Chapter 5
Anthony came in first, the smell of wet wool and expensive cologne filling the space around my bed.
His voice was loud, even when he tried to lower it for the hospital room.
“Is there any change, doctor?” Anthony asked.
“None,” Keith said. “His vitals are stable, but the cognitive testing shows no activity.”
I heard the heavy squeak of Anthony’s leather shoes as he walked closer to the left side of my bed.
He did not take my hand, but I could feel the heat of his presence as he leaned over the metal rail.
“You always had to drive that heavy car, Dominic,” Anthony muttered, his voice dropping to a low, quick cadence.
I kept my breathing shallow, counting the seconds between each rise of my chest.
“The board is going to want answers by Wednesday,” Anthony whispered, almost to himself. “We cannot run a shipping firm with a ghost at the wheel.”
He was already moving the pieces, five minutes after entering my room.
“He is gone,” Keith murmured, stepping closer to check the monitor wires. “But Veronica is still in the hallway with the lawyer.”
My ribs ached with a sharp, stabbing heat every time I took a breath.
“Let them in,” I whispered, my voice barely a rustle of paper.
I closed my eyes as the heavy door swung open to admit my family.
“Dominic, please,” Veronica sobbed, her voice a thin, theatrical reed that did not match the firm, deliberate grip she took on my right hand.
May you like
She squeezed my fingers, her heavy diamond engagement ring scraping against my knuckles. I kept my breathing slow, shallow, and perfectly timed to the steady rise and fall of my chest. Under the white hospital sheet, my muscles stayed completely limp.
“The doctor said there is no change,” Anthony said, his boots clicking on the linoleum as he moved to the opposite side of the mattress.
