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“You aren’t going to lose him.”
I hope she’s right.
Aria
“Aria,” Emma shouts, and I lift my head from my hands and stand from the uncomfortable plastic chair I’ve been sitting on. She rushes across the waiting room, Phil and Zara following. “Oh, sweetheart,” she says, her voice breaking as she reaches me. She pulls me into her arms and I promptly burst into tears. “Is there any news?”
I shake my head. “A nurse came out about five minutes ago to say they were taking him for a CT scan. He’s still unconscious,” I tell her through my tears.
“What happened? Savannah said he was thrown from the horse?”
“Something must have spooked Titan. It happened so fast. Where’s Jacob?”
“Savannah’s taken him to her house. He’s okay.”
The four of us sit in silence in the waiting room. What seems like a million people come and go while we sit waiting for news. Nerves creep up my spine the longer we wait. Surely if everything was okay, someone would have come out to us by now? Phil suddenly stands and begins to pace the small waiting area.
“What’s taking them so long? Why is no one telling us anything?” He closes his eyes and drags his hand through his hair. Emma stands and takes his hands, forcing him to stop pacing.
“I’m sure they’ll be out to speak to us as soon as they can.” Her voice sounds calm, but her face is etched with worry.
“Are you the family of Jack Davis?” an older man in scrubs asks as he comes to stand in front of us.
“Yes, we’re his parents,” Phil says. “Is he okay?”
Taking a deep breath, I stand up, my hands clasped nervously in front of me.
“I’m Dr. West. He’s still unconscious and I’m afraid to say he’s fractured his skull.” Emma gasps and reaches for my hand. My heart pounds in my chest and I swear the whole room can hear it. “It’s not as bad as it sounds,” he assures us. “It’s a mild fracture, and he’ll definitely have a headache for a few days, but there’s nothing to suggest that he won’t make a full recovery.”
“When will he wake up?” I ask, my voice shaky.
“That I don’t know. There was some swelling on the CT scan, so it could be hours, it could be days. He will wake up though.” Relief courses through my body and my legs give way. Emma must notice as her arm snakes around my waist, keeping me on my feet.
“Can we see him?” she asks.
“Yes, of course. Come with me.” I reach behind me and take Zara’s hand.
“He’s going to be okay,” I tell her, and she nods slowly, following me as I pull her across the waiting room.
“We’ve admitted him,” Dr. West says. “He’ll need to stay in for at least twenty-four hours once he’s regained consciousness, maybe longer.” He leads us through a set of double doors and along a corridor. “His room is just here.” We come to a stop outside of room 120. “If he wakes up, press the buzzer and someone will be with you.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Phil says, shaking Dr. West’s hand. He nods his head before walking away.
Emma pushes on the door and I follow her in. She rushes across the room to where Jack lies, unconscious in the bed. A large bandage is wrapped around his head, and the clothes he was wearing have been replaced with a hospital-issued gown. I slowly walk to the other side of his bed and take his hand in mine. Leaning down, I press my lips against his.
“Wake up, baby,” I whisper. “Please.” I watch his face for any sign that he can hear me, but there’s none.
“He will, Aria,” Emma says quietly. “We just have to be patient.”
I sit in the chair next to his bed, his hand still encased with mine. Zara comes and sits next to me and I offer her a small smile. She’s hardly said anything since we arrived at the hospital, but I can’t worry about her. I have enough to worry about with Jack.
Several hours pass and there’s no change. Nurses come in and out of the room every hour to check his vitals, offering encouraging smiles, but they still have no idea how long it will be until he wakes. We take it in turns to talk to him, hoping our voices will pull him from his darkness, but nothing seems to work.
I’ve no idea what time it is, but it’s dark outside and my back aches from sitting on the uncomfortable chairs. Standing, I pace the room, trying to get some feeling back into my legs.
“Let’s take a walk, Aria,” Emma suggests, and she takes my arm and guides me to the door.
I look over my shoulder at a still sleeping Jack. “I don’t know. What if he wakes up?”
