After the Fall A Leap into a Stranger's Arms novel Chapter 303

“Nestor, should I call your family?” Ulysess asked, worry clear in his voice.

Nestor thought of his two daughters, both with families of their own. He didn’t want to trouble them with this, not yet. He shook his head. “No, let’s just get me checked out first.”

One of Nestor’s old classmates happened to be a heart specialist. After a quick phone call to set things up, Nestor had Ulysess drive him straight to the hospital.

The tests didn’t take long. Soon, Nestor was sitting across from his friend Neely, report in hand. Neely studied the results, frowning. “Nestor, have you been taking anything unusual lately? Any supplements, herbal pills, or anything that might mess with your heart?”

Nestor blinked, caught off guard. He thought back carefully. “No, nothing like that. Just the fast-acting heart pills you gave me last time, plus some vitamins and blood pressure meds. That’s it.”

Neely’s frown deepened. “Your EKG looks off and there are some strange markers in your bloodwork.”

“What does that mean? Is it just stress?” Nestor tried to think it through. Honestly, ever since Lawrence started helping out, life had felt easier than it had in years. If anything, his stress levels should be lower than ever.

Neely’s tone got more serious. “I’m just going to say it. It looks like your heart and nervous system are showing signs of chronic poisoning. I might be wrong, but your results line up with exposure to something that damages your heart muscle and nerves. If you keep taking it, it could end really badly.”

Nestor’s heart sank. “How badly?” He couldn’t help but remember the recent spells of breathlessness and the way his heart sometimes seemed to skip.

“Long-term, it could cause heart failure or arrhythmias. It could even be fatal.”

Nestor felt a cold sweat break out. “I have had chest tightness, been tired all the time… You think this is poisoning?”

Neely nodded. “Do your symptoms hit at a certain time? Morning, afternoon, or night?”

Could it really be Alice? Why would she do something like this? Was it about money? The inheritance? Or had he hurt her somehow without realizing it?

“Just give me something for now,” Nestor said quietly. There were some things he just couldn’t say out loud.

Neely seemed to understand. He scribbled out a prescription and handed it over. “This is for emergencies. If your chest gets tight and you can’t breathe, put one under your tongue right away.”

Nestor took the medicine and left the hospital without saying another word. He wasn’t going to tell anyone about this, not yet. He needed to figure out the truth himself.

On the drive home, Nestor drifted into old memories. He wasn’t naive. He’d always wondered about that class reunion years ago, the way Alice had taken care of him when he got drunk, how they’d ended up together in that hotel room. Now, more than ever, those memories left him with questions he couldn’t ignore.