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“Sorry, Genie, I know I’m not who you want to hear from, but I don’t have a lot of time so just listen. I don’t have all the details, but you need to get to the hospital. It’s Ryan.”
PART FOUR
YOU LOOK LIKE I NEED A DRINK
“It’s hard to turn the page when you know someone won’t be in the next chapter, but the show must go on.”
- Humble the Poet
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
When I busted through the doors of the emergency room, memories crashed into me so violently that I swayed on the spot. The room started spinning. Sounds became muffled. I could hear people talking, but I couldn’t register what they were saying. My stomach churned, and I battled back a wave of nausea.
I tried to remember what to do. The charge desk: Someone would be able to help me there. I could see it from where I stood, but I couldn’t make my feet move. It was like they were cemented to the floor.
“It’s bad Jason—you need to get over there.”
“What happened?”
“I’ll meet you at the hospital. I’ll fill you in then. Just go.”
Someone rushed by me, spinning me back to reality. A kid coughed to my left. A baby cried to my right. I refocused on the admissions desk, where an older woman berated the poor nurse standing there.
Forcing one foot in front of the other, I crossed the room and stood patiently behind the irate woman. Now that I was closer, I could make out her problem: She was screaming her head off about how long her daughter had been waiting with a broken arm.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry, but we just had a big trauma come in, and it’s absorbing all of our resources.” My stomach lurched again. She had to be talking about Ryan. “We will get to your daughter as soon as we can.”
The woman finally stormed off, mumbling about how ridiculous this was and how she would be calling someone higher up. After closing her eyes and taking a breath, the nurse locked eyes with me, and my gaze dropped to her badge: Ashley. She was on the petite side, with her long, dark hair pulled into a bun on top of her head. “I’m so sorry about that, sir. How can I help you?”
I didn’t realize right away that she was speaking to me. “Sir?” she repeated. “Are you hurt?”
Clearing my throat, I shook my head. “Oh, no… M-my… friend was just brought in. Ryan Walker?”
The color drained from her face.
That can’t be good.
“Let me look him up for you,” she said gently.
“Don’t do that, Ashley.” An older nurse appeared over her shoulder, pinning me with a stern look. “Immediate family only.”
Of course word had gotten out about us. There was no way Sawyer would have kept his mouth shut. Ashley’s head whipped between the two of us, unsure of her next move.
“His mom’s in Florida taking care of seven other kids by herself. I’m… I’m all he’s got.”
Ashley floundered. “Debbie…”
“We’ve contacted the family already,” Dragon Lady offered heartlessly. “They’re on their way. Until then, you can wait at home.”
Like hell that was going to happen.
I didn’t want to cause any more trouble for them than the lady in front of me already had, so I offered Ashley a weak grin, thanked her, and planted myself in an empty chair in the corner of the waiting room. I had no idea what Ryan’s mom looked like, but I would be there when she showed up. She didn’t deserve to be alone.
My eyes burned and my throat constricted, but I fought it tooth and nail. I was not going to cry. Ryan was fine. He had to be. But no matter how much I told myself that, I couldn’t get that look on Ashley’s face out of my head. In my gut—my gut that was so tight that I felt sick—I knew something was wrong. In twenty years, I’d never heard that level of panic in Charlie’s voice.
I sat forward, elbows on my knees, and studied the pattern on the floor. If I moved from that position, I would only vomit all over the decades-old tile floor. The only thing that made me do so was a pair of sneaker-clad feet landing in front of me. My eyes trailed up the legs wearing seafoam green scrubs, meeting a familiar face. Ashley. “I’m so sorry about before,” she whispered. “Debbie’s a bit of a tight ass.”
“It’s not your fault,” I said, voice tight.
