“McKenna is still unconscious, but stable. They’re doing a head CT now to rule out brain bleeds. Katie is still in surgery, her injuries were more severe since the crash was on her side of the vehicle. I’m so sorry I don’t have more details for you, Griffin. We just don’t know yet,” Liz struggles to say through her tears.
“Can you let my dad know I’ll be on the next flight out? Please keep me updated, Liz,” I choke out, bile rising in my throat.
“We will. Be safe,” I hear her say as I hang up the phone. My body begins moving on autopilot, going through the motions as I book my flight, quickly pack a bag, and wake up Maks and Nico to drop me off at the airport without any real recollection of how we got here.
“Keep us posted, G. Let us know if there’s anything we can do,” Nico says as he pulls me into a tight hug. Maks grips my shoulder and gives me a quick hug.
I nod in response, not wanting to speak, because I know I’ll break. I can’t even muster up the courage to thank them for the ride. Turning on my heel, I wheel my carry-on through the sliding glass doors.
I breeze through check-in but am frustrated when I find security lines are longer than I anticipated for a 6 a.m. flight, but I guess it is Labor Day.
Once I’ve boarded the plane, I take one last look at my messages to see if there’s an update on Katie or Kenna. I have no new notifications, so I put my phone in airplane mode and pray that they’ll both be okay when I land.
I turn my phone off airplane mode to arrange for an Uber, but before I can click the app, I get a call from Carson.
“Carson, how are they?” I ask right away, not bothering with a greeting.
“G, I’m about a mile away from the airport to pick you up. I’ll meet you outside the arrivals by baggage claim.”
“Thanks. Now, please tell me how they are,” I insist.
I hear Carson take a deep breath on the other end of the phone. “Katie’s had a lot of complications. She’s still in surgery. Your dad has been given more updates than usual, due to his position at the hospital, so that’s been nice. Mack’s CT showed brain swelling but, thankfully, no bleeding. She’s been put in a medically induced coma to try to combat the swelling so they can avoid surgery.”
Fuck. Fuck Fuck.
“Look, man, I’m going to be there in a minute, and then we need to get back there to be with everyone. Let me know what you need from me. I’m here for you, G.”
I break out in a sprint to get from the terminal I’m at to the baggage claim area where Carson will be picking me up.
I’ve barely made it outside when I see Carson’s truck pull up to the curb. I quickly get in the passenger seat, tossing my travel bag into the backseat.
When we haven’t started moving yet, I impatiently look over at Carson to find him staring ahead and tightly gripping the steering wheel.
“Carson. Go!” I yell at him.
He turns his head toward me, tears threatening to spill out of his eyes. He has the same eyes as Kenna. And with just one look, fear consumes me.
Carson’s voice is hoarse as he whispers, “What if they aren’t okay, G?”
“We can’t sit here and think that way. We’ve got to get to the hospital, where they’ll have answers for us. Where we’ll be able to see them and be with our families,” I try to appeal to him.
Carson wraps his arms around me, pulling me in for a hug that leaves me stiff at first. Fuck, this is exactly how people reacted when my mom died. I reciprocate his hug, patting him on the back a few times before asking him if he needs me to drive. After assuring me he’s fine, we make the drive to the hospital Katie and Kenna were both brought to.
We’re not even through the second set of glass doors before Kenna’s mom, Liz, wraps me in her arms. “Oh, Griffin. Thank god you’re here.” She pulls away, taking my face in her hands and looking at me. “They’re going to be okay. They have to be okay,” Liz states, her chin wobbling, and her red eyes brimming with tears.
“Where’s my dad? Is Katie out of surgery yet? How’s McKenna?” The questions rattle out of me.
“Your dad went to speak with the Chief of Surgery just a moment before you arrived. I believe he wanted a more thorough update on Katie’s condition than what the residents were providing. This must be even harder for him to sit back and wait when he feels like he could be helping.”
“Okay, I’ll wait for him to get back. And McKenna? How is she? Can I see her?”
“Griffin, she’s in the ICU in a medically induced coma. Only immediate family is allowed to see her right now.”
“He can tell the nurses and staff that he’s me. They won’t know any better,” I hear Carson suggest from beside me.
I look over and nod my head in appreciation at his suggestion.
“I’ll ask Theo to grab a coffee with me. He’s in with McKenna now. You can sit with her for a little while until we get back,” Liz offers, and I take her up on it.
