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Three hours later, after Charli threatened the doctor that she would leave against medical advice so she could visit her husband, he caved. Charli was wheeled into the cold room. Finn lay on his back with a bandage on his head and wires all over him. His mouth was open with a tube sticking out. The steady whoosh of air coming from a machine to his right puffed his lungs with air.
The nurse wheeled her to his side.
She reached out, taking his cool hand in hers.
“If you need anything, just holler.”
“Thank you,” Charli said, not looking away from her husband. “You saved us, Finn. Jamison is so tiny. He looks like his daddy.” She rubbed her thumb over the soft flesh of his hand. “He’s strong—just like you. Please hold on. You have to meet your son.” She brought his hand to her mouth and kissed it. “Come back to us. I’ll be right here . . . Please come back to me, baby.”
Charli’s head swam with the rundown of what the doctor had said about Finn’s condition. Head injuries were no cut-and-dry situations. Finn was once again in a coma. Would he wake up? Would his brain function be impaired? Would he recover?
She’d been down this road with him before. And like last time, she chose to believe that fate wouldn’t be so cruel. Whatever they had to face, she’d be by his side. If only he’d wake up.
53
Finn
Finn’s body felt as if it was floating in the middle of the ocean, drifting in the middle of nowhere. Flashes lit up the sky above him. Charli sneaking into his window as a teenager. The first time he’d climbed in bed with her because she was scared. Their first kiss. The nerves when he’d asked her to marry him the first time. Their wedding. Their honeymoon. Every memory washed over him, filling his consciousness until it all came back to him. He remembered everything. He tried to sit up, searching for her. But something held him down. The more he fought it, the stronger the pulsing pain in his head grew.
He opened his mouth to scream her name, but nothing came out. Turning his head, he found her glowing like the brightest star off in the distance. She gave him a sad smile. “You saved us, Finn. Jamison is so tiny. He looks like his daddy.”
What? His son was born? No. It wasn’t time yet. Did Charli die? Was this the afterlife?
A jolt of energy buzzed over his hand.
“He’s strong—just like you. Please hold on. You have to meet your son.”
He opened his mouth to scream, to say something. Still his voice was held captive. I’m coming. Each moment that passed, Finn drifted further away until Charli was nothing but a bright light in the distance, his North Star.
Vibrations tingled over his arm closest to her voice.
“Come back to us. I’ll be right here . . . Please come back to me, baby.”
He fought with all his might to get up, but it was no use. Whatever weight held him down was immoveable. He thrashed wildly, reaching towards her. The pounding in his head grew, excruciating pain rendering him spent.
I’m coming. Wait for me. I’m coming, Charli-baby.
54
Charli
Charli spent the next two weeks switching between her newborn in the NICU and her husband in the ICU. Her stitches were healing, but every step took effort. Claire and Zeke helped her take turns so that neither of her guys were alone for very long. Belle, Brynn, and the girls all popped in to check on her, bringing her food and reminding her that she was healing too. The family she’d created dropped everything to support her and Finn. Gratitude didn’t come close to what she felt for them. Mason had the bar under control. Damon even offered to fly out to stay with her. But she couldn’t bear to go home without at least one of her guys. She wanted to be here when Finn woke up. And he would. She knew it in her bones.
Charli walked to the cafeteria with Brynn. They picked out a sandwich and cup of tea. Charli was still limiting her caffeine now that Jamison could breastfeed as long as she used the nipple guard. She smiled. He was growing in leaps and bounds, and they’d promised her just that morning that he could go home with her in a few days as long as he kept his body temp regulated because he was eating so well.
She sat and surveyed the room, her gaze catching on a familiar face with blonde hair. “Emma?”
Emma’s expression was grim, her eyes blank.
Charli moved closer and repeated herself. “Emma?”
Her friend looked up as if not really seeing her. “Dad had a heart attack. And Link—I’ve never seen him this . . . distraught. I need to find him.” Emma stood.
“Oh my god!” Charli wrapped her arms around the young woman as Remy ran into the cafeteria, her head swiveling around as if searching.
Her eyes locked on them and she rushed over. “I’m here. Emma, sweetheart. I’m so sorry.”
Charli backed away so Remy’s arms could replace hers.
