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JADE
The Emergency Department waiting room was enormous, with four distinct seating areas spread out in front of us. Several closed triage doors lined the walls, and a large reception desk sat at the center of it all, guarded by an imposing police officer stationed behind a thick glass shield. As we approached, a receptionist emerged from a set of automatic, locked wooden doors, her face lighting up with a warm smile until her gaze landed on us.
To our right, there were only a few people, huddled together in a corner wearing surgical masks. Two women beside a man in a wheelchair caught my eye; slumped over with his eyes closed, his legs covered with a sheet. In stark contrast to the quiet scene before us, Nico was alone on the other side, pacing back and forth with his arms crossed defensively over his chest. A scene I’d never thought I’d witness from him. As soon as he spotted us, he rushed over to greet us.
“Follow me,” he demanded in a low voice as not to raise suspicion before giving a nod to the receptionist and policeman.
Nurses rushed past with medical equipment, while paramedics stood next to a person on a stretcher, their voices friendly but demanding. The sound of machines beeping and people talking filled the air. We followed Nico down the hall, dodging busy staff members until we reached a left turn. We veered off into a private waiting area, away from the chaos of the main hospital ward.
My heart dropped when I saw Tyler sitting in the corner, his face pale and strained. Jenna was next to him, her arms wrapped tightly around him as she held him close. Ian and Chance stood nearby, their expressions grave, their eyes red-rimmed.
Panic rose in my chest. No, no no no.
Jenna made eye contact with me, tears streaming down her cheeks as she silently conveyed the gravity of the situation. Ian stepped over to us, his jaw tight and his hands clenched at his sides as he tried to hold back his emotions. Nico positioned himself near the door, a silent sentry keeping watch.
“What happened?” I hissed, not wanting to cause more upset than there already was in the room.
Luke pulled me against his side. Giovanna on the other side of me, craned her neck toward the others before bringing her gaze back to Ian. He cleared his throat ever so slightly as Chance took a stance next to him, rigid with anger and sadness.
“Mila got a call that her sister had another fall and was in the hospital. She told Ty to stay with the kids and she’d be fine. He insisted on going with her, anyway. After a heated argument over him staying behind and watching the kids, she left anyway and was T-boned.”
My eyes welled up with tears at the news. “Is she?—”
“She’s in surgery right now,” he added grimly.
“Where are the kids?” Luke asked, concern etched on his face.
Chance nodded toward the door. “Amber and Ice Man took them to get some snacks from the vending machine as a distraction.”
Giovanna laid a hand on my arm. “Excuse me,” her voice cracked as she made her way over to Tyler, squatting down in front of him. She laid a hand on his knee. “I’m so sorry.”
He lifted his gaze to her, his eyes narrowing in rage by the second. “Get the fuck away from me!” he barked.
Whoa! The sudden outburst startled us, causing our heads to snap in their direction. Jenna lurched backward in her chair while Giovanna collapsed ungracefully onto the floor with a thud.
“I’m sorry,” Giovanna stammered, her voice trembling with emotion. “I just wanted to give you my heartfelt?—”
“Really, Gia?!” he spat, his words dripping with venom. “You don’t even know me! Why the fuck are you even here?! You don’t even belong here! There’s no reason under the sun that you should be here at all!”
“Hey!” Luke finally snapped at him, his voice laced with anger and frustration. Tyler lifted his gaze to meet Luke’s, his expression seething with rage. “I understand you’re upset, as we all are about the situation. But there’s no reason to speak to her that way unless there’s something that I don’t know about.”
Tyler opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Giovanna stood up from the floor, smoothing out her disheveled attire. “It’s okay, Luke,” she said calmly. “It’s probably best that I’m not here right now. I don’t want to add to the stress.” She glanced at Tyler briefly before turning back to face Luke. “If he wants me to go, I will.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Luke asserted firmly. “Whoever is out there has seen you with us, and you’ve got a target on your back now, too.”
“She can stay,” Tyler muttered, staring at the floor, his hands propping up his head. “I’m just—” his voice trailed off, and he didn’t finish his thought.
Ian took a step toward her. “Sit.”
She hesitated for a moment before nodding and taking a seat in a nearby chair against the wall just as the door opened. We all twisted toward it, eager for any news from the doctor, but it was Amber with Mila and Tyler’s kids. He did his best to wipe away all sadness as he offered them a smile. He pulled Naya into his lap while Evan and Jackson plopped down on the floor in front of him against the wall. Naya offered her dad some of her fruit snacks, to which he politely declined, holding her a little tighter. She buried her hand in the bag, taking one out and popping it into her mouth.
We waited.
And waited.
And waited.
An hour passed. Naya had moved over to Jenna’s lap and fallen asleep with her head on her shoulder. Across the room, Evan lay curled up on an L-shaped couch, his chest rising and falling with a steady rhythm. Jackson had dozed off at the other end, his head resting against a throw pillow. Suddenly, the door opened again, and the surgeon emerged with two nurses at his side.
