“Oh, heaven’s above.” I gasped and pressed my hand to my chest. If I hadn’t been seated, I definitely would’ve needed help standing.
“Mama,” I whispered.
Fresh tears streamed down her face.
Man up, Jocelyn.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and threw my arms around my mother, pulling her into a hug. I would be strong for my mother.
And for Corey.
We’d beenat the hospital for hours. The bright lights streaming up and down the hallway was in direct contrast to the somber mood of everyone who stood around awaiting news of Corey to wake up from surgery.
I’d come back to take my seat next to my mother, after speaking with the nurse at the nurse’s station.
“I’m going to get some coffee, mama. Do you want any?” I asked her.
She shook her head.
“I’ll be right around the corner, okay?” I told my mother as I rose from the chair.
She peered up at me, her dark brown eyes, the same shade as mine, were filled with such sadness. My legs trembled.
“I can stay here,” I said. “I don’t need coffee.”
I moved to sit back down, but her voice stopped me.
“Go on and get your coffee, Jocey. I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll stay with her,” a deep male voice said from behind me.
I turned and recognized the Captain of Corey’s squad, Rescue Four. Captain Waverly. I knew most of Corey’s squad by name and face.
“Mama?”
She shooed me with a motion of her hand, the same movement she’d used with me since I was a child whenever she wanted me to hurry up or get out of her way in the kitchen.
“I won’t be long,” I reassured, more for myself than for her.
It wasn’t until I stood that I realized I still wore the electric blue dress and strappy heels from my date.
Captain Waverly replaced me, sitting next to my mother, and said something low, in her ear.
I started down the hall and turned a corner to find the waiting room. A nurse at the nurses’ station informed me that the room had a vending machine and coffee maker.
The waiting room was empty. Save for the television and the dim bulb flickering in the vending machine, there was no other light in the room. I moved to the corner where the coffee maker sat on the counter, released a shuddering breath and took the opportunity to be alone for a few minutes.
“He’s still alive, Jocelyn.” I whispered, reminding myself that I still had my brother. “He’s still here.” I could be grateful for that. If he’d been standing a few inches to the right or left, it might’ve been a different story.
On an inhale, I cut that line of thinking off and tried to remind myself of all I could be thankful for.
It was useless to think about the what-ifs. Corey was alive, and as long as that remained true, we could tackle anything. He was one of the strongest people I knew and my best friend.
I pressed my palms against the counter and nodded. Yes, my brother was strong as hell. It was a family trait. This accident would alter his life in many ways, but it wouldn’t take away who he was.
A memory of the day he graduated from the Williamsport Fire Department Academy resurfaced in my mind. His effervescent smile had showed almost all his thirty-two, pearly white teeth. His cinnamon skin, which mirrored my complexion, had shone under the sunlight.
He’d squeezed me into a bear hug and lifted me off my feet.
