“Oh my God. I’m on my way. I’ll meet you there.”
I hung up and stared out the window, my leg bouncing uncontrollably.
“She’s gonna be okay,” Malik said.
“You don’t know that.”
“Yeah, I do. Halo’s strong. She’s a fighter. Whatever this is, she’ll be fine.”
“She collapsed, Malik. At work. That’s not nothing.”
“I know. But panicking won’t help her. Just breathe, bro. We’re almost there.”
The longest drive of my life.
When we pulled up to the hospital, I was out of the car before it fully stopped. I ran through the emergency room doors, straight to the desk.
“Halima Grant. Where is she?”
The nurse looked up, startled. “Sir, I need you to—”
“Where. Is. She?”
My voice didn’t feel like mine. It dragged out of me raw as hell. Her eyes widened when she realized who I was, then her whole face softened, because right then I wasn’t “DaVinci Bryns.” I was just a man scared for his woman.
Fuck the formalities and what I needed to do. When it came to her, I was going to do whatever felt necessary. I’d be on the blogs for months behind clearing this hospital out if that’s what it took to get to her faster.
She checked her computer. “Bay 10. But sir, you need to—”
I was already moving. I took off toward the double doors, heard the click, pushed through, and took big strides until I found Bay 10.
And there she was.
Halo was in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV, monitors beeping softly in the background. Her eyes were closed, her face peaceful with a bit of soot on her cheek. From here, she just looked like she was sleeping. But seeing her there, small, vulnerable, laid out in that bed, set off emotions I didn’t know how to handle. My knees damn near buckled. I had to grab the chair just to stay upright.
I walked over, pulled the chair right up to her bed, and sank into it. I wanted to reach out, wrap my hand around hers, pull her against me, but she needed rest. So I sat there with my fingers pressed together, staring at her, trying to get myself under control.
A doctor knocked softly and stepped in. I read his badge and realized this was Dr. Israel. He stepped in and extended a hand. I shook it, and he gave me a nod to step out into the hall with him.
“Mr. Bryns, sorry to meet under these circumstances. But here we are.I'm Dr. Glover Israel, i've been taking care of Halo since she arrived.”
“Me too. What happened? Is she okay?”
“She's stable. We’re waiting on some test results, but preliminary findings suggest severe exhaustion and dehydration. When's the last time she had a full day off?”
I tried to think. That fucking job had her taking shifts left and right. “I don't know. A week? Maybe two?”
“She's been working herself too hard. Her body shut down to protect itself.” Dr. Glover glanced back toward the bay. “We’re giving her fluids and letting her rest. She should wake up in a few hours.”
“That’s it? Just exhaustion? You sure?”
“We're running more tests to be sure. But yes, that’s what we believe. She’s going to be fine, Mr. Bryns. She just needs rest and a few days off.”
Relief hit me so hard my eyes burned, and I bent over, resting my elbows on my knees. I should’ve seen this coming. Hell, I did see it. I just didn't push hard enough.
“Thank you,” I managed. “Thank you so much.”
“Of course. I'll be back to check on her in an hour. If she wakes before then, press the call button. You know your woman better than anyone. I don’t want to overstep, but… be gentle. She’s strong, but she’s also tired, and this probably scared her too.”
