painful lump developed in his throat.
“Elevate her head.” Roderick continued to shout out instructions from the 911 operator. Katie did everything he said, though she was having a hard time keeping it together. Chase should have stepped in and taken over for her, but he couldn’t. He wasn’t sure the last time he felt so useless and incapable. He’d worked very hard the past few years to make sure he never felt that way again, yet here he was. No matter how much he worked out, there were just some things he would never do again. Kneeling was one of them. Time went slowly, and it felt like an eternity before the bar doors flew open and paramedics came through.
“Make way. Move over.”
Chase turned around at the voice of a paramedic who was pulling a gurney behind him. Katie stood up as the paramedics took over. Though she kept trying to get close to the gurney, Chase reached out a hand and pulled her back. The paramedics wheeled her mother out, and Katie turned into his arms and put her head on his shoulder. He felt her body tremble as sobs racked her body.
“Come on.” He put his arm around her and guided her out the door. “Let’s get to that ambulance. Our ride is going to leave without us.”
Katie stood up straight and swiped at her tears. “Do you want to drive my car to the hospital and meet me there?”
She held up the keys, and he couldn’t help but stare at them. Did he want to drive her 1965 cherry red mustang convertible? Um, yeah! But could he? Of course not.
“I’m not sure you should be left alone right now. We’ll take a cab back later.” He turned her toward the ambulance and gave a little push. She didn’t bother to argue. He could thank shock for keeping her from asking any more questions. He helped her into the back of the ambulance and followed her in. He didn’t want Shirley to die. But if there was one thing he knew, it was that you couldn’t cheat death without a price. He was lucky—he’d only had to pay with a leg and a broken heart.
Chapter Eight
The doors of the hospital flew open, and the smells of disinfectant and sickness in the sterile white hallway assaulted Katie’s senses. This can’t be happening again, she thought as she watched her mother being wheeled into the emergency room. She followed right behind and vaguely felt Chase’s presence next to her. The paramedics were still squeezing air into her mother’s mouth, and nurses and doctors swarmed around the gurney to take over. Katie tried to get closer, but a friendly nurse stopped in front of her.
“Are you family?”
“Yes, I’m her daughter.” Katie looked over the nurse’s shoulder as the gurney bearing her mother went down the hallway. “Where are they taking her? I want to be with her.”
“We’ll take you back to see her as soon as we get her stable.”
The nurse was very careful not to say “if” they could get her stable, but she didn’t have to say it. Katie knew it was a possibility. She bit her bottom lip until she tasted blood.
“Why don’t you take your wife to the family waiting room over there?” The nurse spoke to Chase. He reached around her shoulders and guided her to the room the nurse indicated.
“You didn’t correct her.” Her voice sounded small, even to her. “I’m not your wife.”
“Well, I decided not to take it as an insult.” He gave her a quick smile and lowered her into a chair before sitting next to her.
She looked around at the overstuffed chairs and plastic-looking couches dominating the small room. End tables and coffee tables held worn, months’-old magazines, and a few fake potted plants dotted the area like cacti languishing in the desert. Despite the obvious effort made to decorate the waiting room, she couldn’t feel comfortable. How could anyone feel comfortable in a hospital? How was she supposed to feel peace when her mother was fighting for her life—again? How many times would her mother suffer and be stuck by needles? How
“Elevate her head.” Roderick continued to shout out instructions from the 911 operator. Katie did everything he said, though she was having a hard time keeping it together. Chase should have stepped in and taken over for her, but he couldn’t. He wasn’t sure the last time he felt so useless and incapable. He’d worked very hard the past few years to make sure he never felt that way again, yet here he was. No matter how much he worked out, there were just some things he would never do again. Kneeling was one of them. Time went slowly, and it felt like an eternity before the bar doors flew open and paramedics came through.
“Make way. Move over.”
Chase turned around at the voice of a paramedic who was pulling a gurney behind him. Katie stood up as the paramedics took over. Though she kept trying to get close to the gurney, Chase reached out a hand and pulled her back. The paramedics wheeled her mother out, and Katie turned into his arms and put her head on his shoulder. He felt her body tremble as sobs racked her body.
“Come on.” He put his arm around her and guided her out the door. “Let’s get to that ambulance. Our ride is going to leave without us.”
Katie stood up straight and swiped at her tears. “Do you want to drive my car to the hospital and meet me there?”
She held up the keys, and he couldn’t help but stare at them. Did he want to drive her 1965 cherry red mustang convertible? Um, yeah! But could he? Of course not.
“I’m not sure you should be left alone right now. We’ll take a cab back later.” He turned her toward the ambulance and gave a little push. She didn’t bother to argue. He could thank shock for keeping her from asking any more questions. He helped her into the back of the ambulance and followed her in. He didn’t want Shirley to die. But if there was one thing he knew, it was that you couldn’t cheat death without a price. He was lucky—he’d only had to pay with a leg and a broken heart.
Chapter Eight
The doors of the hospital flew open, and the smells of disinfectant and sickness in the sterile white hallway assaulted Katie’s senses. This can’t be happening again, she thought as she watched her mother being wheeled into the emergency room. She followed right behind and vaguely felt Chase’s presence next to her. The paramedics were still squeezing air into her mother’s mouth, and nurses and doctors swarmed around the gurney to take over. Katie tried to get closer, but a friendly nurse stopped in front of her.
“Are you family?”
“Yes, I’m her daughter.” Katie looked over the nurse’s shoulder as the gurney bearing her mother went down the hallway. “Where are they taking her? I want to be with her.”
“We’ll take you back to see her as soon as we get her stable.”
The nurse was very careful not to say “if” they could get her stable, but she didn’t have to say it. Katie knew it was a possibility. She bit her bottom lip until she tasted blood.
“Why don’t you take your wife to the family waiting room over there?” The nurse spoke to Chase. He reached around her shoulders and guided her to the room the nurse indicated.
“You didn’t correct her.” Her voice sounded small, even to her. “I’m not your wife.”
“Well, I decided not to take it as an insult.” He gave her a quick smile and lowered her into a chair before sitting next to her.
She looked around at the overstuffed chairs and plastic-looking couches dominating the small room. End tables and coffee tables held worn, months’-old magazines, and a few fake potted plants dotted the area like cacti languishing in the desert. Despite the obvious effort made to decorate the waiting room, she couldn’t feel comfortable. How could anyone feel comfortable in a hospital? How was she supposed to feel peace when her mother was fighting for her life—again? How many times would her mother suffer and be stuck by needles? How
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