What We've Become (My Kind Of Country Book 2) (18 page)

The nurse turned to walk away, undoubtedly relieved to have passed the responsibility of confessing the grim truth onto someone else. Katie didn’t blame her for that. She had been there, and it was definitely not a highlight of the job description. She turned her gaze away as well, and she put a reassuring hand on the back of Mason’s head.

“Katie?”

She whirled around at the sound of the nurse’s voice again.

“I think Lucinda mentioned it, but I thought maybe you would want an explanation. We called you because your phone number was on a scrap of paper in Mr. Kirkwood’s wallet. Just your name and number, but we called it anyway. There was no way we couldn’t.”

Katie stared back at the woman, her confusion obvious. The nurse held her hand out and slipped a small piece of paper into her hands. She unfolded it slowly, her hands trembling uncontrollably.

“It might be unprofessional of me to say it, and I know you said that your relation to Mr. Kirkwood is complicated, but I would have to say that you must mean a lot to that man in the other room.”

Katie’s eyes swelled with tears again, and she tried to blink them back to no avail. It was the same scrap of paper she had given him, her own handwriting scrawled before her. Chad’s familiar writing was there, too, now, however, in the upper right corner. The scrap of paper had been folded and refolded many times, creased and crumpled, soft in her hands. On it, he had written the words
The One
beside her name with a small heart beside it.

***

Katie sat squeezed into the only available chair in the emergency room waiting area, and it was only available because an older gentleman who was waiting for his wife had offered up the one he had been sitting in. Mason was curled up on her knee, his legs dangling as he played idly with the string on the hood of his jacket. He’d said nothing since the nurse walked back behind the nursing desk, and Katie counted it as a blessing. She was not sure what she should say, and she wasn’t sure that giving the little boy any false hope was a good idea, especially when she had little clue as to what Chad was dealing with.

“Ms. Wicken?”

While she waited, Katie had filled out paperwork so the nursing staff had something on file to document who she was, and why they had called her and informed her—someone who was not actually an immediate family member—of Chad’s medical status. Obviously, the doctor who stood before her had glanced at those forms before heading out to speak with her.

Katie stood, pushing Mason gently to his feet. She stepped out of the way and motioned for Mason to sit back down and stay where he was. Whatever she found out next, her seven year old son did not need to be privy to the unfiltered version of it. “I am Katie, yes.”

“Come with me, Ms. Wicken, and we will discuss your friend.”

She glanced back in Mason’s direction. “I am not sure I want my son to hear—”

“That’s understandable. We will have one of the nurses watch him, okay? We shouldn’t be too long.”

She gave Mason a questioning glance in askance if he would be okay to sit there alone, and he nodded apprehensively. The nurse’s desk was a mere fifteen feet from the chair he sat in, so she relented, following the white coated doctor beyond the swinging doors in fearful silence.

“Mr. Kirkwood is very lucky to be alive, Ms. Wicken.” The doctor stopped part way down the hallway, setting his gaze assertively on her.

“Can someone tell me what happened to him?” Her voice was strained, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer to her question or not.

“As per the witnesses at the scene downtown, it would seem that your friend ran his truck through a red light, which resulted in his vehicle being hit squarely on the passenger side door. The other driver is also here in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. His airbag saved him. Your friend, however, did not have that luxury.”

Katie nodded, her hand pressing against the base of her throat, as though to prevent the sobs from rising within her. “He was downtown,” she muttered. The sirens she and Mason heard—they were coming to save Chad. A wave of nausea rolled in Katie’s stomach, and she held out a hand against the wall to steady herself.

“Are you okay, Ms. Wicken?”

She nodded furiously. “Call me Katie, please. Is he going to be okay, doctor?”

“He is still in surgery at this point in time, Katie, and, if I am being honest, it’s too soon to tell. Mr. Kirkwood—”

“Chad. His name is Chad,” she corrected him.

“Chad has sustained multiple serious injuries from his accident, and he is currently in critical condition. These next few hours will be crucial in deciding what happens next.”

“What kind...of injuries?” She clenched her hand closed tightly around the slip of paper still clutched against her clammy palm.

“Mr. Kirkwood—Chad—has a serious head injury, Katie. There is intracranial bleeding, as well as a series of facial lacerations and traumas to his nasal and orbital bones. His left femur is broken, and there are multiple fractures within the pelvis. He also has seven broken ribs, and a punctured lung. Once your friend comes out of surgery, Katie, he will remain in a medically-induced coma in order to keep him sedated and calm to give his body the time it needs to begin to heal.”

She exhaled as the room began to swim around her. “What are his odds?”

“I am not prepared to give you my professional opinion on that just yet, Katie. Let’s wait until he is released from surgery and go from there. He is a fighter, I can tell you that much. He has made it this far, and that is a very good sign.” The doctor set a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but Katie gained little solace from it. She thanked him and returned to the emergency room waiting area, unsure if the information she received had helped or not. Her first reaction was to panic when she saw that Mason was no longer perched in the chair she had left him in, but Anna, the nurse, must have seen her worried expression because she quickly called from her place behind the nurse’s desk and let Katie know that Lucinda had taken him down to the cafeteria during her coffee break to get a treat from the vending machine. She hoped that was okay, and Katie gave her a vacant smile. Mason’s sugar intake was the least of her worries at this point in time.

As per the witnesses at the scene downtown
... Chad had been downtown, only blocks from where she and Mason had been perusing through the rows of shops. Katie leaned back in her chair, ignoring the sporadic looks of the other patients in the waiting room as she wiped away the tears that continued to fall from her eyes. A quick glance at the clock confirmed the age old saying she had heard since her youth; everything true can change in the blink of an eye. In a matter of hours, everything had. To keep herself sane while she awaited an update from Chad’s doctor, Katie pulled her cell phone from her pocket and realized she had forgotten about the missed calls from earlier in the day. Chad’s cell number was listed repeatedly on the screen since the day before, and another forceful wave of nausea ripped through her. She bolted from her chair, thankful the outpatient washroom was clearly visible, close by, and vacant as she kicked the door closed behind her and vomited into the toilet bowl. The cell phone clattered to the floor as she knelt before the toilet, pleading silently for the wave of sickness to subside. When it did, she stood slowly, wiping her hand across her mouth and washing her hands before she picked her phone back up.

She pushed in the lock on the washroom door and lowered herself to the floor, relishing in the silence and lack of questioning glances. She sifted through the missed calls, staring at the display screen through blurry eyes as she watched Chad’s name listed numerous times before her. There had been a missed text message, too, and she pressed the icon to read it.

Katie, don’t you dare do this. I’m coming to find you downtown. Just...do not marry him. I love you too much for that.

Sobs wracked Katie’s chest, and she held the phone tightly against her, letting the tears fall freely. Her brain began to piece together the timeline that led to Chad’s accident, filling in the blanks like missing puzzle pieces. He had been downtown with the sole purpose of finding her, of stopping her from making such a huge mistake. He had known that she had agreed to marry Jay, which meant he had spoken with Jay, although on the phone or in person, she couldn’t be sure.

I love you too much for that.

She loved him too much, too, and yet, look what she had done to him.

***

Katie made her way down to the cafeteria, following the gold-plated signs along the corridors. Without them, she was sure should would have never found it. The nurses knew where she was in case the doctor—Dr. Vale, as Anna had referred to him—had more news for her. Mason was tucked in behind one of the battered tables, an apple juice and a Rice Krispy square set before him. A deck of playing cards was spread out in what looked like a game of Go Fish, but she couldn’t be sure.

“You must be Lucinda.” Katie stepped forward and held out her hand, shaking the nurse’s hand. The woman nodded, and her eyes held the same cautious sympathy she had seen in Anna’s. They all knew how critical Chad’s status was; there was no hiding it.

“Thank you for calling me. I know you didn’t have to.”

She gave a knowing nod again, offering up her chair across from Mason. “It’s no problem. Have you been able to contact his other family members?”

Katie shook her head. “Not yet, but if you would be so kind as to sit with my son for just five more minutes, I know someone I can call to get that information for you.”

“Absolutely. Besides, I’m winning.” She glanced down playfully at Mason, who was ready to slap down his next card onto the pile between them.

“Not if I can help it.” A glint shone in his eyes, and Katie nodded in gratitude to the nurse.

She dug in her pocket for some loose change and paid for a cup of coffee. Once the sugar and milk were stirred into it, Katie retreated to the far end of the cafeteria, away from the sharp ears of her son. She didn’t welcome the thought of making such a phone call, but she would do it. For Chad. She took a deep breath and hit the first number listed in her speed dial.

“Well, hey. What is taking you and Mason so long?” Jay’s voice was a mixture of cheerfulness and condescendence, a man who won the prize he’d fought dirty to win at a price he would never understand.

“I need Liz’s phone number.”

Silence.

“Jay, I need her phone number. It’s more urgent than you understand, and I know you still have it.”

“Why do you need it?” His tone had done a complete turnaround, now filled with suspicion and doubt.

“Not that you care, but Chad has been in a car accident. They have no familial contact information here at the hospital. Liz will know who to call.”

“Why are
you
there?”

She banged her hand hard against the table, seeing Lucinda and Mason flinch slightly out of the corner of her eye. “Give me the phone number! You are wasting precious time.”

Jay said nothing, and for a moment Katie wondered if he had merely hung up on her. Instead, she heard a vague shifting sound and then he recited a series of digits. Katie didn’t write them down, instead committing them to her memory and ending the call without saying goodbye. A quick glance revealed that Mason was once again enthralled in his card game, and there didn’t seem to be anyone vying for her attention at the moment. With her eyes squeezed shut, Katie focused on her breathing, rehearsing what she wanted to say before Chad’s ex-wife—and the woman whom Jay had left her for—answered the call. She tapped the phone number into her phone and hit the send button before she had time to reconsider.

Three rings were heard before she answered. “Hello?” All professionalism. Liz didn’t have a clue who it was.

“Is this Liz?”

“Yes. Who’s calling?”

“Katie.”

Silence, but Katie was relieved she at least remembered her, especially seeing as she would never forget Liz. “Hi, Katie.” Gone was the professionalism, replaced by a clipped, cautious tone.

“I normally wouldn’t call you, but it is important. There has been...an accident. Chad has been hurt pretty bad.” She cut to the chase, saving Liz the gripping fear of having to wait to hear if he was okay or not.

“An accident? He is going to be okay, though, right?”

“I don’t know enough yet, I’m sorry. I can only tell you that he is still in surgery. When I know more, I can let you know, if you want.”

“I would appreciate that, Katie. More than you know. Thank you.”

“Sure. I am actually calling, though, because there are no emergency contacts listed in his medical records. I was hoping you could steer me in the right direction of who should be called back in Canada. You know, Chad’s parents, or his sister, maybe?”

“I’ll be honest with you, Katie. I don’t think he would want you calling his parents.”

“Unfortunately, he is in critical condition and he doesn’t get that choice right now.” Katie was already tired and exhausted from the emotional toll of her worry. “They don’t know if he will live through this, Liz, and I do not want to be the only one here with him when he has family that could be with him as well.”

Liz was hesitant, but she put the call on hold. Katie waited impatiently, sending her son a halfhearted smile from across the room. She held up one finger to indicate she was almost done, then dug through her purse for a pen.