Among The Roses

Chapter 15: Taking Care of Things

Chiara reached out a trembling hand, laying it on her father's back.

"Oh god, he's so cold." She turned an ashen face to the two boys. "He's too cold, Drew." She rose and ran to the sofa, where a hand knitted blanket was neatly folded across the back. As she was grabbing it, Drew quickly felt Bert, then looked at Ned, who was standing motionless, just inside the door. He shook his head at the blond boy.

"Call an ambulance, Neddy, there's a good lad."

Ned nodded and stepped outside into the chilly twilight.

"Should we move him to the sofa?" Chiara asked as she returned with the blanket.

And Drew, who already knew that moving him anywhere would make no difference, shook his head, knowing that touching him would only tell Chiara what she didn't want to know.

"I think we should leave him where he is, darling, let the medical professionals take care of him, okay?"

Chiara nodded, so they floated the blanket down over her dad where he lay. Drew then carefully led the trembling girl away from the kitchen so she wouldn't have to stare at her father, lying there amidst the crumbled remains of the bag of crisps.

"Where's Ned?" Chiara looked around.

"He went outside to call the ambulance," Drew told her, putting an arm around her shoulders. He wished he could make her a cup of tea, but that would involve stepping over her father, which he just couldn't bring himself to do.

"In fact, you know, why don't you grab your over coat, and let's just wait outside with him," Drew suggested.

And it really showed how strange and off Chiara was feeling that she agreed to this, because under normal circumstances, she never would've agreed to leave her unconscious father just lying in the middle of their kitchen floor to go wait outside.

It made Drew think that, maybe on some level, she knew already.

She put her coat on as they went outside, where Ned was already off his mobile, standing in the middle of the yard, waiting for the ambulance. Chiara got her arms through the sleeves just fine, but seemed to have forgotten the knack of doing up the buttons, so Drew quickly did them up for her, all the way up to her chin. He could see her shocked blue eyes, huge in the deepening dusk, looking at him, looking as if they were made of glass.

They could already hear the sirens in the distance.

"See? Here they come already," Ned said, turning to her.

Chiara nodded.

Within a few minutes the EMTs had arrived, and Drew directed them into the house, while Ned kept Chiara outside.

"Please," Drew told them as soon as they were inside, "she doesn't know he's gone, don't cover his face when you take him out?"

"Sir, we can't lie on our paperwork," the EMT told him. "He was already deceased when we got here, we have to indicate that, and tell the next of kin."

"I know, but can you wheel him out like a normal person? Not zip him up in a bag, like?"

The EMT nodded understandingly.

They got him strapped down to a gurney, and went out to talk to Chiara.

"Miss Cavuto?"

Chiara turned.

"I'm so sorry, Miss, but there was nothing we could do for him. We won't know for sure until we do an autopsy, but it looks like he had a heart attack sometime within the last six hours or so. That's all we know for now. I'm so very sorry for your loss."