“That quack?” Eli scoffed.
“He’s not a quack, Eli.” My father’s voice, while weak, didn’t hide his annoyance.
“I’ll call him,” I said pulling at my phone and wondering if he was off yet.
“He won’t come. He wouldn’t treat mom, he’s not going to treat Dad,” Eli said. “Call Dr. Balding.”
“Nick,” my father said.
I gave my brother a look that said we should do what Dad wants. What he wanted surprised me. At how adamant he was about the doctor who checked him be Nick.
“It’s his voicemail,” I said when Nick’s voicemail picked up. I wondered if he was working or just screening his calls, and not picking up mine. “Hi Nick, it’s Mia. My dad is having a difficult time eating, and we think he should see a doctor. He insists it be you. Can you come over?”
“I’m going to watch TV.” My dad rose from his chair, but wobbled some.
“Let me help you, Dad,” Eli jumped up and escorted my dad to his chair and handed him the remote. Then he came to the kitchen where I was doing the dishes.
“What do we do if Nick doesn’t come?” I asked him.
“We take him to the hospital. I think we should do that anyway.”
“We need to respect Dad’s wishes, Eli. He won’t like it if we just take over.” I handed him a pot.
He picked up a towel to start drying the pot. “He’s sick, Mia. We need to take over.”
“Not now. Not this,” I said.
“How do you know? Whatever is going on could be serious.”
“Let’s just see if Nick shows up.”
Eli sneered but didn’t reply.
We’d finished the dishes and I was scooping ice cream I hoped my father would be able to eat, when there was a knock on the door.
I looked at Eli. “I hope that’s Nick.”
Eli’s response was to scowl.
We headed to the living area to get the door, but Dad had beaten us to it.
“Jim, everything all right?” Nick asked. His gaze drifted to me and then Eli, before returning to my father.
“Fine, fine. Mia and Eli just worry.”
“I brought my bag just in case.” Nick held up his medical bag.
“Pah, I don’t need that. Come in. I was watching a show on snakes.”
Nick followed my father into the house. “I saw a king snake the other day on run I took. It was a big mother fucker.”
My eyes widened at Nick’s words. Eli’s brows narrowed.
“I wonder if it was George. I had a king snake that lived out back for years. He had to have been five or six feet.”
“You named it George?” Nick asked as he gently helped my father into his chair.
“Yep, after King George. The mad king.”