“Not my fault Cali doesn’t know how to clean the fuckin’ house and made Bryce trip and hurt himself.The kid’s clumsy and his mother should take better care of him,” Darren responds, his voice monotone because he truly feels nothing for the little boy he once made the center of his world.This isn’t how things should be between the three of them.Darren should be the one taking Cali and Bryce to the hospital while we go with them for any kind of support they might need.
“He tripped over your phone cord, Darren.If you weren’t a lazy fuck who only cared about gettin’ drunk and watchin’ TV, Bryce wouldn’t have been hurt,” Kreed growls, his voice low and menacingly void of any emotion except anger.
“Quit blamin’ me for the kid gettin’ hurt.I wouldn’t need to stretch my cord out across the floor if Cali would clean the fuckin’ place,” Darren states as we walk out the door and leave him behind.
Cali’s crying as she walks next to me and talks to Bryce to keep him awake.That’s the most important thing right now.We need to make sure he doesn’t fall asleep even as his eyes droop slightly and I know it might be a losing battle.Pulling out my phone, I call my mom as Kreed rushes ahead to open the door of his truck for Cali and me to climb in the backseat.My mom lets me know they’ll meet us at the hospital as we all climb in and Kreed pulls away from Cali’s house in a rush.
Kreed drives so fast through town it only takes us minutes to get to the hospital.In the time we’re gone, Darren starts messaging Cali with his fucked-up apologies that mean absolutely nothing because this isn’t the first time he’s acted this way.He questions how Bryce is and I can’t help but think of how fake his worry is because Darren would have been with us in this truck if he were truly worried about his son.He’s just playing his part, something he’s been doing more and more of over the last few years.Darren has changed into a monster and is becoming worse than his own father.I hate seeing one of my best friends this way but I can’t do anything to change his behavior.Kreed and I have already tried talking to him multiple times.Cali has even talked to him about how he makes her feel.Nothing works or makes any change he does last for very long.
So, once again, Kreed and I are at the hospital with Cali and Bryce while Darren is nowhere to be found.My shirt is soaked in Bryce’s blood as I sit in the chair between Cali and Kreed.It’s sticking to my chest and making me extremely uncomfortable to know this is the blood of the best little boy in my life.A boy who is hurt and crying still.My arms and hands also have Bryce’s blood coating my skin and the only thing I can think of is washing it off because this is nothing more than a reminder that I wasn’t fast enough to stop him from getting hurt and bleeding so bad the nurses and doctor are still working on getting it to stop.I’ve learned over the years that head wounds always bleed worse than any other wound, but this is ridiculous.Cali tries to get me to go to the bathroom to clean up, but I refuse to leave Bryce in case he needs me.
While I want to blame the military and the missions we’ve gone on over the years, I know this is all on Darren.If he wanted to fix things with himself and in his marriage, there are plenty of things he could do to get help.Counseling is a big thing that would help.Unless he wants to get the help he desperately needs, Darren won’t change at all.Though, I know his father looks down on those who need to go that route.He’s made more than enough comments over the years about it.Darren’s father views it as a weakness and Darren can’t be weak in any aspect of his life.That’s okay.He can keep acting the way he is and I’ll continue to take care of his wife and child.We don’t need him and I hope he stays away.
Cali and I sit next to the crib the hospital has Rory in.My girl is sitting close enough to reach through the bars so she can rest her hand on Rory’s small leg that’s been removed from her pajamas.Doc couldn’t get an IV started anywhere but her foot.Her little foot is now wrapped up with a tube coming out of it so she can get fluids and any medicine they decide to put her on.While Rory is usually pale like her mom, tonight she’s so much worse.Rory’s skin is almost translucent; she's so pale.Being in the hospital crib, she looks so much smaller than normal.Everything about this situation is horrible and I’ve never seen Rory look as horrible as she does in this moment.
“Cali, Reckless, some of Rory’s test results have come back.Based on those and the exam I’ve given her, this is all from her teethin’.It’s led to an infection like a cold and the antibiotics aren’t workin’ on her,” Doc informs us as he looks down at Rory with concern in his eyes.“I’d like to see if we can get this taken care of immediately since she’s gone downhill so fast.I just saw her in the office this mornin’ and she wasn’t this bad.I’d like to put her on IV antibiotics so we can figure out what will work for her.Cali, I’m gonna admit her to the hospital for the next few days.”
“Okay.Whatever you believe is best for Rory.I just don’t want her to get worse than she is already.I’m scared and don’t know what to do to help her,” Cali answers as she almost collapses against my body and her head rests on my shoulder as if she can’t sit up any longer and this is weighing her down like nothing else before has.The only time I ever see her like this is when she has a panic attack or something is wrong with one of the kids.
“I’ll get things started immediately.A nurse will come in with her medicine.I want to get it started immediately.In the meantime, I’ll work on gettin’ her a room upstairs as soon as possible.Is someone gonna be able to stay with Bryce or do you need to leave to get him?”Doc asks, his voice barely registering to Cali as she stares at her daughter and doesn’t hear a word being said to her.
“Kreed’s at the compound with him.I’ve already called my mom and they’ll be here soon.I’ll let them know what’s goin’ on so I’m sure somethin’ will be set up for him.Bryce has to start school soon and needs to be put back on a routine.That’s somethin’ Cali usually starts doin’ this time of the year.Kreed and my mom will make it happen,” I inform Doc as he nods his head before leaving us alone in the room.
It's not long before my parents, grandparents, aunt, and uncle show up.They rush into the room and immediately surround Rory’s crib.My aunt Maddie cries seeing how small and completely still Rory is.There’s no movement and I’ve had to lean in closer several times just to make sure her chest is rising and falling like it should be.This is scary as hell and I’ve never been this worried about Bryce or Rory in the past.The kids have never been this sick before and I hate seeing Cali and Rory like this.
We spend the next few hours in the small room of the emergency department and it’s the middle of the night before Rory is transported to a room upstairs.Once my family knows where her room is, they leave us alone.I’m not about to go home and leave Cali here by herself with Rory.Cali can hardly walk to Rory’s new room on her own and I have to hold her up.She’s completely out of it and won’t take her eyes off of her daughter for any reason.I rarely see Cali like this and it’s heartbreaking to know there’s nothing I can do to fix this situation.I can’t snap my fingers and make Rory better.She has to let the medicine Doc puts her on do its job and that will take time.Fuck!This situation is horrible and I hope we never go through this shit again.I know that’s not a reasonable thought, but it’s where I’m at right now.
Chapter Nineteen
Caliana
SLOWLY WAKING UP, thefirst thing I realize is that I’m practically in Caleb’s lap.The only part of my body still in the chair I sat in when Rory was brought up to the room she’ll be in for the duration of her hospital stay is my ass.My legs are folded under me and my upper body is draped over Caleb.He’s holding me in his arms as I listen to the steady beat of his heart in his chest.At some point he took off his cut and draped it over the back of the chair so it doesn’t hit the floor.The guys never allow their cut to touch the floor and if you’re not an ol’ lady or aren’t handed over a cut by one of the guys, you don’t ever touch it.It’s a lesson I saw multiple times since Caleb and the guys started the club.The Feral girls have overstepped more than a few times and been put in their place because they thought they could touch anything they want without consequences.They’re so dumb sometimes.
Feeling Caleb’s arms wrapped around me as he keeps me safe while I sleep, it throws me into a memory of when we were younger and just starting high school.
Tonight is our homecoming dance and I wasn’t planning on going.Caleb, Kreed, and Darren will all be there because they’re on the court for the homecoming king.One of them will definitely win the title.I’m just not sure which one it will be.All three are very popular, play football, and have the girls crawling all over them.More than half the guys in school want to be them.They’ll be the ones to get the votes over anyone else.Even though I wasn’t planning on going, Caleb talked me into showing up.He even went so far as to buy me a dress and paying for someone to do my hair and make-up.This guy does everything in his power to get what he wants.Stubborn asshole!
