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“I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you. My mind is…” she trailed off.
“I understand.” His voice was resonant, but tender. “Here we are,” he said gesturing to a door. She felt another overwhelming wave of gratitude for him then as she realized that she would never have been able to find the room by herself. The number on the door was faded and indistinct and the hospital corridors seemed like a maze in her state of disorientation.
“Listen,” said Nick softly, his hand resting on the door handle. “It might be difficult to see him like this, he’s pretty bruised up. I want you to know that we have the best doctors in Florida treating him. They’re doing everything they can. Are you sure you’re ready?”
Riley nodded, steeling herself.
He opened the door and ushered her inside.
Riley’s hands fluttered to her face as fresh tears burst from her eyes. Matthew’s eyes were bruised and puffy, his neck was wrapped in a tight brace while needles in his arm fed him nutrients from a drip. She rushed to his side, wanting to throw her arms around his neck and hold him, but not wanting to disturb the equipment. Instead she took his hand gently in hers and smoothed his hair back away from his forehead.
“Oh, Matt, please be okay.” She planted a kiss on his forehead and squeezed his hand. “I’m so sorry, I haven’t spoken to you in so long, things just got really busy and now this…”
Matthew’s chest rose and fell gently.
“How did it happen?” Riley asked Nick.
“It was my fault.” A look of helpless self-directed rage passed over Nick’s handsome features. “We were out surfing. I should’ve known not to have gone down so close to the cove. I guess we got cocky. A riptide took him, smashed him against the rocks. I tried to pull him out, but the current was so strong. I should’ve been quicker dragging him out of there.”
“But you saved him,” said Riley, wanting now to throw her arms around him. “That’s all that counts.”
“If I had got to him sooner…” he trailed off.
“What about you? Are you okay?”
“Just some scratches, but otherwise I’m fine,” he paused, as if thinking about the incident caused him pain. “Can I get you anything? Some coffee maybe?” he asked eventually.
Riley nodded gratefully, unable to form the words through the lump forming in her throat. As Nick left the room, the dam walls finally gave way and Riley let her head fall to her brother’s bedside as she sobbed, still clutching his hand.
“Matt, if you can hear me, I love you. I’m sorry I’ve been so busy. I’m sorry for not being here for you.”
At the sound of her voice, his fingers curled around hers and the steady beep of his heart rate monitor quickened.
“Matt?” she said, “You can hear me, can’t you?”
She allowed herself to hope for a moment. His hands tensed again.
“Matt? Matthew?” Riley launched herself to her feet.
His eyes opened slowly, straining against the swollen lids.
“Riley?” he croaked. “How did you get here? Am I dead?”
A chuckle, half surprise and half relief burst from her and she threw her arms around his neck, being careful not to jostle him around too much.
“Take it easy,” groaned Matt. “I’m feeling a little tender.”
2.
To Riley’s relief, though he still sounded groggy, Matthew was incredibly lucid after his ordeal.
“I must be dreaming,” said Matt. “Last thing I remember is being on my board. I’ve never seen a wave that big. Wait a second, how did you get here?”
“Nick dragged you out of a riptide, you got beat up by some rocks. Nick flew me over just in case. We were so worried about you.”
“Oh, yeah. I remember the rocks. And the foam. It was crazy.”
Nick walked in then with two paper cups of coffee. For a second Riley thought he was going to drop the cups, but then his eyes widened with joy.
