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But I’m saved again by my pregnant ex-girlfriend. She hangs up the phone and wipes her face as she walks toward us. “I’ve called the Thompsons,” she says quietly as she touches the Kid’s face. “They’re on their way. They’re going to call ahead to make sure you don’t have any…
issues trying to get in.” I know she’s being vague on purpose, and I’m almost stunned when I realize what she means. I never thought that the hospital might not let me in to see him, to get information. It didn’t seem to be an issue when the doctor called me, so I didn’t stop to think it might be one when I got here. Anger starts to fill in that pit in my stomach, and it’s unwarranted (at least so far), but I already know that if anyone tries to stop me from getting to my man, it’s going to be the last thing they ever do.
Nothing is going to stop me from getting to him.
I nod. “Kid? I need you to listen to me for a moment, okay? I have to go check on something, and I’ll be back as soon as I can. Anna’s going to be here with you, and she’s going to talk to the doctor for me to find out what is going on with Mrs. Paquinn.”
I turn to look at the nurse who is hovering nearby. “My name is Derrick McKenna. Theresa Paquinn is a member of my family, and I think I have permission to hear from her doctor about her condition. Is that correct?”
The nurse nods. “She filed a power of attorney with her health insurance a couple of years ago, and we already had it in her file. I just need to see a driver’s license.”
Anna pulls my wallet out of the tux pocket and shows my ID as I hold the Kid. Once the nurse seems to be satisfied, I tell her Anna can get information in my stead. The nurse reluctantly agrees but must see something in my eyes that tells her I’m not in any mood to be fucked with.
“Where are you going?” the Kid asks me, starting to panic again. He clings to my neck, the suit coat.
“I have to make sure everything else is okay,” I tell him as gently as I can with a voice that I don’t recognize. “I promise I’ll be back, okay? Anna will stay with you the whole time.”
The Kid looks like he wants to resist, but he allows Anna to help him slide down me, and she takes his hand and pulls him close, hugging him to her side. He’s still shaking. It’s almost impossible for me to walk away.
But I do.
I make it down the elevator and try to find someone who can help me, anyone who can point the way. I finally come to a nurses station and a name comes to me: Moore. Dr. Moore. I ask the nurse on duty if she can page Dr.
Moore. She tells me she can and asks me to have a seat. I do, only because I don’t know where else to go.
I watch my hands as an unknown amount of time passes. My thoughts are jumbled and tied together, the common thread being Otter. Otter is there no matter where I look. Is he alive? Is he awake? How bad is he hurt? He’s such a baby when it comes to pain, and I don’t know how much I can stand the thought of him hurting. He complains when he stubs his toe, and for such a big guy, it’s funny. It’s so funny it hurts. And… it’s… and….
He can’t. He just can’t.
“Derrick McKenna?” A voice says.
I look up and see an older woman staring down at me, a soft look on her face. She’s in scrubs, and for a moment, I think they’re covered in blood, but it’s just my mind playing tricks on me and the illusion vanishes as quickly as it arrived.
“Dr. Moore?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “Dr. Moore is in surgery, Derrick. My name is Dr.
Woods. I was asked to come out and give you what information we have.”
I’m almost able to breathe a sigh of relief. “So… you can tell me things?
Even though he’s my….” I can’t finish because of the lump in my throat.
But she’s kind and seems to understand. “Yes. You’re listed as next of kin, which is just fine for now. We may need to make some… medical decision in the future, but for now, we’re okay.”
“There he is,” I hear a woman cry out. “Derrick!” I look up and see Alice and Jerry running toward me. Alice looks like she’s been crying, and Jerry’s face is lined and hard. I try to stand, but my legs won’t work, and they come to me, and I’m surrounded by them as they hug me and ask me what I know, to please say he’s okay, and that they’re here now, that I won’t have to be alone, but is he okay?
Dr. Woods clears her throat.
“Otter’s parents,” I say.
Dr. Woods arches an eyebrow. “Otter?”
“Nickname. Oliver. This is Dr. Woods. She was about to tell me stuff, I think.”
“He can hear everything we can,” Alice snarls. “He’s my son’s partner.”
“She knows that,” I say, trying to calm her down. “She said she could tell me because Otter already made sure that if something happened, I wouldn’t be left out.”
