“I’ll tell you what, I’ll pull it from pharma samples, and you won’t have to pay anything.”
Mom’s shoulders relax. “Thank you. That is very kind.”
The doctor sets a packet on the table, and for a moment, it looks like a condom.Where is my brain today?It’s been a while, I guess. She pours Mom a cup of water.
Mom takes her pills and shuts her eyes. “I hope this helps.”
“Probably some rest would be good for the rest of the day,” the doctor notes.
I cringe. I bought expensive tickets for a show at the hotel tonight. I probably can’t get a refund or sell them to anyone. If I see the kid who hit her, he’s going to get a piece of my mind.
The doctor hands Mom a piece of paper, which she immediately passes to me. It has some directions on how to manage her head injury. “Do I need to worry about a concussion?” I ask.
“I think she’s fine, but if her headache persists, she becomes nauseated, or she’s having balance problems, come back to the emergency room and we’ll admit her.”
“You’re more likely to get sick at a hospital than anywhere else,” Mom snaps.
The doctor smiles. “So true. Just get some rest, and if anything changes, let us know.”
I call a rideshare back to the hotel. During the ride, Mom is surprisingly quiet.
“That doctor sure looked young,” I throw out.
Mom nods. “There’s a time when you look around and everyone is younger than you. But you’re not there yet.”
I sigh. “I’m sorry this trip has gotten off to such a rough start.”
She squeezes my hand. “I’m glad we’re here together and not at home.”
When we get out at the hotel entrance, the doorman welcomes us, and we stop by the front desk. They let us know our luggage has been taken to our rooms. I had my computer in there, and I pray it’s still with our things.
As we walk through the casino to the elevators, I find myself hoping to see that handsome doctor again. I owe him for being so quick to step in and help out. He had Mom managed before my worry could get out of control. But I’ll probably never see him again.
“The problem with casinos is they can smoke everywhere. Ugh. It stinks so bad,” Mom grouses.
“Well, the rooms are supposed to be beautiful. I know they’re not as plush as the Ritz Carlton, because they want you to spend time downstairs in the casino, but I think we’ll still enjoy ourselves.”
She looks over at me, and suddenly I see the frail woman she’s become. My heart hurts. “Let’s get you upstairs. They have room service, and we can find you a nice dinner.”
She nods, and we take a short elevator ride to the fourth floor. Our room is just down from the elevator. “How is your headache doing?” I ask as I wave the key card over the lock.
“It’s better. I will feel a lot better after a glass of wine.”
“I don’t think you’re supposed to drink alcohol when you take Tylenol.”
“At this point, it’s not going to kill me,” she snipes back, but then she grins.
I love her with all my heart, even when she’s difficult. She and my father had a love to last forever. They met and married quickly, and together they built my father’s real estate business. She did the books, and he was always dealing with the issues. When he died, he was the single largest commercial real estate holder in San Francisco, owning over twenty-five percent of the space, and he was the third largest on the West Coast since they’d expanded up to Seattle and down to San Diego. My mother now owns the company, and soon my brother will take over as CEO.
“We have tickets to a show tonight. Do you want to go?” I ask.
“No. I think I’ll stay in.”
“Okay. Do you need me to stay with you, or are you okay if I go by myself? I was looking forward to seeing the costume designs.”
She waves me away. “Go. Have a great time. I’ll order some dinner and read my book.”
I look at her, and she seems fully with it, but I know she really fears hospitals. “How about we order room service together, and then I’ll go down for the nine o’clock show right before it begins?”