Dr. Stanhope worked primarily out of Baptist Hospital, so she was certain that was where Tom would’ve been admitted. As soon as she was told surgery went well and assured that he was stable, she crawled back in bed and slipped into a restless sleep, despite the sun coming up outside. Years of training had taught her body to ignore natural sleep/wake rhythms. Tess called. Once Erin explained what happened, she stopped by bearing salty, greasy carbohydrates and to give her special brand of pep talk. She was a good friend, a true friend, one who knew when to ask questions, when to offer advice, and when to just let Erin be. Over the next twenty-four hours, she kept Erin updated on Sean’s father’s progress. He was still in guarded condition and remained in ICU because of the damage the attack had done to the organ, but had had no major setbacks thus far. Sean hadn’t called. Not that she expected him to ever forgive her for what she’d done. All Erin could think about was what if Tom had died before he reached the hospital, or in surgery.
