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But she’s alive and breathing.
Careful not to wake her, I move the chair from the corner of the room next to her bed and sit down. I take her hand into mine and for the first time in what feels like days, I can finally breathe.
“God, I love you, baby.” I whisper to her. “Thank you for fighting.”
I sit there and watch her sleep and breathe. In and out. In and out. The monitors that hang over her head show her steady heart rate and I watch as her oxygen levels slowly rise one point at a time. Kate’s doing good; improving. Coming back to me.
I feel the vibration of my phone in my pocket and slide it out with the hand that’s not holding Kate’s. It’s a text from my mother.
Mom
Are you okay? I’m worried. Pepper’s here and okay.
Me
Yes. I’m fine. I’m with Kate.
I text with one hand, and it takes me twice as long to respond. I purposefully say nothing about what has happened because my mother will worry.
Mom
Max told me what happened at Kate’s house and shop. Is she okay? Was anyone else hurt? He heard it on the scanner he listens to.
Okay, scratch that. Her blabber-mouth boyfriend did it for me. Great.
Me
Kate’s okay. Sleeping now. I’ll call you later. Get some sleep. It’s the middle of the night.
Mom
Okay. You, too, son. You’ll be no help to her being exhausted yourself. I’ve got Pepper. I’ll talk to you in the morning. Here if you need me. Love you.
Me
Thanks, mom. Love you, too.
My phone has less than one percent battery left, so I shut it down. There’s no one else I want or need to talk to, anyway. I look up at Kate, but she’s still sleeping, so I rest my head on top of our hands and close my eyes.
CHAPTER 33
KATE
Before I even open my eyes, I recognize the sounds and smells around me. I feel the blood pressure cuff around my arm inflate, the oxygen mask covering my nose and mouth blowing air into me, and the soft beeping of the EKG monitor tracking the rhythm of my heart. I’m alive. Thank you, God.
Easing my eyelids open slowly, I take in my surroundings. I can hear people just outside the door to my small private room in the ER. The television that’s mounted to the ceiling in front of me is on, but muted. Looking for the button to turn it off, I see Hudson. Sitting in a hard plastic chair, he’s holding my left hand under his resting head on the side of my bed.
He’s here.
The door opens and Sunni walks in. I put my finger as close to my mouth as possible while wearing the oxygen mask and then point to Hudson’s sleeping head.
Sunni smiles and nods.
She checks my vitals and levels around the machinery and then lowers her head to my ear to whisper to me. “In about ten minutes, they’ll be moving you into your room upstairs.”
I only nod because I don’t want to wake up Hudson and because I’m afraid I’ll start coughing again if I try to talk. The last time I tried to talk to the doctor, I couldn’t and only could cough.
“Okay. My shift is almost over, but I’ll be back tonight, and I’ll come see you upstairs during my breaks, okay?”
