“What happened?” Anne and Eric came running into the ER, tears staining their red cheeks.
“The barn collapsed on her.” Christian stepped back, letting them see their daughter.
“I knew I should have torn that old thing down,” Eric cursed. Something Christian had never witnessed before.
“I can’t lose both of my twins,” Anne sobbed.
Christian averted his gaze. His own eyes hurt from all the crying he’d done. The doctors were assessing Maizie now, and he needed to breathe. He pulled out his phone and walked down the hall before collapsing to the floor.
“Mom,” Christian whimpered into the phone.
“What’s wrong?”
“Maizie was in the old barn, and it collapsed.” Christian tried and failed to keep the emotion from his voice, but it was useless.
“Is she okay?” His mom’s worried tone didn’t help his constant stream of tears.
“I don’t know. The doctors are checking her out. Mom, I can’t lose her.”
“You won’t,” she said. But Christian’s faith was dwindling.
His shoulders shook as he sobbed. His mom kept talking, but he could barely hear her anymore. Why was this scene so familiar?
He clenched his fists to his forehead and prayed. The last time he’d prayed this hard, it hadn’t worked. But this time, it had too. It just had too. He couldn’t lose Maizie. He’d only barely found hope and joy again.
* * *
“Son.”A hand clasped down on Christian’s shoulder, and he looked up to see Eric.
“H-hi. Hey.” He jumped to his feet. “How is she?”
“She’s stable,” Eric said with a nod, as if he was still trying to convince himself it was true.
“Is she awake? Can I go see her?” Christian started walking down the hall, not sure where he was going, but Eric held him back.
“She’s still asleep. You should go home and get some rest. Come back in the morning.”
Christian shook his head. “No. I’m not leaving.”
Eric’s eyebrows furrowed, and Christian worried he was going to send him away. “You don’t look good son. You should get some rest. And maybe a shower.”
Tears pricked the back of his eyes. “Not until I know she’s okay.” He sniffed, trying to get the pain under control, but his shoulders shook instead.
Two big arms encircled him, and he leaned into the support they offered.
“She’s going to be okay,” Eric said, emotion lacing the edges of his voice.
“How do you know?”
“Because that hope is all I’ve got,” Eric said, and a rush of warmth covered Christian’s soul. If his dad were here, that’s exactly what he would have said to comfort him. And for the first time since seeing the collapsed barn, a sliver of hope lit up the dark sky.
* * *
Maizie’s eyes opened again.This time, the room was darker. She focused on the wall in front of her. A clock ticked, but it didn’t make any sense. Where was she? She turned her head and winced as pain shot through the right side of her body.
“Maizie?” Her mom leaned over her.
“What’s going on?” She looked around and noticed the monitors for the first time.
