“I’m fine,” she said to Katie when she saw her come in, but then she broke into a coughing fit that took her breath away.
“If you’re fine, the doctor will tell us you’re fine and send you home with us,” she said. “Please, Mom. If Josh thinks you need to go, then I need you to go. For me.”
Rose sighed dramatically. “Fine, but I’m going to change my clothes first.”
Josh waited until she’d disappeared up the stairs to turn to Katie. “I don’t think I’m overreacting. I could hear her coughing and hacking all night and she’s wicked pale, except for her cheeks and around her collar, which are red.”
“She’s definitely sick. I just really hope it’s not pneumonia again.”
“How we doing this? One vehicle? Two?”
“You don’t have to go, you know. I can drive her.”
“I’m going. One vehicle or two?”
“Even though it kills me to say it, she’ll be more comfortable in your truck.” She ignored his smug grin. “And there’s no sense in burning extra gas. I’ll just ride with you guys, unless you don’t want to stick around at the hospital.”
“You know I’m going to stay.”
She nodded, because she did know. All five of the Kowalski kids considered Rose almost like a mother and they loved her as much as Rose loved them. Josh wouldn’t leave the hospital until he knew she was going to be okay.
Rose took her sweet time getting changed and, when she came down the stairs, she was lugging her big tote bag. Josh rushed up the last few stairs to take it from her. “Jesus, Rosie. You moving out?”
“You know how waiting rooms can be. I have my book and my knitting and a few other little things.”
Katie’s heart twisted as she looked at the heavy tote. There was more than a book, a skein of yarn and a few little things in there. Her mother was afraid she wouldn’t be coming home from the hospital and she’d thrown the things she couldn’t live without into the bag.
“I’ll go start the truck and throw this in there,” Josh said. He grabbed a set of keys off the side table and went out the door.
“I feel horrible,” Rose said.
“Which is why you’re going to the hospital.”
“Hush, little miss smart-ass. I mean I feel horrible that you kids have to bother with this. It’s an hour just to get there.”
“So it’s an hour drive. You took at least a year off my life when you passed out last month.”
“Just let me double-check that everything’s off in the kitchen.”
Katie went to get her mom’s coat out of the closet and then watched Rose check the stove burners and oven she had never once left on. She was obviously worn down and, maybe it was Katie’s imagination, but she seemed to be looking worse by the minute.
There was a clinic the next town over, but the doctor was more the ear infection, stepped on a nail, need a physical kind of guy. Since Rose would almost certainly need chest X-rays and an IV, he’d only refer her to the hospital anyway, and charge her a hefty exam fee for the advice.
Josh stuck his head in the back door. “You ladies ready?”
Katie watched as Josh helped her mother climb up into the shotgun seat, and then she settled herself next to Rose’s tote on the narrow bench that passed for a backseat. As tempting as it was to say to hell with the gas and follow in her Jeep, she wanted to keep an eye on her mom.
They hadn’t gone very far down the road when Rose nodded off. Her face was flushed and her breathing raspy, and Katie’s concern was reflected back at her from Josh’s gaze in the rearview mirror.
*
Rosie had pneumonia again, and they weren’t letting her go home. Josh sat in the waiting room, turning his cell phone over and over in his hands while he debated who to call first. Even though there wasn’t much anybody could do, they all had to be informed that Rose was being admitted.
Mitch was someplace or another for work. He owned a controlled demolition company, which required a lot of travel, and he was pushing hard to wrap up a job so he could enjoy an extended holiday stay at home with his new wife. Ryan had left Whitford last night and gone back to Brookline for the workweek. He was still commuting back and forth until Lauren and Nick were ready to make the final move. His other brother, Sean, lived in New Hampshire, and Liz—the only girl—was even farther away, in New Mexico.
He’d call Paige, he decided. Mitch’s wife could spread the word not only to the rest of the family, but around town, as well. And she’d do it without adding drama. Since she’d still be at the diner, he pulled up that number on his cell and waited for her to answer.
“Trailside Diner,” she said a little breathlessly after four rings.
“Hey, it’s Josh. Sorry to bother you at work.”
There was silence on the line for a few seconds. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“Katie and I brought Rosie to the hospital this morning. She has pneumonia again and they’re admitting her.”