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Ethan had been shot. Shot.
Had Ethan been afraid of someone? Had he simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Once again, there were more questions than answers.
* * *
Lucy had kept a close eye on Zack all the way to the hospital, and even after when they were in the waiting room hoping for positive news from behind the double doors where doctors and nurses bustled in and out. They never looked in Lucy or Zack’s direction, focused on doing their jobs. The nurse at the desk had been interested in them, however, her gaze following Zack as he paced back and forth.
“Ethan’s strong,” Lucy said. “He’ll fight.”
Zack stopped pacing, scraping his hands down his face before replying.
“I can’t believe this is happening. How did this happen? Or better yet, why did this happen?”
Lucy had her suspicions. Ethan had been acting strangely earlier when they’d ran into each other outside of that campus bar. He’d been acting…paranoid. She hadn’t wanted to put a name to the behavior at the time, but that’s how she’d felt. He’d been a man literally looking over his shoulder.
The doors to the elevator slid open before she could answer, and Ethan’s mother, father, and wife spilled out, all talking at once. Lucy hadn’t met Ethan’s wife Jenny, but she’d seen her at the wedding. The poor woman appeared frantic, clinging on to Ethan’s mom.
“Zack,” she exclaimed. “Thank heavens you’re here. Blake said that you found him. Did he say anything? Did he say what happened?”
“He didn’t say anything,” Zack replied. “He was unconscious. Lucy called 911, but I guess someone heard the gunshot and had already called. Blake was there pretty quick. The EMTs stabilized him and then loaded him into the ambulance. Brought him here. That’s the last I’ve heard.”
The nurse from behind the desk that had been watching them this entire time came around to Jenny, a clipboard in her hand.
“Ma’am, are you the patient’s next of kin? We need you to fill out some forms.”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake,” Ethan’s dad complained loudly. “Her husband, and our son, is fighting for his life and you’re worried if he has insurance. He has insurance, okay? Don’t worry, the bills will get paid. Now where is my son? I want to speak to a doctor right now. Did you hear me? Right now.”
“I would imagine everyone on the floor can hear you,” the nurse replied tartly. Apparently, she wasn’t easy to intimidate. “Currently, the doctors are attending to your son. When they can they will come out and update you on his condition. In the meantime, we do need some information so that we can admit him to the hospital.”
With that, the nurse placed the clipboard down on the arm of one of the chairs and marched back to her desk.
“Bill, it’s okay,” Jenny said, her tone hushed. “They’re with Ethan and that’s where they should be.”
“It’s not okay,” Bill replied, his face red with anger and frustration. “We have no idea what’s going on. Zack, what do you know about what’s happened?”
“I don’t know much,” Zack explained. “We came over to speak to Ethan. We heard music from the backyard and that’s where we found him. He had a bloodstain on his t-shirt and he was pale. Lucy called 911, but Blake got there right away. He said he thought it was a gunshot wound. That’s all we know.”
Ethan’s mother hadn’t said anything yet, but when Zack had uttered the words “blood” and “gunshot” she’d wailed and began sobbing. Jenny helped her mother-in-law over to one of the sofas in the waiting room, holding her hand and telling her that it was going to be alright.
“Jesus, Margaret,” Bill said with a scowl. “Get a hold of yourself. Crying isn’t going to help anything.”
Ethan’s dad had always been a tad old school, not encouraging too many emotions in his family. He was like Joel Winslow in that way. They weren’t much for public displays of any sort of feelings - positive or negative.
Bill’s admonishment only made Margaret cry harder, and that made her husband frown more. Jenny was trying to play peacekeeper but there was far too much tension in the room for any of that.
Well, this is awkward.
“Can I get any of you some water or coffee?” Lucy suggested. “There’s a machine just down the hall. I’d be happy to get you something.”
Jenny hopped up from the sofa, nodding her head in agreement.
“That’s a great idea. I’ll help you. We’ll get everyone a coffee.”
Margaret dabbed at her wet cheeks with a tissue, and Bill growled something that sounded like a yes.
“I just had to get away for a minute,” Jenny confessed when they were out of earshot. “I love my in-laws, but they have their moments. They’re upset.”
