It’s not going to happen.
I’ll tell her as much when I have more time, but from the number of text messages and voicemails waiting for me, something isn’t right.
I count three voicemails from Trina along with a few texts asking me to call her right away. There are a couple of voicemails from Lloyd too, but the one text that sends fear coursing through me is from Eugene.
It’s the last message to arrive, and it’s ominous.
Eugene: Mr. Abdon was taken to Lennox Hill Hospital by ambulance. It’s urgent! Urgent, sir!
I take off down the sidewalk in the direction of the hospital as I call Trina. It rings through to voicemail, but I disconnect before leaving a message. Instead, I call up the messages she left me.
I listen to one and then the other two.
I hear the panic in her voice as she pleads with me to call her.
Next, I listen to one of the voicemails Lloyd left me.
“Graham,” he says my name followed by an unmistakable sob. “Where are you? I need you to come home.”
“Fuck,” I mutter before I try Trina’s number again.
She doesn’t answer.
She must be at the hospital with Lloyd.
It’s too soon. It’s too fucking soon for me to lose him.
I glance at the street to see an available cab. I dart onto the street, racing toward it. I dodge around a delivery truck. The guy behind the wheel blares the horn right before he tells me to wake the fuck up.
I wish to hell I was asleep and in the middle of a nightmare, but I’m not.
I hop into the cab and tell the driver to get me to Lennox Hill as fast as he can. I only hope I make it there in time.
“Mr. Abdon couldn’t catch his breath,” Eugene explains. “I called an ambulance immediately.”
“You did the right thing,” I reassure him.
I was shocked to see him standing near the reception desk in the emergency department when I sprinted in here, but the man takes his job seriously. He must have felt the need to trail the ambulance in case he could help Trina in some way.
I ran right past Eugene in search of information about Lloyd, but the woman working the desk told me to sit tight.
How the fuck do you sit tight when you’re facing the death of someone you love?
“He fell ill right after Mrs. Locke left.”
My head snaps in Eugene’s direction. “Left? She’s not in the examination room with him?”
“No, sir.” He shakes his head. “She ran out of the building in tears. Less than five minutes later I got the call from Mr. Abdon that he was feeling dizzy and having trouble breathing.”
What the fuck is going on?
“Trina didn’t say anything to you about what was wrong?” I press on, “Why was she crying?”
“I’m not sure.” He shrugs. “She arrived home in a rideshare, I think. I called out to her, but she raced toward the elevator and boarded it quickly. Ten minutes later, she was back in the lobby in tears. Then she left and ran down the sidewalk before I could catch her.”
“Excuse me?” A man’s voice cuts into our conversation.
I turn to see a nurse next to me. “Yes? What is it? You have news?”
“The doctor is still examining Mr. Abdon, but we have his possessions.” He shoves a small zip-top plastic bag toward Eugene. “You came in with him, right? I can leave these with you.”
I snatch the bag from him. “I’m the closest thing he has to family.”
The nurse nods. “As soon as Dr. Fuller is done his examination, he’ll be out to speak with you.”
Nodding, I swallow. “Thank you.”
“Is there anything I can get you while we wait?” Eugene asks.
“You can go back to your post.” I glance at him. “I can handle it from here.”
“The incident with Mr. Abdon happened in the middle of a shift change. Roger is on duty now.” He straightens the lapels of his jacket. “If it’s all right with you, I’d like to stay, sir. No one should wait for news in a hospital alone.”
I nod. “I appreciate that.”
He pats my shoulder. “I’m going to give my wife a quick call to let her know where I am.”
As he wanders off, I drop my gaze to the plastic bag in my hands.
The watch that is always on Lloyd’s wrist is there, as is his wedding ring. His wallet takes up most of the space in the bag, but I do a double take when I turn it over.
At the bottom of the bag are two rings. One is the diamond engagement ring I gave my wife. The other is the wedding band I slid on her finger before I kissed her for the very first time.
Why did Lloyd have these?
With a shaking hand, I tug my phone out of my pocket and try Trina’s number again.