Page 44 of Professor Next Door

26. Tara

“What’s happened to him? Did you see his head?” I looked over at John and saw how worried he was. It didn’t make me feel any calmer.

“He said he fell in the park, it’s hard to tell which one. Judging from the way he looked, it was a pretty good tumble.” John’s knuckles showed white on the steering wheel and his voice was strained but he drove calmly, carefully looking around for obstacles and other vehicles.

I decided it was best to stay quiet, let him keep his calm even if I was screaming inside. I’d seen the laceration in his head. A paper cut is a laceration, a knife wound is a laceration. Galen’s skull showing through his scalp was a laceration. How had he driven home like that?

I had my own panic clamped down somewhere inside, and it helped me stay calm. But inside my head I was in tears, worry for Galen washing over me in sickening waves. What if something had happened to him? Before I could even tell him I loved him? I’d tell him once I saw him, I promised myself.

John got us to the hospital and before I knew it, we were settled in a waiting room with squeaky clean floors and a lady dressed in white wiping down seats with sanitizing cloths. I sank into one and began the waiting room game of staring up at a television game show I cared nothing about.

We’d stared like zombies through the show, and then two more before I realized we were watching some game show channel. I suppose it keeps people quiet and calm. I couldn’t help the way my foot tapped, betraying my anxiety, or stop the way I chewed at the knuckle of my thumb. There’d been no word and it had been almost two hours!

Finally, just as the sun was starting to tinge the sky a lighter shade of black through the double doors of the emergency entrance, a doctor called my name.

John and I both stood, but he let me speak first.

“Yes, I’m Tara Elliot. How is he?” My voice betrayed my worry, and the glimmer of hope the sight of the doctor brought me.

“He’s lost some blood, his ankle is going to need surgery at some point but can wait, and that head wound.” The doctor stopped speaking and gathered his thoughts before he spoke again. “Galen has a very shallow linear skull fracture and will be in the hospital for quite a few days. We need to find out if he’s leaking spinal fluid and watch him for swelling. We have a surgeon down now, taking a look at the MRI and his x-rays, trying to decide if surgery is necessary. I don’t think so but his opinion is the one that counts.”

“Can we see him?” John asked, his voice calm and collected. He took my hand, almost absently, and I think in that moment he did it because he needed the comfort, not me.

He really did love Galen!

“You may for a few minutes but we’ve put him in the ICU, so not for long. Mrs. Elliot, talk to him. He’s unconscious at the moment, but talk to him. We’ve found that helps patients quite a lot. Do you have any other questions?”

“Is he going to be alright?” It was the only question I wanted answered.

For a moment the doctor looked uncertain, but I think he was just trying to decide how to word his response. He was a cautious man, I could see that. Probably had to be.

“Galen has been through a lot. He has lacerations to his face, his neck, his stomach, legs, and hands. I’m worried about his head wound the most, but I’m optimistic. It’s just going to take some time and we’d like to keep him here to keep an eye on him.”

“Oh, don’t worry, he’s not leaving this place until you say he’s a hundred percent!” That came from John and I nodded in agreement.

“Good. Follow me, please and I’ll take you to him.” The man beckoned us as he turned away.

We walked through several halls until we came to Galen’s room in a very quiet ward full of beeping and other whirring noises. The people around a desk all spoke quietly together, all obviously talking about patient care. I watched them as we walked by, confident that they would take good care of Galen.

I knew I was simply trying to distract myself from fear. The fear of what Galen was going to look like, trying to take it all in. Fractures, lacerations, something with his ankle that the doctor hadn’t even gone into detail about. Was Galen going to look like a little boy in a huge bed? How much would my heart break?

We followed the doctor in, my hand still clasped in John’s.

Galen’s head was covered in bandages, both of his eyes were back and swollen, his face was covered in scratches, and his arms were covered in gauze bandages. The only tubing I could see was an IV in his left arm, the rest of his body was covered in a blanket.

“Just speak quietly, and don’t move him around, please. I’ll be back in a few minutes, I’m just going to check on another patient while I’m here.”

John took a seat, staring at his friend with moist eyes. I took the seat on Galen’s right side, and took his hand in mine. For some reason, I was surprised to find it warm. I don’t know why I thought he’d be cold.

“Galen, we’re here, darling. John and I are here.” I waited to see if he’d open his eyes but he didn’t. “Everything is going to be alright now, baby. Everything. Even all of this stuff with Rikki. It’s all going to be okay.”

Galen didn’t move but for a moment his blood pressure went up, and that made me feel like he knew I was there. It broke my heart to see him like that, and all I wanted to do was hold him, but I was afraid to touch anything more than his hand!

John sat in his chair, his gaze locked on Galen’s face. I went quiet, not knowing what else to say, and not wanting to pour my heart out with John sitting there. The doctor came back in a few moments later.

“I’m afraid that’s long enough. Mrs. Elliot, you may stay, of course, as long as you follow the rules on the wall there. I’m afraid you’ll have to leave us to it though, sir.” The doctor didn’t look as if he liked telling John to go, but we both understood.

“I understand. He’s going to be alright, that’s all I needed to know. I’m going to get home to his little girl and do what he’d want me to do. If he needs us or anything changes, let me know. Tara, you too, honey. Just call me when you’re ready to come home. You know Amanda and I will take care of Rikki. Don’t worry yourself about that.” He gave me a quick hug, the first time he’d ever really touched me like that, and left before I could even say thank you.