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“She’s in surgery. She was shot in the chest, but the bullet bounced off her sternum, which undoubtedly saved her life. However, it looks like it lodged itself in her stomach, which is what the doctors are working on now. I can’t stress how lucky she’s been, but it’s going to take time for her to heal. I mean, at the very least, she has a fractured sternum that is probably going to take three months to heal and she’s going to be in a lot of pain, but that doesn’t account for whatever additional damage they find in surgery. You should all prepare to let her take some time off while she heals properly.”
“And Tanner?” Addi asked.
“I have some questions about his tox screen, so why don’t we go and talk to him together?”
“Matt, can you wait here for Frankie?”
I wanted to laugh at her question because wild horses couldn’t make me leave right now… in fact, ever again. “Of course, Addi. Let me know if you need anything. Ed and Neo are outside Tanner’s room.”
Addi placed her hand on my arm, looking at me warmly. “Take a deep breath, Matt. She’s a fighter. They both are.”
Alone, I locked myself in the bathroom of Frankie’s empty room, where I sank to the floor and fell apart. For what I’d lost, but also for what I might lose again.
“Please help her,” I whispered, not sure who I was asking. “Please bring her back to me.”
Frankie was wheeled back into her room fourteen hours later, and I was beside myself with worry. Dr. Vaughan came back in with her and sat me down, which I knew couldn’t be good.
Looking down at Frankie, her face was pale and her lips colorless, looking small and helpless in the large hospital bed. Her dark hair was a stark contrast to the white pillows. She wore a gown under the hospital sheets, and I made a mental note to bring her in some pajamas, trying not to think about whether I’d ever get to see her in them again. A canular pumped medicine into her hand from a drip next to the bed and I noticed a bag hanging low down which looked like a catheter, making my panic spike. I lifted my gaze from Frankie to stare at the doctor, needing answers.
Sensing my unspoken questions, he spoke. “Matt, like I told you, the bullet bounced off Frankie’s chest bone, but it was much more serious than we first thought. Usually, we’d expect a bullet to enter, and it’s the damage it does on the way through the body that determines the outcome for the patient. Now, undeniably, the bullet bouncing off Frankie’s sternum saved her life because if it had gone through her body, the damage would have probably been fatal.”
I gasped, hating hearing how close she'd been to dying. “She’ll be okay, won’t she, doctor?” I couldn’t hide the fear in my voice or the tears that filled my eyes.
Dr. Vaughan placed his hand on my shoulder as if he was trying to steady me for what he was about to say. “Frankie’s bullet bounced, but unfortunately, it still did a lot of damage. It moved downward, tearing through her diaphragm, rupturing it, and then it embedded itself in her kidney, which we’ve had to remove. She’s in a pretty bad way, but the operation went well and, while the next 48 hours are critical, she can make a full recovery with time, but I can’t stress again how much time this might take. Do you want me to speak to Addi and her brothers?”
“No,” I croaked out. “I’ll speak to them. They will want to see her. Is that okay?”
“Of course, but she’s going to be out of it for a while.”
He left, and I stood. Leaning over her, I pressed a kiss to her head. “I’m so sorry, Rogue. Please don’t leave me. I love you so fucking much. I’m so sorry I didn’t see your text. Come back to me and I will spend a lifetime telling you how much I love you.”
I needed to phone Addi and let her know Frankie was out of surgery, but I couldn’t contain the pain in my heart anymore and a loud sob slipped from my lips. Pulling a chair next to her bed, I sat, laying my hand lightly over hers. And then I fell apart.
I didn’t know how long I stayed there, tears falling freely. I didn’t notice anything but the rise and fall of her chest until I felt a hand on my shoulder.
“Matt.”
“Mav.”
“How is she?”
“Fractured breastbone, ruptured diaphragm and they had to remove her kidney,” I replied, listing her injuries like they were a fucked up room service order. I wiped the tears from my face, and he pretended not to notice.
“Fuck, Frankie. You do like to be the drama queen. She’ll never let us hear the end of this now.” He tried to lighten the mood, but I could hear the fear in his voice. “Do you mind if I sit with you for a while?”
“Of course not.”
“You know, none of this is your fault, Matt. You do such a great job keeping us safe.”
“That’s not why I’m upset.” I paused, turning to look at him. “I love her, Mav. I love her so much and I thought I could keep her safe and stop her getting hurt by keeping her at arm’s length, but she got hurt anyway.”
“You and Frankie… really?” Mav’s mouth hung open. “How did I not see that?”
I tried to force out a laugh because he was so unaware of anything around him, but I couldn’t even bring myself to smile.
“I think I’ve loved her since the first time I watched you all play on stage. I’ve been such a dick to her and now I don’t know if I’ll ever get to tell her what I need to say.”
Mav rubbed his hand up and down my back. “She survived someone shooting her in the chest. My sister is a fighter, Matt. There is no way she’ll give up fighting to come back to us if you two have unfinished business. You know she likes to get the last word in.”
