Michelle" she says.

"Alright Michelle, what brings you here" I question.

"I have heart problems" she explains and my heart drops. Suddenly I remember that my dad isn't the only one fighting this fight. We're all in this together and we would be a lot stronger fighting together than suffering alone.

"I get it, it's really hard living like this. My dad has heart problems too" I explain.

"Really" she asks.

"Yeah. And he's not doing too hot either" I admit.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea. I feel like I knew so much about you, but I guess I don't" she claims.

"What do you know about me" I wonder.

"I know that you work here and the restaurant downtown. I know you've been dating Patrick and he's crazy about you. I know you grew up in Michigan and you used to be a Red Wings fan" she lists off and I laugh.

"Okay, first of all I need you to know that I was never a Red Wings fan. I am a fan of volunteering and they were hosting a event to raise money for the homeless shelter at Joe Lewis" I explain and she laughs.

"Good" she smirks.

"And second of all, none of that is who I am. That's what I do, who I'm with. Who I am is someone who wants the best for others, like and unalike. I want never ending happiness for people like you and my dad who have great hearts even though it is failing you guys right now" I explain. 

"Yeah. It kinda sucks being stuck here" she admits.

"I get it, but you should never feel alone in this fight. Come find me anytime you don't want to be here. We can dream a little and we'll go wherever it is your heart takes you" I say and she smiles.

"You really are the sweetest person ever" she claims and I laugh.

"I try."