With that, he exits the room, leaving me to mentally pick up the pieces that he scattered around me. I remain seated for a few minutes, my mind racing with the information about Rowdy. I have no idea how much time passes in the impossibly small room, but when Zombie clears his throat, I lift my head to look at him.
“The nurse is here to take you to see your dad,” he tells me, nodding toward the woman hovering just outside the door.
I nod and stand, focusing my attention on the nurse. “Do you know if there’s any news on Mellie Kensington?” I ask.
The nurse smiles kindly. “I’m not sure, but as soon as I take you to your father’s room, I can check for you.”
“I’d appreciate it,” I mutter as Zombie and I follow her away from the waiting room.
The ICU is on the third floor of the hospital, and the scent of antiseptic fills my nostrils as soon as we step off the elevator. Nurses buzz around, busy with patients, but the atmosphere is somber.
How many people never make it off this floor?
When we reach a closed door, the nurse stops and turns to face us. “If you need anything, just hit the call button next to the bed, and someone will be with you as soon as they can. And I’ll be back with an update about Miss Kensington.”
“Thanks,” Zombie says as I shove a hand through my hair.
She walks to the nurses’ station, and I take a deep breath before pushing open the door and stepping into Dad’s room. I grimace when my eyes land on his still form. He’s so pale, he could almost blend in with the stark white sheets, and the scrapes and bruises marring his exposed skin stand out even more against his pallor.
“Jesus,” Zombie whispers.
I cross the room and drop into the chair next to the bed. “He didn’t even look this bad when he lost his leg,” I say.
Zombie grips my shoulder after stepping up next to me. “Rowdy’s a fighter. He’ll pull through this.”
Staring at the man who’s always been larger than life, I can’t help but wonder if there’s any fight left in him. He’s been through hell and back, and eventually, a man’s time is just… up.
“Will he?” I ask, unsure of what I want the answer to be.
If he pulls through, will there be any lasting physical trauma? Will his quality of life be good? Or will he be an even bigger shell of who he used to be? Will he fall so far down the dark, dank pit of despair that no amount of rope can pull him out again?
Time seems to stand still as I listen to the steady beeping of machines keeping my dad alive, and watch his chest rise with each forced breath. At some point, Zombie moves around the bed to sit in the chair on his other side.
The door swings open, and I shoot to my feet, spinning around as I do. The same nurse enters the room, and she’s wearing the same kind smile as before.
“Mellie?” I blurt.
“She’s out of surgery and will be moved to her room as soon as she’s awake from the anesthesia. I can take you, so you’ll be there when she arrives if you’d like.”
“Fuck yes,” I say, ignoring the way her eyes widen at my coarse language.
“Right this way,” she says, turning to walk into the hall and not bothering to see if I’m following.
“I’ll head back to the waiting room and let the brothers know they can come see Rowdy,” Zombie says when we step onto the elevator. “That’ll give you a little privacy with Mellie. Just shoot me a text if you need anything.”
“Thanks, brother.”
The nurse and I step out on the fifth floor, and Zombie remains to ride down to the main level. We reach room five-oh-eight, and she moves aside and gestures for me to enter.
“She should be here soon,” the nurse tells me. “If anything changes, I’ll let you know.”
I nod my thanks and stride across the private room to sit on the small couch next to the window. Once again, my mind races with everything that’s transpired. One minute, I’m waitingto marry the love of my life, and the next, I’m trapped in a nightmare at a hospital I never wanted to set foot in again.
Oh, and I’m still waiting.
5
MELLIE
