“Nah, this is for Amy. She’s practically family.”
At least Amy has people who care about her besides just me. I pivot to find her. She’s sitting, eyes closed. Alex is right next to her. Good. He can take the lead on watching her while I try to clean up the mess I’ve made. If that’s even possible.
I take a necessary restroom break, then get the internet password from Stone. The man pops a charging cable into the outlet and lays it on the decorative table between two chairs.
“You thought of everything.”
“Cade. I think he keeps a spare in his pocket at all times.” I can’t work up a grin or even a positive sentiment. Instead, I do what I should have done days ago and shoot off emails to my former co-workers and Marshal Clemmons. After pacing the half-circle track multiple times, a wave of exhaustion hits me. I should have responses soon. The guys are an hour ahead of us. But it’s still early, and it may take a while to get the answers to the questions I asked.
I drop into an empty seat closest to the ER doors and stretch out as best I can to grab some sleep.
I’m not sure how much time passes, but I jerk awake when Stone elbows me. “Doc’s coming out.”
A woman with her hair covered in a green surgery cap, a round face, and tired eyes closes the distance to us as we all stand. “You’re Blake Foster’s family?”
EIGHTEEN
Amy
As soon asthe doctor stops walking, the guys surround her in a half-circle of concern and muscles. Tyler is tense, his arms crossed when he’s not dragging one of his hands through his disheveled hair. His guilt is palpable. Or maybe I’m putting my feelings on him.
“Surgery went well. He’s in recovery,” the doctor says. The guys pepper her with questions, and she holds up a hand. “Let me tell you what I know. If you still have questions, I’m happy to answer them.”
This is a family discussion, not one I should be involved in. But there is something I can do.
I slip away and ask the person at the far desk for help. He directs me to a bank of elevators. The café is open, barely. At least the coffee will be fresh, and I can bring the guys back some sustenance. The fact that the doctor didn’t ask them to take a seat tells me Blake is still fighting. I have no clue what his future will hold, but he’s alive right now. No way the guys are leaving without him. They don’t need me hanging around, but it’s not like I can leave. They can’t squish into a single vehicle for that long drive. The big SUV is probably being dragged out of the ravine after being ripped open to get Blake out. I could rent a car.
I gather the two trays of coffee stacked and the bag of pastries and protein bars and make my way back to the ER. As soon as the elevator doors open, tattooed arms reach in and take the coffees. I meet Stone’s eyes and recoil. He’s pissed.
“I can carry those.” My words bounce off his back, unacknowledged.
He stops in front of an empty bay of chairs. “Sit.”
Oh god, what’s happened? I drop into the chair. He hands me a coffee and then takes the bag from me. “I can help.”
“Stay there. I’ll be back. We’re going to have a chat, you and I.”
A sudden urge to pee hits me, but it’s just nerves, and I don’t dare move. I’ve never spent much time with Stone. Even while he’s been here, he’s stayed busy, been on the phone or gone. Back in St. Louis, I knew who he was. Everyone knew who he was. But I never “chatted” with him. I know what he’s going to say. Stone’s going to tell me I need to let Tyler go. That everything that has happened has been a result of my poor choice. I brought the threat down on myself by breaking the rules.
I can’t argue with him. He’s crouched down in front of Eliot and Cade. Tyler has an arm around Cade, who is more upset than when I left. Apparently, the doctor’s news wasn’t all good.
Alex comes up behind me and sits. “Hey, Amy. How’re ya holdin’ up?”
How can he be asking about me? “What’s happening with Blake?”
“Doc says Blake has a compression injury from the wreck. Not sure how long he was down there, but long enough, and he’s got two broken legs and a back injury. They set all the bones. Took out his spleen. But he’s showing signs of paralysis. Could be temporary. Could be anywhere from the upper chest down. They won’t know for a while.”
“But he’ll be okay? I mean, he’s going to make it?” I hang on the answer. He has to make it.
“Don’t know. The next forty-eight hours are a big deal. They gotta watch his kidneys and make sure he doesn’t get a blood infection. The next twelve hours will be the most dangerous because of being crushed in the car.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
Alex doesn’t say anything.
He’s too polite to say I’ve done enough. This is horrible. The waiting will be like a razor blade cut to these guys for every minute that passes. Tears for Blake and Tyler and all of them well in my eyes. But I don’t have the right to cry. I caused this. “Alex, can you point me to the restroom?”
He indicates the direction he came from, and I set my coffee down and practically run all the way there. I go to the far wall and pull out a few paper towels before I slide to the floor and let my tears take over. Sobs rack my body. Blake, that beautiful, funny surfer dude, tech wizard, is in a hospital bed fighting for his life.
