I open my eyes. Piper is talking to Ozzie.
“Oh, she’s waking up,” Piper says.
I toss the blanket aside and glance at Durango. “Hi, Ozzie. How long was I sleeping?”
“Three hours,” Piper says.
Ozzie shoves his hands into his pockets as he stares at Durango.
A nurse comes into the room and checks Durango’s vitals. We all stand around and watch silently.
“How long until he wakes up?” Ozzie finally asks.
The nurse finishes writing something on the chart and glances up. “We stopped the medication that was keeping him asleep this morning. It takes a while to work out of his system. He could wake up at any time, but it could also be several more hours.” She replaces the chart at the end of the bed and leaves the room.
I stare at Durango. The ventilator causes his chest to rise and fall. The sound fills the room, along with the beeping monitor telling us his heart rate.
Please, Durango, you have to wake up. I can’t lose you again.
My mind drifts back to what I did ten years ago. God, I was so stupid. If only I’d been more mature. That could have saved so much time and heartache.
I curl my knees up to my chest and stare at him. He has to be all right. He has to be. And once he wakes up, no more waiting. I can’t let him go again.
CHAPTER 4
Durango
“Wake up, brother,”a voice calls out.
“Why isn’t he waking up?”
“They said it could take a while.”
“He has to wake up!”
I try but cannot open my eyes. The voices sound muted, as if I’m underwater.
“Durango, please, baby, wake up.”
It’s Willow. I’m trying! I really am trying.
“You did not come back into my life to leave it now,” she says.
I try to take a deep breath, but something is stopping me. I try again. But I can’t. My chest hurts. My arms hurt. Hell, everything hurts. Why does everything hurt?
“Just open your eyes,” Willow says.
I try again but can’t. She takes my hand in hers.
“Can you move your fingers?” she asks.
I focus all my attention on my right hand. Move dammit!
“Did you see that?” Willow asks. “His fingers moved!”
“Let me see,” an unfamiliar voice says.
“Do it again, Durango,” Willow says.
