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He received regular updates from Rick and Bill. He signed business documents at the nurse’s station. When an urgent project matter came up that he couldn’t avoid and Rick was delayed on another job site, Nate’s family and Bill stayed with Zoe until he could get back.
A big benefit of life in a small town was knowing everyone. The hospital allowed him to use the staff locker room to shower and change. His sister brought him meals. He refused to leave for anything less than an emergency.
He knew Zoe pretended to be calm because she didn’t want him to worry. She was on unofficial suicide watch and Nate was her primary watcher. Her fear was a living, breathing entity between them.
Day and night, he touched her, fed her, gently cleaned the skin that wasn’t injured. He signed progress reports to her every few hours. At the end of the first week, he told her the swelling had gone down in her face.
She exhaled with a nod.
During personal exams, invasive procedures, or baths, he put his cheek beside hers and faced her pillow, his breath against her ear so she knew he wasn’t witnessing the invasion of her privacy. It would’ve humiliated her and he couldn’t bear for her to wonder if he was somewhere else in the room.
If the doctors or nurses had questions, Nate was their voice. She answered as silent tears fell continuously.
The local law hadn’t found Jessica, which infuriated him.
No actual charges were pending since the police department said they were having difficulty accessing the traffic cam footage.
Bullshit but not entirely unexpected.
Fortunately, he’d already received a two-hour block of footage. Before, during, and after Jessica tried to kill Zoe.
Rick had taken photos of the entire intersection where the hit-and-run occurred. He had professional shots of the asphalt, tracks, and the unbelievable damage to Zoe’s car.
His best friend also tracked down the old truck Jessica used to try to kill Zoe since the cops couldn’t be bothered. It had been dumped behind an abandoned gas station miles outside of town. Wearing gloves, he searched it thoroughly and took plenty of photos before calling in the local law.
Again, the lead officer assigned to the case seemed underwhelmed with the break. The vehicle was impounded but it didn’t go much further.
Nate personally spoke to the board members who ran the library. He was surprised when Cedarton’s mayor joined the meeting. They agreed that Beth could take over Zoe’s daily responsibilities until she was able to return to work. Each spoke separately with Nate and asked him to let Zoe know they were pulling for her.
Rick and Noel packed Zoe’s little cottage and moved all her belongings to his place after they spoke to her landlord. The elderly woman was shocked and upset to learn what happened to the young woman she described as her all-time favorite tenant. Zoe was incredibly frugal but Nate made sure every bill was paid.
Life remained in stasis day after day but his hope never flagged that she would get better. He waited for Zoe to be strong enough for him to take her home. Her body was broken, her spirit more so, and he needed to help her heal.
Before the end of the second week, the swelling had subsided completely and the doctors were pleased with her progress. They moved her out of ICU and into a regular room with a window.
It was a huge relief to Nate and a step in the right direction. The neurologist said there was no evidence of permanent nerve damage and her eyesight should return.
When he told Zoe, she gave him a small smile, and heknewshe didn’t believe it. Her cynicism didn’t sway him. He would stay optimistic enough for both of them.
The second day in her new room, he held her hand as they sat quietly together. She moved her head on the pillow, an agitated frown on her face.
“Nate…”
“Yes, Zoe?” he signed in her hand.
She swallowed hard and turned her head again twice more. “I-I can see light.” He ran to stand between her and the window. “Your silhouette. Nate, I can see theshapeof you.”
She started to cry and he held her as hard as he dared. He shed plenty of tears himself.
After that, the hospital ran tests on her daily. Progress was slow but it was happening and that was all that mattered to the people who loved her.
* * *
By the time Mandy was done with school for the summer nineteen days after the accident, Zoe was in physical rehabilitation in the long-term care wing. The nurses and physical therapists worked to get her bruised and battered body moving again.
It hurt but Zoe was glad for the distraction.
A woman came to help her adapt to what they were now certain was temporary blindness. She worked through Nate to learn basic coping mechanisms until her vision returned.
