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“Of course I will, baby.” He leans down and brushes his lips with mine before slipping a sweater over my head. “I thought you might be cold.”
“Thank you.” I go up on my tiptoes and whisper in his ear. “If someone comes out while I’m gone, tell them you’re his dad. They’ll let you in then. I don’t want him to be on his own.”
He nods, and I reluctantly leave him in the waiting room while the EMT takes me to a bay.
“I’ll get one of the doctors to come straight in. You won’t have to wait long.”
I nod and flip my phone over and over in my hands as I sit on the edge of the bed.
“Thank you,” I call after her when I realize I’ve spaced out and she’s left the cubicle. All I can think about is Roman and that I’m not with him. I feel like the worst mom in the world. While I don’t know how the fire started yet, I can’t help but think back to the time the power went off and Lucas had to find the fuse box. Maybe it had been dangerous. I should have gotten the electrical work checked. My stomach rolls at the thought that Roman could be here because of me and what I didn’t do.
“Melody Gray,” a voice says as the curtain surrounding the bay is pulled back. I nod as a young doctor walks in. “I’m Dr. Shepherd. How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay. My throat is sore and my chest is a little tight, but really, I’m fine. I just want to get the all clear so I can be with my son.”
He smiles sympathetically. “I’ll be as quick as I can. Let’s start with listening to your chest and taking some blood. Do you feel out of breath at all?”
“No. Not anymore. I did, but the oxygen in the ambulance helped.”
He nods. “That’s good. Can you take off your sweater?”
I pull Lucas’s sweater over my head, and Dr. Shepherd presses a stethoscope to my chest and then to my back. After breathing deeply for a minute or so, he steps back. “That all sounds clear. Your throat will feel sore for a few days, so keep hydrated. I just want to take some blood to check your oxygen levels and then I’m happy for you to go back to your son. There are a few things to look out for over the next few days. If you start to get breathless, develop a cough, or have any difficulty breathing, you need to come straight back, okay?”
“Okay.”
“I’ll just grab everything and be right back.”
* * *
Ihave to wait nearly thirty minutes before I can get back to Lucas. When the doctor has finally taken my blood, I walk as quickly as I can back to the waiting room. Lucas isn’t there, though, and I make for the check-in desk.
“My son was brought in by ambulance nearly an hour ago. Roman Gray. His dad was waiting here for him. Has he gone through?”
“He’s been moved upstairs. If you take the elevator to the third floor, turn left, and he’s in room twelve.”
“Thank you,” I tell her over my shoulder as I run for the elevator on the other side of the waiting room. I wait impatiently for the car to arrive, and when it does and I’m inside, I pace the small space until the doors open on the third floor.
My heart thunders in my chest as I frantically search the hallway for room twelve. When I find it, I swing the door open and rush inside. Relief crashes over me when I see Roman fast asleep against Lucas, who’s climbed on the bed to hold him.
“Is he okay?” I ask, crossing the room and sitting on the edge of the bed. My hand brushes over Roman’s hair, and I lean down, pressing a kiss on his forehead.
“The doctor said he’s going to be fine. They didn’t need to intubate in the end. He came around when they were assessing him. His chest is clear, which is good, and they just want to keep an eye on him. They said he’ll likely sleep for a while.”
“Thank God.”
The relief at knowing he’s going to be okay is overwhelming, and I burst into tears.
“Hey,” Lucas says softly, reaching for my hand. “Don’t cry. He’s going to be okay.”
“I know. It’s just… if anything had happened to him.” I shake my head, not even able to think about it. “You saved him, Lucas. I don’t know how I can ever thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank me. I’d do anything for you. For both of you.”
“You’re a good man, Lucas Reed.”
He smiles. “What did the doctor say about you?”
“I’m fine. I’m just left with a sore throat. He took some blood to run some tests, but he thinks they’ll be okay.”
