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It was cold and crisp and a bit of a shock after being in Florida for the past few weeks. Hudson met him on the tarmac, and he climbed into his brother’s truck.
“I appreciate the lift.”
“No problem. I was sorry to hear Gwen’s son was back in the hospital. We’re all pulling for him.”
They sped out of the airport. “You talk to Regan at all?”
“She’s the one who called.”
“Gotta be tough, her job. On one hand, you need to be strong for your patients and their families, but when you have that personal connection, it makes it that much harder.”
Wyatt didn’t answer. He couldn’t shake the echo of her voice in his head. Of knowing she was in pain and hurt and scared for this boy who meant so much to her, while he was in Florida, waiting on a race.
He felt like an absolute shit.
Hudson dropped him at the hospital with the promise to call if Patrick’s condition changed. Wyatt hurried inside and headed straight for the ICU. He knew exactly where it was. Hell, he’d spent a lot of time in there after the accident.
He spied Brad at first, talking quietly with a doctor Wyatt didn’t know. The nurse behind the desk looked surprised to see him, probably because he wasn’t family, but he breezed past her and paid no mind.
He found the room right away. It was the first one just past the nurse’s desk. Wyatt put on his game face and walked into the room. Regan wasn’t there, but Gwen was beside the bed. When she saw him, she burst into tears, and he didn’t stop walking until he was able to gather her into his arms.
He held her long enough for her tears to dry up and for Brad to find his way back. “You gonna be okay?” he asked gently, helping Gwen back to her seat.
“I’m trying to be strong, Wyatt. I’m so sorry you have to see me like a blubbering idiot.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m good.”
She smiled up a him, her red-rimmed eyes crinkled. “He’s going to be so happy you came back.” She looked at the bed. “When he wakes up, he’ll be so happy.”
Brad joined his wife, and Wyatt took a step back, coming up against something soft and warm. He turned around, eyes taking in an overlarge pink sweatshirt, baggy track pants, and the sweetest face he’d ever known.
Her eyes were wide with shock, and her mouth was open. Wide open. But there was nothing coming out.
Wyatt didn’t hesitate. He picked her up into his arms and pressed his face against her soft warm neck. She was trembling, and he held her until she stopped.
“You came back,” she whispered.
“I did.”
She paused. “For how long?”
“As long as it takes.”
The four of them spent the ne
xt twelve hours with Patrick. They told stories and laughed. A lot. They cried, and they held each other up. Wyatt knew what Gwen and Brad were feeling. Helpless. He knew what that was like because he’d lived it. It was a hard thing to know you might lose someone you love more than anything. And it was hard to be there with them and watch them suffer.
And so they took turns.
By Saturday night, everyone seemed defeated. Wyatt borrowed Regan’s keys and headed out for a coffee run and food from Coffee Corner. Angie outdid herself and presented him with enough food to feed the entire ICU staff.
“You just tell them to look after that little boy and make sure he gets well.” By the time he got back to the hospital, it was closing in on nine, with snow starting to fall and a cold wind from the north to carry it. His cell rang, but when he saw Rob Tracy’s name, he pocketed the phone and grabbed the food.
His body was tired, yet his mind was wired. It was a strange combination, but he tried to forget about it and headed back up to ICU. He set down a coffee at the nurses station, but Claudia wasn’t there.
It was then that he saw all the activity near Patrick’s room, and he had a moment when he thought he might lose it. Claudia rushed out of the room and headed in the opposite direction, and with dread sitting hard in his gut, he walked to room.
At first, he couldn’t see because of all the staff. Gwen and Brad were beside the bed, but the doctor obstructed his view of the bed. Where the hell was Regan?
