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Everyone’s posture goes rigid at the mention of Malcom and Katherine. I stand and fully face the doctor, slipping my hand into Andrew’s languid one.
“Yes, about that… After you update us, I need to speak to someone in security and the police,” Jack says.
The doctor’s brows furrow in confusion. “About what?”
“It’s a long story, but the short version is we think his father was responsible for the accident. It’s in Andrew’s best interest that his parents are not allowed in this room.”
The doctor is shocked by Jack’s statement, and he takes a moment to gather his next words. “We weren’t aware of that. I’ll contact security right away.”
Jack only nods his acceptance and waits for him to move on to Andrew’s condition.
He clears his throat. “It seems Mr. Shaw’s car flipped several times before landing on its roof. He sustained a concussion along with several minor lacerations and bruises on his head, three broken ribs, and a punctured lung.” My breath whooshes in and refuses to leave me. I’m scared there’s more. “Nothing else is broken, and we found no significant internal bleeding. He came in unconscious and hasn’t woken up yet.”
“Is that normal? Is he okay?” Andrea asks in a rush.
“It’s not uncommon for this type of head injury. His CT scan revealed no major swelling in his brain. It’s just a very severe concussion that will need to be monitored closely.”
I finally release the breath I was holding.
“When will he wake up?” I ask.
The doctor shakes his head. “There’s no way to know when he will be ready. We’re watching closely to make sure there are no major changes with the swelling. His brain is healing, and sometimes, this is how it does it.”
“Is there a possibility he won’t wake up?” Addy tentatively asks. My entire body locks up at her question, and my heart beats faster.
“That’s always a possibility, but it’s less likely in his case. I fully believe he just needs time and will wake up on his own.”
“So, we just wait?” I ask.
He nods. “Unfortunately, it’s all any of you can do right now. We’re taking care of the rest.”
I don’t like that answer, but I also know we should count our blessings here and thank the big man upstairs that Andrew is still with us. For that reason alone, I’ll be as patient as I can now that I know he’s okay… kind of. This could have been so much worse.
“Thank you, Dr. Pope,” Andrea whispers as she looks at Andrew with a devastated, helpless expression.
The doctor nods again. “I’ll send security right up.”
None of us say a word as he turns and walks out of the room. I sit on the side of Andrew’s bed, my hip against his side. I refuse to not touch him in some way as I ask the one question that’s been burning a hole in my brain since that bomb was dropped in the car.
“Now what?”
Andrea blows out a breath and takes a seat across from Andrew’s bed. “We wait and pray he wakes up on his own.”
Another quick knock on the door gets our attention again. Dr. Pope walks in with a security guard. “This is Sean. He’s the head of security. Please fill him in on the situation and let us know if you need anything else.” Dr. Pope nods and turns to leave the room. The door clicks behind him.
Jack approaches Sean first, extending his hand. “I’m Detective Jack Lawson. This is my fiancé, Andrea, and her sister, Adalyn. Andrew is their brother.” Jack then turns and motions first to Nathan and then to me. “Dr. Nathaniel Rivers is Adalyn’s boyfriend, and that’s Charlie Reed. She’s Andrew’s gir…wife.” Jack stammers over the lie. Lying is very unlike Jack, but I love him for it right now.
“Sean Bryant, head of security. It’s nice to meet you all. What can I do for you? I understand this may be an urgent matter.” His curt, no non-sense attitude pisses me off, but it also comforts me that he’ll keep Andrew safe.
“We believe Andrew was targeted and the car accident was a purposeful attempt on his life. He was run off the road or into traffic. The details are still unclear,” Jack explains calmly. I can tell by his stance this guy’s attitude has rubbed him the wrong way, too.
“Is this a hunch, or do you have evidence?” Bryant asks smugly.
This son of a bitch is about to make me show my other side.
“We don’t have evidence pertaining to the accident itself, but there are many, many other crimes, including past hits, involving their father. We have everything we need to go to the police about that. We need to involve the authorities immediately. With the evidence Andrew has, it’s reason enough for them to silence him at any cost.”
Before Bryant speaks, Nathan chimes in. “It’s far more than a hunch, and with time, it’ll be proven. With Andrew’s injuries and being unconscious, he’s a sitting duck. It’s your job to protect the patients of this hospital and you damn well better do it.”
