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My chest aches, and breathing becomes difficult. Crystal hands me a cup of water and sits down, gripping my free hand. We all sit in silence, lost in our own thoughts. I can see the pain written all over Nate’s face. Our eyes meet for a brief second, and he looks away, wiping his eye.
“Family of Bryce Randolph?” A soft voice calls from the doorway, and I jump up. Nate does the same.
“Yes,” we say.
“I’m sorry. I was looking for his parents.”
“They’re on the way. We’re his local family,” Nate tells her.
“Are you—?”
“His brother and his fiancée,” Nate cuts her off.
She looks at her chart and then back to us. “Nate and Devon?”
“Yes,” I answer.
She nods and motions with her head to the hallway. We follow her closely, Nate holding my elbow for support.
“I know he’s not your brother,” she looks at Nate, “but you are listed on the emergency paperwork. The doctors have him stable and comfortable. As suspected, there is indication of a brain injury, but no idea how critical because of swelling and bleeding. He’s being prepped for surgery, where they will drain some of the fluid surrounding the brain. This will help determine how serious the damage is.”
“Oh, God,” I gasp, her words clogging my mind.
“Can we see him?” Nate speaks up.
The nurse gives us a kind smile and nods. “You can have five minutes. Traditionally, we let the parents in, but since they’re not here, we can allow you to go back.”
We mutter our thanks, and she points us to a sink to wash and sanitize our hands. Then we follow her down the long hallway to his roo
m. When we get to the doorway, she reminds us of our five minutes and then opens the door.
The sound of beeping and the smell of antiseptic hits me hard, and I swallow down the three sips of water that threaten to reappear. Nate guides me to the side of the bed, and I close my eyes. When I open them and focus on Bryce, my body starts to tremble.
His beautiful face is covered in bruises and small cuts. There’s a large bandage or brace around his collarbone, and his arm is placed in a sling. I move around to the side and slip my hand in his, using my other to run my fingertips across his forehead.
“Bryce, can you hear me?” I whisper.
Nothing.
“It’s me… Devon. Nate’s here too.”
Nothing.
“Baby, you’ve been in an accident, but you’re going to be fine. The doctors are going to take care of you.”
One eyelid flutters, and I look at Nate for direction. He jerks his head for me to continue talking.
“When you get out of surgery, we’ll all be right here waiting.”
Nothing.
I take a deep breath and force down all the emotions bubbling to the surface, then lean in to kiss his bruised cheek. “Baby, I love you so much, and I need you to come through this. The minute they let me, I’ll be right here by your side.”
His fingers twitch, and the heart monitor picks up. Nate lays a hand on Bryce’s thigh and pats encouragingly.
A throat clears, and we turn to see the same nurse with Sheila and Dave in the doorway. I kiss his cheek once more and go straight to them. Nate whispers something in his ear and follows.
I don’t say anything but squeeze Sheila’s hand and pass them, going back to the waiting room. As soon as I see my parents, my resolve breaks, and I stop walking. Tears spill down my cheeks, and my dad gets to me first. His arms hold me up as I allow my fears to pour out.
