She’d learned something else, too. I’m the world’s greatest fool. That makes me your daughter, Daddy.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“PHILIPPE?”
“Bonjour, Luc.”
“I hate bothering you on Sunday, but this is important. I have to go out of town as soon as I’ve been to the hospital.”
His flight from Colmar to London would be leaving in two hours. That only gave him a few minutes to check on Paulette.
“Giles is in charge until I get back. If there’s an emergency he can’t deal with, he’ll call me. In the meantime, if anyone phones asking for me, just take their number and I’ll get back to them when I return.”
“Très bien. A toute à l’heure.”
No matter how great Philippe’s curiosity might be, he was the soul of discretion who never pried or questioned Luc’s directives. That made him worth his weight in gold.
As Luc climbed out of the Maserati he noticed Yves’ green car in the emergency parking area.
Fearing something had happened to him or one of his family—the children, maybe—he rushed inside the hospital. The triage nurse check
ed the board. No Brouet had been admitted.
That meant something had to be wrong with Paulette— Why hadn’t the hospital phoned him?
A surge of adrenaline sent him bounding up the stairs to her floor. Yves was standing at the nursing station. The second he saw Luc, he came running and grabbed his shoulders, sounding out of breath.
“I was just telling the staff to phone you and the parents.”
“What’s happened?”
“Paulette’s eyes opened while I was holding her hand. Maybe you were right and she’s starting to wake up!”
Luc’s heart slammed against his chest cavity, bringing him out of the shock Yves’ words had just given him.
“They’ve sent for the doctor, but the resident is in with her now,” Yves explained as they both rushed toward her room.
For so long Luc had been waiting for this moment. But when he approached her bed and saw her fixed brown stare that showed no recognition or eye movement, his body went cold.
Those weren’t her eyes. There was no spark, no animation. Her body still lay there lifeless while the nurse was taking her vital signs.
Luc felt as if someone had just slammed their foot in his chest. He didn’t want this picture of her to stay in his mind. But if it meant she was coming out of the coma…
“What’s going on with her?”
The resident turned to them. “That’s for Dr Soulier to determine after he studies the printout. My advice is to keep her stimulated until he gets here.”
Yves took his place on the other side of her bed and lifted her hand. Luc reached for her other hand, They took turns talking to her, but all Luc saw in her eyes was a vacuum. The moment was surreal.
In a few minutes he heard people out in the hall. A woman’s high-pitched voice was chattering excitedly.
Soon three people came in the room. Paulette’s parents and the doctor.
Luc moved to the side so his mother-in-law could take his place.
“Oh, my darling Paulette. My darling girl. It’s your maman. Can you see me now? Can you hear me?”
All a mother’s love was in her voice. By now Paulette’s father was standing next to Yves, holding his daughter’s hand.