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TUCKER
“Here, you look like you need this,” Cooper says, handing me a Styrofoam cup of coffee. All of our friends have been in and out of Nat’s room, bringing me food and coffee. Most of which ends up in the trash.
I haven’t left Natalie’s side since they admitted her four days ago, and I don’t plan to until she wakes up. Because she will wake up. She has to.
“Have you slept?” Cooper asks.
“Some.”
He gives me a knowing nod and just stays quiet.
“How am I supposed to keep going? The love of my life is laying in this bed, and they don’t even know if she’s going to wake up. What’s the point of eating or sleeping or doing anything when she isn’t here to do it with me?”
“The point is she needs you to be strong for her. She needs you whole and healthy and ready to take care of her the minute her eyes open.”
I shake my head because, after this long, I’m starting to lose the sliver of hope I had when the doctor gave us an update.
The swelling has been going down, but slower than they were hoping.
I don’t know how to continue holding on to the small amount of encouraging news the doctors have been drip-feeding us these past few days.
They’ve run some more tests today, and we’re waiting on the results to come back. I’m both physically and mentally exhausted. If this continues any longer without some better news, I may not make it.
I knew my life was going entirely too well. Everything was just a little too perfect. This is just a reminder to not let myself get too comfortable.
“Hey, can I come in?” I look up at the new voice and see Uncle Jack standing in the doorway.
I nod my head for him to enter and watch Cooper stand up to leave.
“Actually, it’d be good if you stayed, Cooper,” Jack says, and immediately my back straightens.
Cooper just looks confused but remains in the room anyway.
“Um…” Jack starts, looking at Natalie and then back at me. “It looks like the fire at Natalie’s was started by the same accelerant used in the other arsonist’s fires.”
I stare at him for a minute, trying to make sense of the words he’s saying.
“You’re saying someone set fire to Natalie’s house?”
“It seems like it, yes,” Jack says, and I hear Cooper curse behind him.
“Fuck!” Rage burns through me so bright it’s as if I’m the one on fire. “He fucking handcuffed her to the bed so she couldn’t get out and then set the house on fire. What kind of sick fuck does that?”
“It also looks as if the gas can he used was placed in her room and exploded. We believe the mattress softened the blow and is the only reason she’s still alive.”
“Jesus,” Cooper says under his breath, but in the small room, we’re still able to hear him. “What do you need from my guys?” he asks, going into cop mode.
They start talking about the next steps, but I don’t listen. I just stare at my girl, thanking God she’s even still alive.
If I find the motherfucker who did this, he’ll be dead after. There won’t be any way around it.
I don’t notice Cooper and Uncle Jack have left until the doctor comes in with his tablet in hand and I realize I’m alone.
“We’ve got an update on the swelling,” he says, and I quickly stand, ready for the blow to take me down. “It looks like it’s gone down significantly overnight, and we think it’s time to start taking her off the medications keeping her sedated.”
“Wait... what?” I ask because I wasn’t expecting him to say good news.
“We’re ready to take her off the medications and see what she can do on her own.”
