Read Resuscitation for Free Online

’em back in the cupboard.”
    “I most certainly did not.”
    Josephine placed her left hand over her heart and raised her right hand to the heavens. “God is my witness.”
    No reason to argue. Sami guessed that this was just another example of her mom’s senility. Josephine could remember things that happened thirty years ago, but couldn’t recall what she ate for breakfast yesterday. The doctor had warned Sami that her short-term memory would fade fast. And over the last few months, her mom’s condition had noticeably worsened. “Are you still feeling chest pains and shortness of breath, Mom?”
    “It comes and goes.”
    “Are you taking your medications every day?”
    “When I remember.”
    “That’s why I bought you that seven-day pill container. Remember how we talked about you filling it every Sunday and taking the blue pill in the morning and the white and pink pills with dinner?”
    Josephine waved her arm as if to dismiss the reminder. “I wrote it down on a piece of paper but don’t remember where I put it.”
    “I’ll write it down again and put it on the refrigerator.”
    Suddenly, the color drained from Josephine’s face and she clutched her chest.
    Sami sprang up and her legs pushed the chair backwards, knocking it over. “What is it, Mom?”
    “The macaroni and cheese didn’t agree with me. I should know better than to eat rich foods.”
    “But you only ate a couple of forkfuls.”
    “My stomach isn’t what it used to be.”
    Sami could see Josephine struggling to breathe, clearly in distress. Her forehead was dripping perspiration. Sami frantically searched through her purse for her cell phone. “I’m calling nine-one-one.”
    Now Josephine was leaning forward, her upper body almost resting on the table. “I’m okay. It will pass. It’s just a stomach thing.”
    Sami ignored her and called 9-1-1.
     
     
    Al was on his way to the precinct when Sami called. He stuck the magnetic light on top of the roof, turned it on, engaged his siren, made a U-turn, and headed for Saint Michael’s Hospital.
    In less than ten minutes, he squealed his tires as he pulled into the emergency department driveway and parked next to the painted-yellow curb where the sign said “Ambulances Only.” He flipped down the visor with the “Official Police Business” placard and the San Diego Police Department logo. He dashed through the front doors and approached the main check-in desk. After a brief conversation, the nurse directed Al to a small waiting room just outside the emergency department.
    He spotted Sami sitting in the corner of the dim room with her head down and her hands neatly folded on her lap. The last time he’d seen her look so forlorn was at the funeral of her ex-husband, Tommy DiSalvo. Angelina was nowhere in sight. He slowly walked toward her, purposely clearing his throat several times, so he wouldn’t startle her. He sat beside her and draped his arm around her shoulders.
    “How is she?”
    She looked up at him with puffy red eyes. “She had a heart attack. They’re doing an angiogram right now to see if there are any blockages. They haven’t yet determined if her heart was damaged.”
    Al kissed Sami on the cheek. “She’s a tough cookie. She’ll be fine.” He didn’t feel as though he convinced her. “Where’s Angelina?”
    “Emily is watching her.”
    “Where?”
    “At the house.”
    “Want me to go pick her up and bring her here?”
    “Not the best place for a hyperactive six-year-old. Besides, Angelina loves Emily.” Emily was Sami’s only cousin on the Rizzo side of the family. Sami grasped Al’s hand. “Can you stay with me?”
    He stared at his scuffed shoes and shook his head. “I hate to do this, Sami, but—”
    “I understand.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Not too long ago I was a cop, too. Does it have to do with Davidson’s call early this morning?”
    “We found the body of a young woman at Mission Bay Park. The parents have identified the