Her face was pale.
And her eyes were red from crying.
Lucy saw her first.
"Nora!"
Nora turned.
The girl ran toward her.
"Where's Dad?"
Nora dropped to one knee.
"He's being examined."
Lucy stared.
"Is he awake?"
"He has been awake. The doctors are doing tests."
"What happened?"
Nora struggled to keep her voice steady.
"He became dizzy while working. He fell, and we called for help immediately."
Lucy began crying again.
Nora reached toward her.
Then stopped.
She did not know whether the girl wanted an embrace.
Lucy stepped forward.
Wrapped her arms around Nora's shoulders.
And held on.
For a moment, Nora froze.
Then she carefully returned the hug.
She could feel the child trembling.
"He's the only parent I have," Lucy whispered.
Nora closed her eyes.
Her heart seemed to break.
"I know, sweetheart."
Lucy held her tighter.
Nora continued.
"He's getting medical care. We're going to wait for the doctors to tell us what they find."
Arthur approached.
He looked toward Nora.
"You were with him?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
"Thank you for calling."
"Ethan made the call. We both helped."
Arthur studied her face.
Then nodded.
"All right."
They entered the waiting room together.
For the next two hours, nobody seemed capable of sitting still.
Lucy walked between the chairs.
Arthur spoke with hospital staff when updates became available.
Nora made sure they had water and something to eat.
But she could not swallow more than a few bites herself.
She kept remembering the moment Daniel's eyes closed.
The way his hand moved toward the ring.
The sound of his voice whispering her name.
She had spent almost three months delaying a conversation because she feared rejection.
Now she would have given anything to hear him reject her.
Anger would mean he was alive.
Questions would mean he was thinking.
Even a demand that she leave would be easier to bear than the possibility of never speaking to him again.
Finally, a physician approached.
The family stood.
The doctor explained that Daniel was awake and stable, but his collapse required further evaluation.
The initial assessment had identified dehydration and concerning changes in his heart rhythm that warranted monitoring and specialist review.
There was no evidence at that point of the catastrophic event Nora had feared, but the medical team needed time to determine the cause and the safest treatment.
Lucy gripped Arthur's hand.
"Can I see him?"
The doctor nodded.
"Briefly, yes."
Lucy began crying with relief.
Arthur placed an arm around her.
Nora stepped backward.
She was not family.
She had no right to demand access.
The doctor looked toward her.
"Are you coming?"
Nora hesitated.
Then shook her head.
"Let his daughter go first."
Lucy turned.
"Aren't you coming?"
Nora smiled through tears.
"I'll be right here."