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“Thanks Harley,” I responded. She was beautiful. My co-worker and my friend. I had considered asking her out but didn’t because she was my co-worker. Work and personal relationships weren’t a good idea in my mind.
“You okay?” She asked again.
I shook my head no. This was my baby brother by only two years. I watched them use paddles on his chest twice tonight to revive him. “Do they know what it is?” I asked her.
“If it’s the same stuff the others have taken it’s an elephant tranquilizer called carfentanil laced in the heroin.”
Leaning my head back against the wall, I just wanted to cry. I felt the tears burning my eyes so I stared up at the bright lights. Pressing my fingers into my eye sockets I prayed that I didn’t make an ass of myself in front of this beautiful girl and sob like a baby. She touched my bicep. “Liam, it’s okay. I would be upset too if it were my brother. I guess you didn’t know there was a drug problem?”
“I don’t know if there is one?”
“Liam, you don’t just try heroin one day. He had to be doing something. Weed, coke, meth, pills.”
I shook my head. Unwilling or unable to grasp what she was saying to me. “I guess.”
Her fingers were cool against my burning skin. “Come with me to the desk,” she said. “He’ll be here any minute.”
Following her was easy. Seeing my brother when they brought him to ICU was not so easy. I went with Harley and Amelia to Ronan’s room while they hooked him up to the many machines that wo
uld let them know whether he was still breathing and whether his heart was still pumping. I looked at the monitors. I looked at him. A tube was down his throat; he was intubated to assist with his breathing. Monitors covered his chest. IV ran out of his arm.
“He’s sedated heavily Liam,” Amelia said while she took his vitals. “He’s stabile for now. He’s one of the lucky ones.”
I ran my hand across my face. Everything in my body trembled. The IV was in his forearm pumping fluids into him. His bare chest covered in monitors kept track of his heart rate and blood pressure which was still pretty low. His face shockingly pale beneath the warm, golden tan it usually was.
“Can my parents come back?” I asked.
“Yes, by the time you bring them here, we’ll be finished.”
I walked to the doorway of the room and Harley stopped me. “How many are out there to visit Ronan?” She asked.
“Seven plus me,” I told her.
“Bring them all in just this once,” she said. “They all have to be scared and need to see him. They can’t stay long though.”
“Thanks Harley.” She nodded and smiled at me. Her face was all compassionate and kind.
I walked down the hall towards the double doors. I knew this was going to be hard. I scanned my badge and the doors opened. I walked through and everyone stood.
“He’s in his room in ICU. The nurses are going to let you all come back for a few minutes so you can see him.” I just wanted to prepare them. “It isn’t going to be easy. He’s sedated so he won’t be able to respond to you. He’s been intubated to help with breathing. There are all kinds of wires attached to him for monitoring.”
“Let’s go,” my mother said. She just wanted to see her son. I could understand that.
Everyone started forward but my dad. “Dad aren’t you coming?” I asked.
“Can I come later? After Mom has seen him?”
I looked at her and she nodded. “Sure Dad.” I was confused by him.
“I’ll stay with Declan,” Shawn offered. “The rest of you go with Liam.”
Dad sat down and Shawn sat next to him putting his arm around his shoulders giving them a squeeze. The outside doors to the ICU waiting room opened before I could scan my badge. Rhett and Tegan O’Halloran looking more than rumpled were coming through the doors with Skylar, one of their younger daughters with them.
“Is he all right?” Rhett shouted. She was also scared and upset. She helped watch us from time to time as Mom watched her four girls too. We spent days at her house while my grandmother Betsy was ill. She loved us as much as we loved her. She ran to my mother and held her close. Tegan went to Dad and sat on the other side of him.
“Can Rhett and Sky go with us Liam?” Mom asked. She was clinging to Rhett’s hand.
“Sure,” I replied as I scanned my badge.
