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Did someone call 9-1-1? Frank yelled again.
Hey, buddy. Butch was suddenly leaning over Nash.
This might be it, Nash told his friend.
Naw, if that was the case, you wouldn t be able to talk. Butch sat on the other side of
Nash. Let s just get you flat on your back until the paramedics get here, okay?
Nash reached out and grabbed Butch s sleeve. Tell Sidney&
Shut the fuck up. You can tell him yourself in a couple of hours. Butch unzipped the
front of Nash s coveralls. I hope this isn t a good T-shirt, because it s toast, he said, ripping
it up the middle.
Nash stared up at his best friend and prayed he d live to see Sidney once more. It
wasn t that he hadn t taken his heart condition seriously, but it had been a long time since
he d had the last attack. Stupid son of a bitch, he silently admonished himself.
He heard the sirens as they neared the garage. I m going to be okay, he told himself over
and over again until the paramedics told Butch to step back. Call Sidney, he told Butch
before an oxygen mask was placed over his face.
* * * *
Never again, Butch told Sidney as they waited for news. I ll never again be put in
that position without knowing what to do.
Sidney squeezed Butch s hand. The nurse said his heart never stopped. That s good,
right?
Maybe this was just a warning, Luke said.
Consider me warned, Sidney mumbled.
Dr Morin came into the waiting room and ushered Sidney, Butch and Luke into a
private consultation room. He s resting comfortably, the doctor assured them. But I d like
to go in and perform an angiogram. That ll tell us exactly which arteries are blocked. If I find
something, I ll likely do angioplasty before inserting a small piece of mesh, called a stent, to
help keep the artery open.
Then what? Sidney asked.
Then we continue to monitor his condition. We ll adjust his current medications as
needed and probably add in an anticoagulant to guard against blood clots. He won t be able
to return to work for at least six weeks, maybe more depending on what we find once we re
in there.
Sidney nodded, thankful he had Butch and Luke at his side. When can I see him?
It s hard to say. Sometimes the procedure takes as little as thirty minutes, but honestly,
it can take up to three hours. My guess for Nash is an hour, but don t hold me to it. After I m
finished, it ll probably be another hour or two before he s in a room. I ll have the nurse
contact you. Best guess, three hours until you can see him. I d suggest you get something to
eat while you wait.
As if that would be possible, Sidney thought. Thank you, Dr Morin.
* * * *
Sidney checked the time on his phone and realised it was only six minutes later than the
last time he d looked. I thought Dr Morin said it would take less than an hour.
Butch glanced up from his motorcycle magazine. Relax. Doc said it could take up to
two or three if they found something else once they got in there.
Don t say that. He s going to be fine. Sidney stood and walked to the window.
Of course he s gonna be fine. That s the whole point of getting the stents put in. You re
a worry wart.
Yeah, well, I m not the one who s been reading the same article for forty-five minutes,
Sidney countered.
Butch sighed and tossed the magazine onto the table in front of him. I m going to go
for a walk. He stood and disappeared down the hall.
It really scared him, Luke said.
Me too. Sidney sat next to Luke. I m not sure what else he can give up. He s done
everything right, dammit! This isn t supposed to happen.
Luke cleared his throat and pointed towards an elderly woman in the corner of the
waiting room.
Sorry, ma am, Sidney apologised.
The woman smiled in an understanding way. Oh, pay no mind to me. My George says
a lot worse.
Sidney grinned at the woman of around eighty and knew her George was probably
having a similar procedure done. Even though it was incredibly hateful of him, he
understood it. George had to be at least eighty, if not older. It was his time to go through this
shit, but Nash was too young. He s too young, he repeated.
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