Page 64 of The Catcher
“With Gretchen, thankfully.” He paused, catching his breath. “Well, this is a first,” Noah said, eyes scanning the room.
“No. He’s been here on multiple occasions about this,” Maddie said. “It’s just he hasn’t told us.”
“What? How do you know?” Noah asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
“The doctor informed me. Told me that Dad wanted to keep it hush-hush,” Maddie explained.
“So, how did we find out this time?” Noah questioned.
“I was there,” Maddie said softly. “He curled over in his living room after using the washroom and gripping his chest. He didn’t want me to call the ambulance.”
Noah sighed. “Stubborn as hell.”
“Can you fault him?” Maddie asked.
“Sure can,” Noah replied, though his voice softened with concern.
A doctor approachedwhile Maddie was in the washroom and Ray was getting a coffee. Noah rose from his seat.
“Hi, I’m Dr. Iman. Could we talk in private?” the doctor asked, his expression serious.
“Sure,” Noah replied. He followed Dr. Iman down the hallway and into a room.
“Everything okay?” Noah asked, his voice tight.
Dr. Iman offered him a reassuring smile before speaking. “Vitals are good. EKG came back without any issues. Your father was in a few months ago. He arrived by ambulance. The outcome was the same. Because of his age and to err on the side of caution, we referred him to a heart clinic to run some tests and to wear a Holter monitor. From what I can see, the results were normal.”
Noah nodded, absorbing the information, but his brow furrowed as Dr. Iman continued.
“The thing is, quite often when we see these kinds of things, it’s not heart-related, it turns out to be a panic attack,” Dr. Iman explained. “I’ve asked Hugh if there is anything in his life right now that is causing him stress, and he said nothing he could pinpoint, though he did mention that he doesn’t get to see a few of his grandchildren.”
Noah narrowed his eyes, contemplating the doctor’s words. “That’s interesting, Doc. Do you ever see people coming in complaining that they’re having a heart attack to get attention?”
“It’s rare. Most people don’t want to hang around a hospital for ten hours or go through a battery of tests, but it does happen. Mental illness and whatnot,” Dr. Iman replied. “You think your father is making this up?”
Noah let out a lungful of air and glanced over his shoulder briefly before returning his gaze to the doctor. “It was a rhetorical question,” he said.
“Oh,” the doctor replied, chuckling. “Good, good. I didn’t get that sense with your father. I mean, I’ve known your father for close to thirty years. If there is ever a level-headed man, that’s one.”
“Yeah, that’s what they say,” Noah said, though his smile was unconvincing. He knew his father better than anyone else and had seen him manipulate situations for his gain. Was this any different? He didn’t want to think it was. He certainly couldn’t go in there accusing him, and as much as he didn’t want to believe that his father would stoop this low, he also wouldn’t put it past him.
“So what are you advising, Doc?” Noah asked.
“As I’ve told Hugh, he needs to rest. He needs to look at what he’s doing that he shouldn’t be doing. Maybe he should take a vacation. Spending time with his grandchildren would be good, too,” Dr. Iman replied.
Noah nodded, considering the doctor’s advice. “Can I see him?”
“Of course,” Dr. Iman said, gesturing for Noah to follow him to his father’s room.
As Noah entered, he took in the surroundings. Overhead, lights dimly lit the room, casting a soft glow over the space. The curtains were drawn shut, blocking out the evening darkness outside. The steady beep of medical equipment filled the air, providing a constant reminder of the hospital setting.
Hugh sat up in bed as Noah approached, his expression calm despite the circumstances. “Oh, Noah. I was told Maddie was here,” he remarked.
“Yeah,” Noah replied, gesturing towards the waiting room. “In the waiting room.”
“I don’t know what all the fuss is about. I told the doctor I was fine,” Hugh insisted.
“It seems he agrees,” Noah said, glancing at the EKGmonitor displaying normal vitals. “Why didn’t you tell us about the previous incidents?”
