Chapter Eleven: Risk
That day in the hospital. What is there to say about that day in the hospital?
Patty stood back awkwardly as the doctor arrived to talk to Victor and his family. She felt like she should slip away, that it wasn't her place to be here, but she still had Victor's car keys, and it would be horrible of her to leave without saying anything.
This was the last thing she had expected to happen when she had left her house this morning, intent on explaining to Victor that the date hadn't meant anything. It had been a really hard week, not talking to Victor at all while simultaneously wrestling with the idea of telling him how she felt. She had tried to call him twice and confess everything, but hung up after the first ring both times. Finally, her mom had grown tired of her indecisiveness and promptly told her to get going. So Patty had braved the rain this morning, grabbed a bus, and made her way down to Logan's Used Cars.
Unfortunately, what she had planned to say this morning was not what she ended up saying, and now here she was, in a hospital.
Not quite how things were supposed to go.
Victor's family rose from their seats and started to follow the doctor, but Victor turned and came over to her instead.
"So everything's okay?" she asked.
"Yeah," said Victor. "The doctor said it was only a mild heart attack. We're, uh, going to go up and see him now."
Patty nodded. "Okay. Well, I'm just going to-"
"I was hoping you'd come too," said Victor. He ran a hand through his hair. "Unless you have to get home or something."
Patty contemplated him for a moment, then shook her head. "No, it's fine. I can stay, if you want."
"Great," said Victor. He motioned with his head for her to follow and she fell in step behind him as they made there way to the elevator. They got there just as the doors were closing, but Victor's dad stuck out a hand, catching the door.
"Come on," he said. "You can squeeze in. There's room."
Victor did, pushing his way in to the already crowded elevator, but Patty hung back. "I'll just catch the next one," she said. "I don't...I'm not really comfortable in elevators." Let alone crowded ones, she added mentally.
"Well then I'll wait with you," said Victor, starting to step out again.
"No," said Patty. "You go ahead. I'll meet you up there."
Victor regarded her for a minute and someone in the back of the elevator groaned. "We don't have all day!" he said.
"Third floor, room three eighteen," said Victor. Patty nodded, and stepped back as the doors shut softly, pushing the button on the wall.
The next elevator arrived a couple minutes later and Patty waited patiently as everyone piled out of it, only for her eyes to widen as she spotted her old babysitter making her way out.
"Cynthia?" she said in amazement.
Cynthia's head turned at the sound of her name and her eyes lit up in recognition when she spotted Patty. She approached her quickly, reaching out and giving her a big hug. "Patty Halliwell," she said. She pulled back and looked at Patty. "How are you doing, honey? I haven't seen you in such a long time."
Patty grinned. "I'm fine," she said, thrilled to see Cynthia again. "How about you? How are you doing?"
"Oh, I'm great!" said Cynthia. "Really great. I just moved back into my parents' house, actually. I've been meaning to come over and see you."
"What? When?" asked Patty excitedly. Cynthia had lived one street over from Prescott growing up and had babysat Patty for years. Patty hadn't seen much of her since Cynthia had gone off to school, though, and that had been seven years ago.
"This summer," said Cynthia. Her enthusiasm faded a little. "My dad's been having some problems since my mom passed, you know. So Bill and I decided to move in and help out." She shrugged. "It'll be more room for the kids anyway."
"You have kids now?" asked Patty excitedly. She had known Cynthia had married a few years ago. It was right after Cynthia's mom had gotten sick, and the wedding had been a tiny affair, no one outside of the family was invited. Patty and her mom had sent a present over, though, Patty recalled. But she'd never met Cynthia's husband.
"Well," said Cynthia, "we have one son. Joey. He's two. And, well, I just found out I'm going to have another baby. That's why we're here."
"What?" said Patty. "You are?"
Cynthia's round face broke into a grin and she nodded her head. "Yeah," she said, and she and Patty hugged again.
"That's so exciting," said Patty. "I can't believe you're going to be a mom!"
She laughed a little. "A mom again," she said. "You should really come over and meet Joey sometime. He'd love you."
"Oh, yeah," said Patty. "I'd love to."
Suddenly someone appeared at Cynthia's side, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Oh, honey," said Cynthia, touching his hand lightly. "This is Patty. I babysat her when she was a little girl. Patty, this is my husband, Bill Trudeau."
"Hi," said Patty, smiling up at him.
"Hey," he said. He didn't seem to be able to stop smiling. "You ready to go?" he asked Cynthia. Cynthia grinned up at him, her brown eyes sparkling, and nodded.
"Sure," she said. She reached out and took Patty's hand, squeezing it. "Come by sometime," she said. "Or I'll come by. You do still live at home, right?"
"Yep," said Patty.
"Great," said Cynthia. She leaned in and hugged Patty one more time. "It was so nice to see you again, Patty," she said. "See you later."
"Bye," said Patty, and Cynthia and Bill walked off, his arm still around her shoulders.
Patty watched them leave, still somewhat stunned. Cynthia was pregnant. What an odd, wonderful idea. It snaked into Patty's heart and formed a warm cocoon. Cynthia, her smart, funny, Italian babysitter, was pregnant. The one who used to help her with her homework and dance around the house with her and who'd let her stay up late watching movies and eating junk food. Patty grinned. Cynthia would be a wonderful mom.
Another elevator opened and emptied and Patty walked into it with only two other people, pushing number three and watching the doors close.
She found the room fairly quickly; Victor was sitting outside, head leaning back against the wall. Next to him sat his dad, his head cradled in his hand, dozing off. "Hey," she said, sitting down next to Victor. "Sorry I took so long. I bumped into an old friend of mine. My babysitter, actually."
Victor smiled.
"I can't wait to tell my mom Cynthia's living at home again," she continued excitedly. "My mom loves Cynthia." Then, suddenly, Patty recalled just why she was at the hospital. She gave a little sigh. "How's your uncle?" she asked. "Have you seen him yet?"
"For a couple minutes," said Victor. "But the doctor doesn't want a lot of people in there at once, so Mom and Aunt Angela kicked us out. He seems okay, though."
"Good," said Patty. "I'm so glad."
They fell into silence then, until Victor broke it by clearing his throat. "I-uh-well..." He lifted his head and she looked at him curiously. "I just wanted to let you know, that, uh, you didn't really have anything to apologize for," he said. "I mean. You had every right to be on that date."
Patty shook her head. "I shouldn't have been, though," she said. "It wasn't fair. To a lot of people. So I am sorry."
Victor nodded. "Okay then," he said.
"Yep," said Patty, and she opened her mouth to speak again, then changed her mind.
"So, just to get this straight," said Victor, not acknowledging her hesitance to speak, "you're not dating that guy."
"No," said Patty. "Definitely not."
"Are you dating anyone else?" he asked.
Patty laughed a little, nervously. "No," she said. "Not yet."
Victor nodded. "Well, uh, do you have any plans to? Date someone else, that is."
"I don't know," said Patty. She bit the inside of her lip. "I mean, there's someone I have in mind, but I don't know if he wants me any more." That was safe, she thought. Let Victor take that how he wanted.
"Someone I know?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yeah. You know him pretty well."
"So, are you going to ask him out?" he asked.
Patty shrugged. "I haven't decided yet," she said. "Love's a risky business, you know. I don't want to get my heart broken."
"Yeah," said Victor, "but you've got to take risks."
Patty shook her head. This was the biggest risk she thought she'd ever take. It was the first time in her life she was putting her heart out there, and Victor could easily trample it to death. And the doubts she felt began to creep in all over again. What would he say when he found out she could freeze time?
"I'll take a risk," added Victor, "if you will too." And with that he leaned in and kissed her, and all of Patty's thoughts flew out the window.