Page 30 of Ripple Effect

It feels wrong thinking about anything else when Elio’s lying in a hospital bed. I don’t fully know what happened out there, and my mind keeps playing the worst-case scenarios on a loop. Even though we just met a few weeks ago, it’s like he’s already slipping away from me, evaporating like smoke in the wind.

I’m not sure I know him well enough to provide him the comfort he needs. So, I contemplate reaching out to Kaia.

In a moment like this, he could find solace in the presence of someone familiar, someone he knows well and trusts. But then again, I don’t know where they stand, and I don’t want to intrude on an unfamiliar dynamic.

Thankfully, I don’t have to make a decision right now. A nurse has just entered the waiting room, and she’s here calling for me. “Daisy Grey?” she asks, and I nod my confirmation, standing from my seat. “Mr. Reynolds has been asking for you.”

Gracie and I follow her, and she leaves us at the door of his room, telling me to call if I need anything. Before I enter, I turn back to my friend.

“You should go home,” I tell her, “I want to stay with Elio for a while, and I’ll find us a ride later on. Thank you for bringing me here, for waiting with me.”

She looks like she wants to protest, but she only nods, squeezing my hand just once before she leaves.

Taking a deep breath, I step into Elio’s room. The sight of him lying on the hospital bed, looking so vulnerable and fragile, wraps my insides into a tight coil. But I swallow it down and force a smile.

“Hey, stranger,” I greet him, trying to keep my voice light and steady. His eyes flicker toward me, and the relief that washes over his face tugs at my heart. I pull a chair up to his bed and reach for his hand, holding it gently in my own.

“Jesus, what happened?” he finally asks, his voice a raspy whisper.

I squeeze his fingers, trying to offer some sort of comfort. “I don’t really know. You were gasping for air, and you .. . you just fell. It was like you couldn’t breathe, and then ... then you just went limp.” I choke on the words, my throat tightening as I relive the horrifying moments. “I called 911. They carted you away.”

There’s a silence between us then, a heavy pause that fills the air as Elio absorbs my words. His gaze flits over to the machines beside his bed, to the wires and tubes that extend from his arms, then back to me. He’s quiet for a long moment before he speaks again.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he says, and there’s something about those simple words that cuts right through me.

He didn’t ask for this. He didn’t want to end up in a hospital bed any more than I wanted to see him here. And yet, he’s the one apologizing.

Before I can say anything else, a knock sounds at the door and a doctor strides in, clipboard in hand.

“Hello, Mr. Reynolds. I’m Dr. Foster.” He glances at me then, a hint of surprise in his gaze. “Would you prefer if we have this conversation in private?”

Elio doesn’t miss a beat. “No, it’s okay. She can stay.”

The doctor nods, then turns his attention back to Elio. “You gave us quite a scare there, young man. We ran some tests to determine what might’ve caused your collapse.”

“Was it ... a heart attack?”

“No,” the doctor responds, flipping through the pages on his clipboard. “Your blood tests and initial EKG don’t indicate a myocardial infarction.”

“Then what was it?”

“We’re still trying to figure that out,” Dr. Foster says. “The paramedics noted an irregular heartbeat when you were brought in, but we’ll need to do further testing to determine what might’ve caused it. I do see in your records a history of drug use, specifically cocaine.”

“I’ve been clean for five years,” Elio interjects, his voice firm.

“Even past use of such substances can have long-term effects on the heart,” he says, gaze narrowing slightly as if he’s not fully convinced.

I can’t help but chime in then, feeling the need to defend him. “Isn’t there something else you can do? Another EKG or a cardiac MRI, maybe?”

The doctor turns his attention to me, his gaze softening a bit. “We’ve already conducted the EKG upon his arrival and will perform further tests. As for the cardiac MRI, we’ll have to see if his condition stabilizes first. In the meantime, we’ll monitor him closely.”

He leaves us then, promising to return with any further updates.

Elio lies back against the hospital pillows, the energy completely drained out of him. His hand reaches out in search of mine, and I give it willingly, letting our fingers curl together.

“I’m sorry for dragging you into this shit,” he murmurs, his thumb stroking the back of my hand.

I shake my head, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Don’t apologize to me. I’m just glad I was there with you to help. I’m sorry ... If I pushed you too hard with the bike ride and—”

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