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“What? No, you aren’t,” she replies as she pulls me back.
“I thought he was mad at me, or that he got drunk and forgot to come get me.”
“Josie, I would have done the same thing. That doesn’t make you horrible. Come on, let’s get you to the hospital.” We load my things into her trunk, and then we’re off. I continue checking my phone, waiting for any sort of information from him.
“I’m so worried about him,” I say. “He’s so close to Gramps. If he passes, this will destroy Andrew.”
Marley looks over at me, her eyes sad. “I know. All those boys are so close with him. But they’ll get through this, whatever happens.”
I nod. “Do you think he wants me there? I mean, maybe I should just go home and wait.”
“Fuck that,” Marley snips. “You’re his girlfriend, and you want to be there, right?”
“Well…yeah.”
“Then I’ll bring you. I know he wants you there. He’s probably not in his mind right now. I’ve known Andrew for a long time,” she says. We’re on the freeway now, and the GPS on her phone says we will arrive in thirty five minutes. “When bad things happen, he shuts down. When Grandma Irene died, he barely talked for a week. It’s not healthy, but it’s how he processes.”
My heart breaks at the thought of Andrew suffering in silence. I ache to be there for him, yet still worry that he might not want me there.
Marley and I make most of the drive in silence. With around five minutes left, her phone rings. It’s Beau.
She answers immediately, putting it on speakerphone. Beau’s voice is panicked as it fills the car. “Marley, we forgot Josie, you need to go get her,” his voice is laced with panic. “I don’t have her phone number to tell her what’s happening”
“I’ve got her,” Marley says. “She called me. Where are you? I’m dropping her off in five minutes.”
“Fifth floor, neurosurgery. I’ll let them know you’re coming. There’s a parking garage connected, so you can park there.”
“I’m just dropping Josie off,” Marley says.
“Marley, I need you,” Beau’s voice breaks.
Marley’s eyes turn glassy, and she subtly swipes away a tear. “Okay. We’ll be there soon.”
“Okay,” Beau replies, and hangs up.
I reach over, squeezing Marley’s hand. She squeezes back, and I try to hold back my tears.
35
JOSIE
The hospital is cold, a sterile smell infiltrating my nose. Marley walks by my side as we step onto the elevator to ride up to the Neuro ICU. We still don’t have any additional information, other than he was unresponsive, but the fact that he’s in the Neuro ICU worries me further.
The elevator dings with each level we pass, until we reach the fifth floor. The doors open to a brightly lit waiting room. My eyes search for him in the chairs, coming up empty. The TV in the far corner plays an old sitcom, though no one is there to watch it.
Marley and I walk around the small waiting area, searching for any sort of clue as to where they are. “I’m going to text Beau,” Marley says. As she pulls out her phone, a set of double doors to our left swing open.
“Marley and Josie?” the nurse who walks through asks. She’s a petite woman, probably in her late twenties, so close to my age. Dark, almost raven colored hair is pulled back into a curly ponytail on the crown of her head. She’s wearing a pair of mint green scrubs, a deep plum colored stethoscope hanging from her neck.
Marley drags me over to the door where the nurse stands. “Yes, that’s us.”
“Wonderful. My name’s Zoey. I’ll bring you back to wait with the rest of the family.” She guides us through the doors, letting them shut behind us.
“Can you tell us any information?” Marley asks.
Zoey somberly shakes her head. “I’m really sorry, but I can’t.”
“No, it’s okay,” Marley says. “I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.”
