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“They’re helping her breathe, Legend. They need to do this to help her. Just stand down, man. Let them do their job.” Roman’s voice is calm, but I can hear the strain in his words.
“I love her.”
“I know you do. We all do, but you have to let them do their job. That’s what Monroe needs right now.”
“What did you give her?” I ask, finding my voice.
“Medication that helped us intubate her,” the female paramedic answers, not once stopping what she’s doing.
“Oxygen is better,” one of the guys says, and he sounds relieved.
“Why won’t she wake up?”
“Sir, we’re doing everything we can,” the woman says gently.
“We need to take her in now.” They move quickly yet carefully, wrapping her in a warm blanket and transferring her to the gurney.
“I’m coming with you.”
“You can come, but you’re riding up front.”
I nod stiffly. I’ll do whatever I have to do to stay with her. “Fine.” I turn to look at Roman.
“Go. I’ll call the guys and your parents and have Emerson call her parents.”
“Thanks, man.” I follow the paramedics out of the house, knowing that Roman will take care of locking up, and if he doesn’t, oh well. Nothing matters right now but Monroe.
When we get to the emergency room, it’s a flurry of activity. They take her through a set of double doors while I’m stranded at the desk, checking her in. “Can I see my wife now?” I ask the receptionist.
“I’ll put you in a private family waiting room, and the doctor will be in to talk to you.”
“I want to be with her.”
Her eyes soften. “I know, but you need to let us help her right now. The doctor will be with you soon.” She nods, and I follow her down the hall to a room.
It’s not all that big, but it is private. I pace back and forth, waiting for someone, anyone, to come in and tell me how she is.
The door opens, and in rushes Roman, Emerson, baby Lilly, and my mom. “Mom.” I break when her arms wrap around me. I squeeze her tighter than I know I should, but I need to be grounded. “She won’t wake up,” I say, and I hear a sob.
I look up to find Emerson handing Lilly to Roman before rushing toward me. I pull away from my mom and catch her in my arms. We’re both sobbing. “She has to be okay, Em. She has to be.”
“She’s a fighter,” she whispers.
When I release her, we both wipe at our eyes as her parents enter the room. I tell them what I know and hold her mom tightly against me. Roman’s parents show up and offer their support. They leave with Lilly just as Forrest, Lachlan, and Maddox join us.
I go through it all again, telling them what I know, and they all reassure me she’s going to be fine. I wish we knew that for certain. They weren’t there. They didn’t see her blue lips or grip her cold hands. They didn’t see her eyes roll back into her head or watch the paramedics shove a tube down her throat so that she could breathe easier.
“I’m looking for the family of Monroe Raines,” a tall guy wearing a white coat with salt-and-pepper hair says, stepping into the room.
“I’m her husband; these are her parents, her brothers, and her sister.” There’s no point in going through the dynamics of our friends. We don’t have time for that.
“How’s my daughter?” her dad asks.
“Can I speak freely in front of the room?” the doctor asks.
“Yes,” I rush to answer. “How’s my wife?”
“I’m Doctor Hamilton. Your wife is stable, but I need to ask you a few questions.”
