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I loved that kid.
I also loved her mother.
I reached my hand out for Theo’s, and once it was in mine, I squeezed it lightly.
“Love you,” I told her. “You’re sure you’re okay driving by yourself?”
She was going to drive the car that I’d bought her back to Bear Bottom. The car that she’d taken a driver’s ED course with a few days after moving to her new place.
I’d thought about leaving the car where it sat for the next woman who needed it, but Theo had insisted that she drive it home.
I’d reluctantly allowed her to, but now I was having second thoughts. The thought of being away from her for seven more hours while we drove home was almost unbearable.
“Yes,” she insisted for the fourth time. “Now go. I’m ready to be home. Monster misses me.”
“No, he doesn’t!” Linnie insisted right back. “Castiel told me he missed me!”
I laughed and pressed a kiss to her lips, then slapped the top of her car twice before heading to my own truck.
After making an ‘all ready’ gesture to the men, bikes began to start up around me, and we began heading out, me in front, Theo behind me, and the bikes behind her.
All went well for the next three hours.
Then all hell broke loose when we hit the halfway point.
Hell being in the form of a two-ton truck hitting Theo and forcing her off the road.
I’d never forget what happened for the rest of my life.
Watching the car flip. Watching it veer off the roadway in the direction of oncoming traffic only for it to be caught by the guidewires separating the two different sides and throwing it back into the road again.
I didn’t remember pulling my truck over.
I also didn’t remember getting to the car.
What I did remember, though, was helping pull them out of the vehicle when the threat of it blowing up was an imminent possibility.
I remembered watching as two very integral parts of my life were placed on the asphalt road and watching their blood start to pool around them.
I remembered that awful part very, very clearly.
***
“Mr. Paldecki?” a man’s voice called, bringing me up out of my temporary sleep.
I’d been leaning my head against the pillar next to my chair, and my eyes had shut involuntary, revealing just how fucking tired I was.
It’d been four hours since the accident.
Four hours since both Linnie and Theo were life-flighted to the hospital.
Four hours since Thurgood Threadgill was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
I shot straight up in my chair and was standing awaiting his news moments after that.
My arm ached like a bitch at the move, and I looked down at the cast that I was now sporting on my forearm.
Then I dismissed it without a second thought.
“That’s me,” I said desperately, moving fast toward the doctor.
My club started to rouse behind me, all taking up silent vigil at my back.
“You’re Josiah Paldecki?” he asked, flipping through papers.
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Ms. Threadgill named you Linnie’s sole guardian,” he said softly. “You’re also the person that is her medical power of attorney.” He paused. “From what I’m understanding, you’re Theodora’s fiancé?”
I nodded.
I’m not sure how or why he knew that, but I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“Okay,” he nodded once, flipping back through the papers.
“Ms. Threadgill has a DNR—a do not resuscitate order—on her. She also has a living will that says that she would not like to be kept alive in a vegetative state.” He held up his hand at the look on my face. “I’m not saying that it’s come to that just yet…but the DNR is important. The first twenty-four to forty-eight hours are imperative for a patient that’s been hurt as severely as Theodora has. She could stop breathing at any moment…and we wouldn’t be able to help keep her alive.”
I swallowed hard and felt like I’d been repeatedly punched in the gut.
Goddammit.
At my nod, he continued.
“She sustained a pretty nasty head injury when her head collided with the car window,” he continued. “Right now, we have her in surgery trying to relieve the pressure in her brain.”
“Okay,” I croaked. “What now?”
The other doctor, Linnie’s doctor, waited patiently as the current one explained what would happen next.
“As soon as she’s stable enough…I’ll call you and let you know it’s okay to come see her.”
I swallowed hard. “And Linnie?”
The doctor smiled then, and I realized it was good news.
“Linnie has a concussion, bruising on her face and chest here,” he indicated where the seatbelt was. “And also a few minor cuts and scrapes on her face. The biggest concern right now is her arm, which was broken. We’re going to need your permission to take her to surgery to fix that.”
I nodded my head. “Yes, of course. Whatever you need from me.”
