AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She leaned forward quickly to look down the table at Torrey. Her eyes lit up.
“Ms. Valentine, I’ve reached out to you about some projects we have in the works,” Ms. Nelson revealed.
“Well, there you go. Both Torrey and I would be more than willing to help with your fundraising efforts.”
She started typing into her phone and stood from the table.
“Let me get some things in order for you. When it is time to move Mr. Valentine to a room, we will have an area for him.”
“Thank you, Ms. Nelson.”
“Thank you, Ms. Patterson.”
She continued typing on her phone as she left the room.
“Vee, how did you know all of that information about her?” Torrey asked.
“Like I told her, I attended her fundraising event last year. She was like a fish out of water. Didn’t know how to ask for what she needed, so she didn’t reach her goal. I was going to threaten her with moving El to one of the private hospitals further out, but she caved so fast, I didn’t have to say anything else,” I shrugged.
“You and Elarecut from the exact same aggressive cloth,” Roc shook his head.
“I told you,” Torrey chuckled.
“Thank you, Averie,” Vivian rasped.
“Anything for Samuel.”
* * *
Ms. Nelson gave the order,and El was moved to a private area of the hospital with limited access instead of the ICU.
They chose a couple of staff members from the ICU to move with Samuel to his new room to take care of him.
Countee started running background checks on the staff that would interact with Samuel from the janitor to the doctors. In a matter of an hour, he had a security detail set up on the floor.
The family moved from the emergency room waiting area to a waiting area on the same floor as El, but we still hadn’t been able to see him.
I had so many thoughts running through my head. Would he make it? Would he be okay if he does make it? Will he be the same man I fell in love with? Does it matter as long as he is okay? Who did this? Does it have anything to do with me? What are the odds that I would get attacked and he would get shot? Should I let Roc find this bastard and end his life? Could I kill someone? Would I kill someone?
Doctor McIntyre stepped into the waiting area.
“Ms. Valentine, you all can go into the room now. Let me warn you that Samuel is sleeping and he is being monitored by several machines. The sight of all the machines may be a little alarming, but they are all needed,” Doctor McIntyre revealed.
“Y’all go ahead in. I will stay out here. I can’t see him like that,” Roc confessed.
The smell of antiseptics mixed with cleaning agents hit my nose as I followed behind Torrey and Vivian into the hospital room. The fluorescent light’s dull glow combined with the pale walls created a somber atmosphere. The whooshing, beeping and hissing sounds of the machines created an orchestra of sound as they worked in concert to monitor Samuel.
Nothing could have prepared me to see the man that I love, supine, motionless, swollen and bandaged. I’d never seen him so still. Even when I’d watched him sleep, there was always slight movement. I don’t know what I expected to see, but this was not it. There was a tube coming from his mouth, plastic tubes in his nose, a brace around his neck and his head was bandaged.
“Samuel is on a ventilator which is breathing for him. This machine,” Doctor McIntyre pointed to a small screen with three sets of line graphs, “is monitoring his heart. I will give you a few minutes with him, then he will need his rest.”
None of us acknowledged the doctor as he left the room. Vivian moved to the top of the bed and gently ran her hand down Samuel’s cheek. She lightly kissed him then stepped back to give Torrey space. Torrey ran her hand down his cheek as well.
“He feels so cold. Maybe they need to put more blankets on him or turn the heat on,” she said while wiping tears from her face. She kissed him quickly then stepped back to give me space. I hadn’t planned on moving from the foot of the bed. I didn’t want to bump a machine or step on a cord and mess something up, but I had to touch him. I slowly moved to the side of the bed looking down with every step to make sure I didn’t step on something. I lifted his hand, which was cold as ice, and brought it to my lips.
“I love you, Samuel. Please fight for us. I need you. We need you.”
I moved back and stood next to Vivian and held her while Torrey held her from the other side.
