Chapter 32

thirty-two

P ritchard shot off the sofa like a cannon, rushing to his mother's aid as her crumpled body slid out of the chair to the floor. He yelled to Savannah, "Quick! Call an ambulance. Tell them to hurry."

"I'm on it," Savannah said, moving into the living room for better cell service.

Harper pulled out her phone. "I'll call Cody. He knows all the paramedics. He can make the ambulance get here quicker."

"Good thinking. And ask Shelby to find out if there's a doctor or nurse in the house."

Pritchard grabbed a throw blanket from the sofa and draped it over Izzy's still body. All color had drained from her face, and her skin was cold. He stroked her hair and spoke softly to her. "Don't die on me, Mom. We've been through so much this past year. It's now time to put our differences aside and be a family."

Harper returned with Blossom on her heels. "Shelby is checking with the guests to see if any trained medical professionals are on the property."

Pritchard's eyes darted around the room. "Where's Savannah?"

"She's in the courtyard, waiting for the ambulance," Harper said.

Blossom knelt beside Izzy and gently shook her. "Wake up, Izzy. This is no time for theatrics."

Izzy's body remained lifeless, her chest barely rising and falling.

"Is she dying?" Pritchard asked with fear in his eyes.

"I don't know, son." Blossom pressed her finger to Izzy's wrist. "Her pulse is weak. I'm not a doctor, but she's probably had a stroke."

A winded Shelby appeared in the doorway. "No medical professionals are on-site, but I heard the ambulance's sirens approaching."

Less than a minute later, a team of paramedics filled the room. They went to work on Izzy, attaching an oxygen mask to her face and transferring her body to the gurney.

"Where are you taking her?" Pritchard asked, hurrying alongside them as they wheeled his mother out of the house to the awaiting ambulance.

"Beaufort County Regional," one of the paramedics said.

"Don't let her die," Pritchard said with a pleading tone as they lifted her into the back of the ambulance.

The paramedic gave him a curt nod. "We'll do our best, sir."

After the ambulance took off, Blossom herded everyone toward her sky-blue school bus. "I'll drive us to the hospital," she said.

"What about our guests?" Pritchard asked Shelby.

"Everyone with a weekend reservation has checked in. Silas ran out on an errand. He should be back any minute. I'll text him to let him know what happened. He can cover for us while we're gone."

Shelby had stopped walking, her thumbs flying across her phone screen, when a patrol car screeched to a halt in the courtyard, and Cody hopped out from behind the wheel. "I passed the ambulance on my way in. How bad is it?"

"We're not sure," Harper said. "She's unconscious. They're taking her to Beaufort County General."

Cody motioned Harper to his passenger side. "Get in. You can ride with me. I'll escort the others to the hospital."

The rest of the small group hurried over to Blossom's bus. Shelby climbed into the front passenger seat beside Blossom, and Pritchard got in the back with Savannah. They fastened their seat belts, and Blossom sped off behind Cody.

Shelby swiped at her eyes. "Is this why you're here, Blossom? Did you come to escort Izzy into heaven?"

"I was wondering that too," Pritchard admitted.

Blossom shook her head. "Death is not my department. I'm a lowly servant. If that is what the good Lord has planned, I would not have been notified. I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you more."

"Actually, I'm glad you don't know," Shelby said. "We still have hope."

When Savannah sniffled, Pritchard looked over to see tears streaming down her face. He reached for her hand. "Are you okay?"

Savannah shook her head. "Izzy was trying to say something when she went pale and fell out of the chair."

"She was probably trying to say she was sorry," Shelby said.

Blossom bobbed her head, her silver coils dancing atop her crown. "Mm-hmm. Something traumatic happened to her as a child that makes saying she's sorry difficult. She should be the one to tell you about it."

" If she gets that chance," Pritchard mumbled under his breath.

Blossom locked eyes with him in the rearview mirror. "Don't underestimate the power of prayer, son. Your mama needs your strength right now. Let her know you're pulling for her."

Pritchard felt as though his Sunday school teacher had scolded him. "Yes, ma'am."

Mayhem greeted them at the hospital. A harried female doctor clad in blue scrubs shooed them from the examining area to the waiting room. "We'll find you once we know what we're dealing with."

The waiting room was packed with patients of all ages, some nursing wounds and others moaning in pain. Blossom secured seats for them in the far corner of the room by a window and headed off to the cafeteria for refreshments. She returned a few minutes later with coffee for everyone and a basket of homemade nibbles she could not have found in the cafeteria.

Shelby slipped away, and Pritchard assumed she was going to the restroom. But when she returned, she handed him her phone. "My mom wants to talk to you."

Pritchard took the phone and walked toward the exit. "Hey, Kate. I was waiting to call you until we found out more about Mom's condition."

"I need to be there. I'm looking at flights now. I'll fly as far as possible and drive the rest of the way. I'll text you when I figure out my itinerary."

Pritchard felt a rush of relief. "Good! I'd rather not have to cope with this alone. Safe travels."

An hour later, Kate texted Pritchard from the Austin airport. Her flight was scheduled to arrive in Charlotte around ten fifteen. She would rent a car for the three-and-a-half-hour drive to the Lowcountry. Based on Pritchard's estimation, she would get to the hospital around two in the morning.

A few minutes past eight, Dr. Lydia Becker, the same harried doctor they'd met earlier, finally arrived with an update. "A CT scan revealed that Isabelle had an ischemic stroke due to a blood clot in the right hemisphere of her brain. We have commenced thrombolytic therapy to dissolve the blood clot. Now we wait. It's going to be a long night."

"Is surgery a possibility?" Savannah asked.

"We will reassess if the thrombolytics don't have the desired effect," Dr. Becker responded.

"Are you confident in the care she'll receive here, or should we consider transferring her to MUSC in Charleston?" Pritchard asked.

"She's receiving the necessary care here. I'll recommend it immediately if there's any need for a transfer to a more specialized facility. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to the patient," the doctor said and disappeared through the double doors to the treatment area.

Pritchard turned to his family. "You heard the doctor. We're in for a long night. There's no reason for all of us to stay."

Harper glanced over at Cody. "Do you mind giving me a ride home? I have to be at work early in the morning."

"Not at all." Cody checked his watch." I need to head out as well. I should check in at the station."

Harper kissed Pritchard's cheek. "Text me with updates, no matter the time."

"Of course." Pritchard then looked at Blossom and Shelby. "What about you two? Savannah and I can hold down the fort if you need to get back to Magnolia Shores."

"I'm not leaving until Mom gets here." Shelby clutched her phone. "I've been texting with Silas. He's got everything under control. But Blossom, you don't need to stay on my account. I'm sure you need to check on Jolene."

Blossom shook her head. "I go where you go, baby girl. Silas is keeping an eye on Jolene for me."

"Then I guess we wait," Savannah said, pulling Pritchard down to the seat beside her.

Minutes clicked off the wall clock at an excruciatingly slow pace. The waiting room emptied one by one as patients were called back for treatment. When Pritchard noticed Shelby sitting by the window, staring into the dark parking lot, he moved to the chair beside her. "Tell me about your conversation with Izzy last night."

"I was hard on her when she told me what happened with Savannah and your baby. I said some harsh things. Do you think I gave her a stroke?" Shelby sobbed, bringing her balled fist to her mouth.

Pritchard put an arm around her, drawing her close. "No, sweetheart. You did not give her a stroke. If anything, Izzy gave herself a stroke. She was apologizing when she passed out. A long overdue apology, I might add. We're all ready to put this ugly business behind us and focus on the future. I hope we get a chance to be a family."

"I hope so too." A smile tugged at the corner of Shelby's lips. "She was more like her old self last night, not the mean Izzy who's been making everyone's lives miserable lately. She seemed to like the idea of being the grand mistress of Magnolia Shores. I suggested she could take guests on nature walks and host afternoon teas. She could have fun meeting new people and sharing the property's history."

Pritchard and Shelby discussed their ideas for the resort for over an hour. For someone so young and inexperienced, he was impressed with her insight. He assured her she would play a vital role in managing The Sanctuary.

When they finally looked up, Pritchard saw that both Savannah and Blossom had fallen asleep. Savannah's head rested on Blossom's shoulder, while Blossom's was tilted back, her face to the ceiling, as she snored softly.

Pritchard and Shelby soon dozed off and were awakened by the doctor around two o'clock. But before she could provide an update, a haggard-looking Kate trudged into the emergency room. After introductions and greetings, the doctor said, "I have nothing new to report. We'll do another scan in the morning to determine if our treatment is working. As soon as a bed opens up, she'll be moved to intensive care."

"What's the prognosis, Doctor?" Kate asked.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. It's a little too early to make that judgment."