Page 68 of Kiwi

"Only one visitor at a time for now." He looks down at his watch. "You have fifteen minutes. The rest of you will have to wait until regular visiting hours."

Giving my family a small hopeful smile, I follow the doctor out of the waiting room. When I walk into the ICU room, I'm not prepared to see Tai lying in a hospital bed with so many tubes sticking out of him. His skin is pale, and he looks nothing like himself. I step further into the room and stop beside the bed. Reaching out, I take his hand in mine and close my eyes. I have so many emotions running through me at the moment, but my voice is stuck in my throat. Instead of saying all the things I want him to hear, I remain quiet, and hope he feels my presence. Everything else fades away. The room is still, and the only sound that can be heard is the whooshing of the ventilator helping him to breathe.

* * *

The following evening,I'm sitting on a bench outside the hospital's front entrance with my dad, sipping on a cup of cafeteria coffee. I'm a bundle of nerves waiting for visiting hours to roll around so I can see Tai again. I would have camped out at the hospital, but my dad convinced me to go back to the Hells' Punishers clubhouse with him and the guys to get some rest. Crow was gracious enough to invite us to stay with his club for as long as we needed. When we arrived, my mom was beside herself with worry and fussed over me. However, I was able to get a shower and change out of my bloody clothes, but sleep did not come. All I could think about was Tai. I'm pretty sure the nurses taking care of him are sick of me by now because I've called every fifteen minutes to check on him.

Before heading out this morning, the hospital called with news that Tai's blood pressure was stabilizing, and as soon as he wakes, they will transfer him out of the ICU to a regular room.

"Any news on Mr. and Mrs. Cooper's flight?" I look at my dad, who just got off the phone, and take another sip of coffee.

"Yeah. That was Wick. They're five minutes out."

I nod. I don't even know if Tai has told his family about us, and I hate they will find out under these circumstances.

Just as the thought enters my mind, Uncle Malik enters the parking lot with Uncle Abel, Fender, and Everest trailing behind on their bikes. The SUV carrying Tai's family pulls into a parking spot. Standing, I toss my cup into the trash bin and make my way over to the truck beside my dad. My nerves kick in. What do I say to his mom? Will she blame me for her son being in the hospital? Will she think I'm not good enough for Tai?

The back door to the SUV opens, and Mrs. Cooper steps out. There is no mistaken the worry etched on her face or the fact she has spent the last eighteen hours crying. The moment her eyes land on me, her face softens, and a warm smile spreads across her face. Kora Cooper is a small woman, standing at about 5 feet 2 inches tall. She has shoulder-length dark blonde hair mixed with a little gray and has kind blue eyes.

"Piper," she exhales her small smile not quite reaching her bloodshot eyes.

"Hi, Mrs. Cooper." I give her a smile of my own.

"None of that Mrs. Cooper mess. Call me Kora." And she surprises me by pulling me in for a hug.

"My boy has been talking my ear off about you." She pulls back and gives me a once over. "You're even more beautiful than the last time I saw you." And just like that, all my worries about Tai's mom vanish.

Tai's dad approaches me, along with his three sisters. "How are you holding up?" His dad embraces me like I'm family.

"Hi, Mr. Cooper. I'll be better when I get to see Tai again," I tell him, then Frankie, Molly, and Poppy take turns hugging me as well. Tai's dad looks at me. "He's a fighter," Mr. Cooper assures me.

After greetings are over, and we fill Tai's family in on his condition, I take Tai's mom and stepdad up to see their son. We step off the elevator and make our way down the corridor toward the ICU wing. "They will only allow two visitors at a time. You can go sit with him for fifteen minutes and then come back out here, and the next two people can go."

Mr. Cooper looks between me and Kora. "You two go on in. I'll wait and stay out here with the girls. I'm going to make some calls and find us a hotel to stay at while we're here."

When Mr. Cooper is out of earshot Kora turns to me. "My husband is as tough as they come, but his children are his weakness. He is trying to be strong for the girls but knows once he sees Tai, his resolve will break."

"I'm sorry this happened to Tai," I tell her.

Kora places her hand on my cheek. "This is not your fault. Thank you for being strong and sticking by my son's side."

"Always." I hold back the tears, I feel stinging my eyes.

"I know you will, honey." Kora pulls me in for another hug, comforting me.

A few minutes later, I stand at Tai's bedside as his mom holds his hand. She quietly weeps as she stares down at him. I place my hand on her arm. "We should go," I mention, and she nods, then releases Tai's hand. Leaning down, I kiss his temple. "I love you," I whisper in his ear.

Suddenly, an alarm on one of the machines starts beeping. I look around, confused. "What is going on?" Two nurses rush inside the room. Kora and I take a step back as one nurse quickly lowers Tai's hospital bed.

One nurse presses a blue emergency button. "He's crashing," she yells. Then starts chest compressions. "Get the doctor in here now!"

"What's going on?" I shout.

"I'm sorry, but I have to ask you two to leave." Another nurse comes in and ushers us out of the room.

"No!" his mom shouts then starts to cry. "That's my child in there." Her pained expression rips my chest wide open, and my knees buckle.

No.

Not now.

Don't you dare take him away from me.

"What the fuck is goin' on?" I hear my dad's voice, but it sounds so far away. Strong arms lift me off the floor. "Fuck!" My dad's voice cracks. I fist his shirt as I break down.

Over the next thirty minutes, we all wait on pins and needles for any information on Tai. Mr. Cooper looks like he's barely keeping it together while he consoles his wife and daughters. Uncle Abel, Fender, Everest, and Uncle Malik all carry grim expressions, while my dad does his best to keep me from crawling out of my skin.

I close my eyes because they burn from crying so hard, and my body still trembles with anxiety, as I rock back and forth, telling myself Tai will be okay. An uneasy silence settles around me, and I open my eyes to Tai's doctor entering the room. The moment my eyes lock with his, my heart stops.