“Hey, kiddo.Give me a call when you get this.I’m on my way home and just checking in.”
When I haven’t heard back a while later, I try him again, with the same result.I briefly contemplate calling Clem, but I don’t want to be that helicopter mom.I’ll wait until I hear.
I don’t have to wait long.My phone rings just when I approach my highway exit, but it’s not Remi…it’s Clem.
Something in my stomach pinches as I answer.
“Hey, is?—”
“Tessa, where are you?”he asks.
That small pinch abruptly turns into a forceful punch, robbing me of air, at the carefully moderated tone of his voice.
“Turning off the highway.What’s wrong?Where is Remi?”
“I’d like you to pull over for a minute.”
All the blood rushes to my head with the realization I’m about to get bad news, but I stubbornly keep my foot firmly on the gas.
“Fucking tell me where my son is,” I bite off, gritting my teeth.
“He’s being looked after and I’m with him at the hospital.I found him in the alley behind the firehouse; it looks like he may have been attacked.I brought him straight here.”
“Attacked?How?How bad?”
“I’m not sure what happened.Whoever it was did a number on him, he was out when I got to him.
My head is spinning as wildly as my stomach is, trying to grasp what is happening, but professional muscle memory comes to the rescue.
“I need to go.I need to call the station right away.”
“Wait!”he calls out.“I already called, and Hugo just walked in.”
“Tessa?”Hugo’s voice takes over.
“Yeah.”
“Are you driving?”
“Yeah.”
I can’t seem to manage much more as I try to block my mind from conjuring up horrible images of my boy’s injured body.
“I need you to pull over right now and I’ll send a patrol car to pick you up.”
My response is immediate and firm.
“No.There’s no way I’m going to sit on the side of the road and wait God knows how long for one of the guys to get out here when I am less than ten minutes out,” I snap.
“Tessa…”
“Not happening, Hugo.You get on finding whoever the fuck did this to my boy, and put me back on the phone with Clem.”
There’s a brief rustle and some muted voice before Clem is back on the line.
“It’s me.”
“Good.Stay on the line with me.I need to know what is happening.”
