That Friday was a special one for Dr. Pascale. He kept the work schedule relatively light and told his manager not to disturb him unless it was a dire emergency which the Doctor on call could not manage. That evening was set aside to commence the process of settling all issues related to Frank Menendez, his step children and the real estate of a considerable value. The first order of the day for Dr. Pascue was to locate the Oldman and convince him to return to his home where two grandchildren were anxiously waiting for him. The order of proceeding in this task was changed at the last minute by Rosie.  Her insistence that in order to remove the effects of malignant act of inserting doubts in the minds of children that their  mother really did not want their Grand Papa to live with them, it was necessary that Frank was at the dinner table that night. Rosie herself could not accompany her husband in bring the important man back because for the first time she had left children alone at home after the school. Besides that, she did not have Maria to start the preparation of evening meals.

When Dr. Pascue reached the restaurant cum residence of Frank and his children, he expected to find Francis and his two step brothers working in the restaurant. He stood at the entrance for a minute or two peeping in the dining area but he didn’t locate any of them and a young man came out with a question.
“One?”
“No; I am here to meet Mr. Frank or Father Francis.” Doctor responded.”
 The man nodded and made a gesture—to follow him.
He took Pascue to an office in the back and a middle-aged man got up from the chair to meet them as he saw them coming.
“Can I help you sir?” He enquired.
“Yes; I am Dr. Menendez; Mr. Frank’s son. Where is everybody; I mean Francis and Mr. Frank?”
The man hesitated for a moment and said,
“Please take a seat; I have to tell you something that is not easy to say.”
Pascue sat down and said,
“I can handle it man; I am a doctor; is anyone here injured or fell ill? Tell me quickly.”
 “Mr. Frank has suffered a heart attack and probably had a stroke too. They just took him to hospital and I was looking for your telephone number in the book when you walked in.”

There was no time to lose and Dr. Pascue knew which hospital the Paramedics would take a patient with those morbidities. He rushed to his car and thought of calling Rosie but then decided not to until he found out the details of this casualty.  He called the Hospital  das Clinicas da Universidade de São Paulo. The casualty department recognized him and confirmed that Frank was brought to them and a team was working on him. Pascue knew the routine and knew he will not get any more information on the patient at that moment. He hung up the phone and reached the ER in twenty minutes.
“What a twist of fate!” He remarked as he parked the car.

 “I wonder how many new turns are yet to come. What would Rosie say to Children if Grandpapa doesn’t make it? Will they blame her for this mishap too?”  In his mind he was analyzing the facts and working on the plans as if she was his patient.

When he reached the ER through Physicians’ entrance, the EMS paramedics were coming out. He stopped them and enquired if they brought Frank in. One of the men nodded his head in affirmative.
“How was he when you arrived at the scene?” He asked the man.
 The man in question was reluctant to answer such a personal question about a patient.
 “Sorry; I can’t answer that.” He replied with caution.

“It’s alright to answer; I am his Physician and son also. You may discuss minor details with me. I am Dr. Pascale Menendez.”  He held up the ID card hanging around his neck for them to examine.

“Oh; I am sorry Doc; I did not see the badge. He was alert, blood pressure improved after we started IV but his pulse rate was high, he complained chest pain (angina) and his heart rhythms appeared abnormal. We felt he needed more cardiac evaluation to rule out cardio vascular problems and ER nurse advised us to bring him in.
Pascue thank them and let them go without further inquiries. He knew where Frank would be with that sort of preliminary diagnosis often caused by the common cardiovascular blockages. He reached the CCU and headed towards the nurses’ island. Seeing him approaching, a nurse on duty came forward with a question mark on her face. She recognized his ID and said,

“What brings you here Doctor; we don’t have anyone here who needs Psychiatric consult--this is CCU.”

Pascue ignored her remark and asked her,

“Do you know if Frank Menendez is brought here; he came in the Emergency Department with a possible Myocardium issues and may be  here.”

She went to her station and checked the status of an ED admission. After a brief search, she located him.

“He is not here Doctor Menendez; he is with the Cardiac Lab folks waiting for an admission. Most likely they will keep him in the Nurses clinic for the observation to night.”  
He thanked her and went to the physicians’ lounge. From there he called home. Silvia answered the phone.

“Dad; is everything okay? Uncle Francis is here. He told mommy about Grandpapa getting sick; he is in the hospital. Do you know?”

“Yes darling I know. I’m calling you from the hospital. There is nothing to worry about him; he was just tired and had to be put in the bed here so he will not run around. He needs to slow down. Now let me speak to your mommy.”

“But dad; Uncle Francis said he had heart attack and …”
“No dear, Uncle is not a doctor he just thought that he had one. I spoke to his doctors; he is fine. Get mommy; will you!”

“I am here; hang up Silvia.” Rosie waited for the ‘click’ sound of other line going dead and began conversation with the usual questions.
“What happened unexpectedly? Have you seen him?”

“Let me answer the second question first: No I did not see him yet and I do not have any clinical information beyond the assessment of a Paramedic who attended him in his room at the restaurant.”

“Well then, I assume he is not in a critical condition. What do you think is the likely prognosis? Francis has frightened everyone here. He is praying in his room nonstop and spoke about the confession etc., you know the usual end- of -life things priests do. We need some solid information to assure kids that Oldman is not in mortal danger; you know they will, or already have linked this to his unexpected departure from here, and Aggie’s remark to Silvia --my acting on her instructions to kick him out stuff. Do you see the seriousness of this as I see it?”

“Yes I do; but you and I, we both are clinicians. We cannot make an assessment of one’s health status without examination and tests. Pronouncing a prognosis based on a third party’s verbal report is unprofessional at best and bad for the clinician’s reputation because the final outcome may be completely opposite to the initial statement. What faith anyone will have on us then? Especially with children, telling a white lie for immediate comforts is often more harmful than gently explaining what has happened. If you wish me to talk to them then all of you have to wait until I speak with the attending physician and meanwhile you explain to them that he got very sick and is in the hospital. Here he is getting good care and I am making sure of that.  As far as Francis ‘behavior goes, tell the children that he is praying for the world peace and happiness of all children. Don’t let him speak to children directly. I will get back with you as soon as I get the full picture of his risk. For now it appears like he had an episode of Angina Pectoris which is not yet confirmed.  Take care and do not stress yourself my love; we shall overcome this; I promise.”

“I know we will my precious love; I am going to be as strong at home as I am at work; you trust me on this.”

“That’s my girl --A pillar of strength for my life.”

He ended the call and stood there staring at something beyond the wall he was facing. An ER doctor he knew through his colleague came in the room and Dr. Pascue snapped out of his reflections. He addressed him.

“Doctor!”

The man stopped in his tracks and looked at Pascue and was surprised.

“What are you doing here this late Dr. Menendez?” He asked.

Pascue quickly read his name from the ID card and responded in a soft voice.

“My dad came in this evening through ED Doctor Pinto; for what looks like a cardiac related emergency. I just arrived to this floor to locate him but learned that he is still with the Cardiac Lab.”

“Frank Menendez! Is he your dad? I attended him when he came in. I had no idea…”; Pascue interrupted him at once.

“Yes; he arrived from Goa, India; my birth place, and not yet introduced to many people. By the way, can you share with me his condition? I was heading to the nurses’ clinic. I believe he is in the observation status.”  

“When he came here he was fatigued, dehydrated and also had electrolyte imbalance which resulted in hypotension. This caused irregularity in heart rate. In last 15 years he had no medical checkup at all. To stabilize him we gave intravenous glucose and electrolytes. We will stabilize him overnight. In the morning I will check him before I leave. If his conditions are   improved, we will give him a complete examination to rule out other possible conditions. At present he seems alright for his age and will improve to normal condition with plenty of rest. You are taking him home so he will be in good hands. I wouldn't worry.”
 Dr. Pinto gave him a quick rundown on the status, recommended clinical treatment for the follow up and  left for grabbing a cup of coffee.  

Pascue began debating his choices:
 “Should I stay with him or head home? There seems to be no point going down to the Nurses’ Clinic; Frank may be too tires and sleeping. There is a possibility he won’t be aware of my presence; but then, it would look callous in everyone’s view that I did not bother to see him even though I was right here in the hospital.”

With this sort of semi-guilty feelings, he decided at least to stop and visit Frank.  It would be prudent thing to do to let him know that I was there with him when he comes around and Silvia’s doubt about her parents not wanting him will be removed too.  He waited for Dr. Pinto to finish his brake and together they went to see Frank. As expected, he was fast asleep. Dr. Pinto directed him to Frank’s bed and left for the ER. No one else was present in that narrow hall. Machines were monitoring the patient from the nurses’ station remotely. Pascue stood at the foot of the bed and watched that man with a  leathery but wrinkle free face breathing in and out in a rhythmic movement of a blacksmith’s bellows. Every now and then, he would open his eyes and shut them in that REM sleep mode. He was content and peaceful with nothing to worry about. No social pressures to live carefully in certain approved ways of the society or with any expectations of respect, prestige or kindness.

“He is a truly free man and as far as I remember; he always was master of his destiny. What guy of courage! Like the Great Buddha, he left his wealth, material comforts, family and society behind to seek freedom of the sea.  I wonder how many persons have such courage. Those who have nothing to begin with, they have nothing to give up and their act of walking away does not carry merit at all. I am not sure if I could have done that; but then, I don’t have his genes.” Pascue was floating in the clouds of unfulfilled desires and unattainable goals. He continued his metal foray into the subconscious thinking. 
“I am squarely and irrevocably fixed in the world of mediocre and very ordinary beings living on this planet. I cannot get up and walk away from my beloved family, and my work under any circumstances. I have to find my solace in this world of bourgeois humanity.”

Then he turned his chain of thoughts from viewing life using the metaphysical lenses to how the practicality of going through it with minimum stresses and maximum benefits.

“What am I going to do with this free man and my mentally impaired step brother?” A question he had asked his alter ego many a times after they came in his life but never seriously sought an answer for it. “Now all that avoidance of decision making I must stop; my Rosie’s mental stability depends on it and then, there is that sensitive and idealist Silvia standing at the threshold of adulthood. Spending free time on the volunteering for homeless is her priority. How can she overcome the doubts of her mother’s true intentions if this freedom loving man decides not to accept the bondage of civilized society he had rejected in his youth and not return home? That girl is likely to view with suspicion all of her mother’s acts. that possibility exists and may turn into a full blown conflict.  Pascue was entrapped in the web of thoughts the subconscious mind often weaves. He failed to realize that night had passed quickly and sound of early morning crew arriving snapped him out. He had spent entire night there in the hospital’s Clinic. He walked out of the door and reached home in an hour.