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The doctor nodded and stood up. “Family only at the moment, and only two at a time. He’s being moved to the ICU right now, and one of the nurses will come get you when he’ssettled.”
“Thank you Dr. Green,” Robert said, reaching out to shake the doctor’s hand. He nodded and gave him a small smile before disappearing back through the door intotriage.
“They aren’t going to let me see him,” I cried, panic swirling inside me. “I’m notfamily!”
“Yes you are Savannah—you’re his wife,” Grace said forcefully. “He loves you and he needs to hear your voice. He needs to know you’re okay and that he needs tofight.”
I flung my arms around her and held her tight. “Thank you,” I said over and over. I felt someone tap my shoulder, and turning around, I saw Libby holding out her weddingring.
“Put this on, no one will question you then.” She reached for my hand and slid the ring onto my ringfinger.
The door behind us opened again and a nurse came into the waiting area. “You can see Josh now, just two at atime.”
Robert gestured for Grace and me to follow her. “You two go first,” he told us with a nod. I kissed him on the cheek as I passed him and we followed the nurse down a longhallway.
She came to a stop outside a closed door. “This is Josh’s room. There are a lot of wires and machines around him, try not to be too alarmed. They’re all there to help him.” A wave of nausea washed over me and I felt my legsshake.
Grace took my hand again and squeezed it tightly. “Ready?” she asked. I nodded even though I wasn’t, and she turned and pushed the dooropen.
My heart was poundingas I followed Grace into Josh’s room. The curtain was partially pulled around him and I could hear the beeping and whirring of all the machines. Taking a deep breath, I dropped Grace’s hand and walked around the curtain. My hand flew to my mouth and fresh tears tracked down my face as I looked at him lying in the hospital bed. A tube was coming out of his mouth and there was a drip in the back of his hand. His head was bandaged and there was still black from the smoke on his face. He was wearing a hospital gown, and the sheets were tucked up around hischest.
There was a chair to the side of the bed and when I glanced at Grace, she motioned for me to sit down. Her face was pale and I watched as she made her way around to the other side of the bed, picking his hand up in hers. Standing up, I leaned over him. Brushing a piece of hair off his forehead, I bent my head and brushed my lips across hischeek.
“Hi baby,” I whispered. “It’s me, please wake up.” I watched his closed eyes, willing them to open. He looked like he was sleeping, and I supposed in a way he was, it was just a sleep no one knew when he would wake up from. I sat back down and held his hand, my thumb stroking over his skin. The machines beeped around him and the ventilator that was breathing for him made regular whooshing sounds as it forced air into his damagedlungs.
After a while of sitting in silence, a nurse came in to check on his vitals, and Grace left so Robert could come seehim.
“You can talk to him,” the nurse said kindly as she wrote down his blood pressure reading on a chart at the end of his bed. “He might be able to hear you. Are you his wife?” she asked as I saw her looking at Libby’s ring on my finger. I nodded and she smiled. “Your wife is here Josh,” she said, looking up at him. “It looks to me like you have a very good reason to wake up, and pretty soon as well—I’m guessing she’s not going to be too happy if you miss the birth of your baby.” She smiled over at me and I burst into tears. “Hey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you honey,” she said, coming over and putting her arm aroundme.
I shook my head. “You didn’t, I’m just all over the place,” I told her betweensobs.
“That’s understandable. Maybe you should try to get some rest—you look exhausted, and you have to look after yourself,” she said, her eyes sliding to mybump.
“I can’t leave him,” I saidadamantly.
“I’ll let you in on a little secret: that chair you’re sitting on, it reclines into a bed. I’m sure I can find you a pillow and a blanket,” she told me with awink.
“Thank you,” I said sincerely as she nodded and left the room. Turning back to Josh, I squeezed his hand. “Please wake up, I need you—we both need you.” My hand dropped to my bump, and I smiled as I felt the baby move. “The baby’s kicking,” I told him, lifting his lifeless hand and placing it where the baby was moving. “See, I’m not the only one who wants you to wake up. Please wake up, please,” I begged, watching for signs of life but gettingnone.
The rest of the night crept by slowly. The kind nurse had returned with a pillow and a blanket, setting the chair up for me at the side of the bed. It was pulled close enough to Josh that I could still hold his hand, and I managed to get a couple of hours of broken sleep. The nurse had also allowed both Robert and Grace to stay, and they sat on the opposite side of the bed. Grace held his hand and Robert talked to him on and off about work and the Dallas Cowboys, anything that might encourage him to wake up. The nursing staff came in and out throughout the night, checking on him, but there was no change. My heart felt heavy, and I was desperate to see him smile at meagain.
As the morning light began to filter through the blinds, I stretched my arms and yawned. My back was killing me and I climbed off the chair, leaning over to kiss Josh’s cheek before I padded toward the door in search of a bathroom. I didn’t want to leave Josh even for a minute, but I had to pee. Glancing over my shoulder at Grace and Robert, I saw that they had fallen asleep on each other, Josh’s hand still encased in Grace’s. If I was quick, I could be back before they wokeup.
As I opened the door into the hallway, I saw Brody lying on a row of chairs outside the room, his long legs curled up so his body could fitacross.
“Brody?” I asked, gently shaking hisshoulder.
His eyes flew open and he stood up. “Savannah!” he exclaimed. “Is he awake?” I shook my head, my eyes dropping to the floor. “Hey, look at me,” he said gently. I slowly raised my eyes to his and he gave me a small smile. “He’s going to beokay.”
“You don’t know that Brody,” I said, my voicebreaking.
“I know he loves you, and if he can come back to you, he will.” He paused and pulled me into his arms. “Don’t give up on him Sav, he needs you,” he said quietly before kissing me on thehead.
“I can’t give up on him Brody, we need him too. I don’t want to live without him,” I said as tears rolled down my cheeks. Composing myself, I took a step back and looked him up and down. “Are you okay? I’m sorry you went in there afterme.”
He waved his hand. “I’m fine, just needed some oxygen, and I cut my hand,” he said, holding up his bandaged hand, which I hadn’t noticedbefore.
“Thank God.” I was relieved no one else was hurt because of me. “Did Mom and Dad gohome?”
