Page 55 of Nikki Sinatra: For Her Lover
“Damn,” said Reno. “How long has he been in surgery?”
“About seven hours so far,” said Monk. “And in all that time there’s been no updates of any significance. Just that he’s still under the knife.”
“What about Nikki?” asked Sal. “How’s she holding up?”
“She’s no longer hysterical, but it’s like she went from hysterical to almost catatonic. She’s still in shock I think. She’s not good,” Monk gave his blunt assessment. “Teddy took those bullets protecting her, and she knows that.”
“How many bullets did he take?” Tommy asked him.
“At least four,” said Monk.
“Damn,” said Sal.
“Maybe more,” Monk added as he opened the heavy stairwell door, and with heavy hearts they hurried up the hospital’s back stairs.
When they made it on the third-floor surgery waiting room, Monk escorted them to another room across from the main unit. Inside that private waiting room, and with guards at the door, were the family.
Mick and Roz sat side by side on the sofa and both of them looked as if they would break at the touch. Especially Mick. They rarely got to see him so distraught. Teddy was a full-grown man and tough as nails, but he was still Mick’s child.
Mick’s baby mama, Teddy’s mother, sat against the wall with Mick’s big brother Charles “Big Daddy” Sinatra seated beside her and holding her hand. Roz and Amelia Sinatra, Mick and Big Daddy’s half-sister, sandwiched Nikki in on the other sofa. Mick and Roz’s twins and Teddy’s siblings, Duke and Jackie, were in the back of the waiting room, and all of them asleep. Kimmie. With them, was asleep too.
Tommy noticed how Marco, even more so than his grandparents and his younger niece and nephew, looked grief-stricken to the point of collapse. Although Teddy mostly barked out orders to him and treated him the way Mick treated Teddy, Tommy had it on good authority (Teddy himself) that Teddy was devoted to his son. And his son was devoted to him. They had become extremely close.
But all of them were surprised to see billionaire industrialist Alex Drakos in the room. He had flown Gloria, Teddy’s kid sister and the sibling closest to Teddy, on his private jet, although Mick was going to send his plane. But now they realized why Alex said no need. They had no idea an internationally busy man like him would come too. Although Gloria’s baby had remained in Florida with her mother-in-law, where was Oz Drakos, Gloria’s almost always absent husband?His lack of appearance was becoming so common in the family that nobody bothered to ask anymore. Alex was his stand in.
After thehellosandhow are youshad been said, they all settled down to a long wait. Some walked around. Some went out and came back in. Some fielded calls from their respective offices, their children, and other family members who wanted updates every few minutes. Deja, Raven, and Shanice all called and checked up on Nikki too.
But Nikki wasn’t answering any calls. While activity swirled around her, she didn’t seem capable of moving a muscle. She was still that terrified.
But all of them, at various times during their several hours of waiting, went to the chapel to pray. Every single one of them prayed for Teddy.
But they were still uneasy, sorely afraid, and barely able to breathe.
It would be after nearly nine hours of surgery before a member of the team of surgeons operating on Teddy finally came into the waiting room. In situations like this usually everybody would rush up and pepper the surgeon with questions. But Teddy had been shot at least four times. Everybody was expecting the worst. Nobody moved a muscle.
The surgeon, still in scrubs, let out an exhausted exhale. “He’s still in surgery,” he said quickly to disabuse them of any false hope. “But the good news is,” he added, “that the worst of the surgery arch, if you will, is over. That doesn’t mean he’s out of danger. He’s not. But it does mean he’s no longer at death’s door.”
They all sighed a cautious relief. But Nikki wanted more information. “What does that mean?” she asked him. “Does that mean he’s not going to die?”
The surgeon wasn’t willing to go that far. “When he first got on that operating table, it looked as if there was no way hewas going to live. He was literally at death’s door. He’s beyond that, thank God,” the surgeon said, “but just beyond it.”
“So he could still die?” Nikki asked urgently and everybody stared at the doctor.
The surgeon nodded. “Yes, Mrs. Sinatra, he could still perish. But his prognosis has improved tremendously. We’re over the scary phase, if you will. It’s now more a routine surgery, if there’s such a thing. We removed all of the bullets.”
“How many were there?” Mick asked.
They could tell the surgeon didn’t want to say it and that was why he mentioned it last, but he said it. “There were eight bullets,” he admitted.
The entire room deflated in shock, audible gasps, and some cries. “Eight bullets?” asked Gloria. “Did you just say my brother was shoteight times?”
“Yes,” he said.
Gloria was in tears. Alex Drakos, her much-older brother-in-law, pulled her into his arms and held her. Roz and Amelia were already holding Nikki.
“The good news is that no bullet hit any vital organs,” the surgeon quickly added. “So please don’t be discouraged. The news is still quite promising.”
And then the surgeon made clear he would notify them as soon as they had new information, and he left the room.
