Edna screamed as she fell to the floor and Hammer ran to her. Her scooped her up in his arms and moved her away from Estelle’s prone body. Me? I did nothing because I was paralyzed with fear. Hammer dialed 911 and reported the incident and then turned his attention to me.
“Mitch.” His firm voice penetrated my daze. “Get in a car and get to the hospital right now. I’ll deal with the police when they get here.” I stared at him from where I leaned on the counter. “Snap out of it, Mitch! If you don’t go now, then you’ll be held up here for hours giving statements to the police. Deacon needs you. Go now!” His voice was that of someone commanding troops on a battleground and it was exactly what I needed to snap out of my stupor.
I grabbed a set of car keys and ran to the detached garage where my cars were kept. It took me a few tries before I figured out which set of keys I grabbed. I pulled out of the garage and drove like a maniac down the long driveway, hitting the key to open the gates as I drove. Luckily, the gates were open by the time I got there or else I would’ve plowed into them without a care to the damage I might’ve caused. I had one thing on my mind and that was getting to Mark as soon as possible.
I can’t recall the trip to the hospital; I must’ve driven on autopilot. I found Vic waiting in the ER and ran to him. He was pale, drawn, and sick with worry and it caused my heart to fall to my feet. “Any news?” I asked frantically.
“They rushed him into surgery, Mitch.” He shook his head. “He coded in the ambulance, but they were able to get his heart started again.” A tremble of fear racked his body. “I just don’t know.” He looked behind me, expecting to see his man.
“He stayed behind to deal with the police,” I heard myself saying to Vic. He wanted an explanation right then, but I couldn’t say another word. I was lost in my mind that was sick with fear and worry.
I flopped down in the chair beside him and stared at my feet, but soon my vision was blurred from so many tears that I couldn’t see anything at all. I felt the heat of my tears on my face but every other part of me felt like ice.
He had to be okay. I had forever with him all planned out; a life of his green eyes looking at me with mischief and his smile first thing in the morning that set my day on the right step. There was supposed to be vacations in exotic locations and old fashioned dates at putt-putt golf followed by ice cream cones. He was the only one I had ever given my heart to and I had every intention of him taking it to his grave, but not so soon. I wanted decades of growing older with him. I wanted to see the silver in his temples, the strange hairs that would grow out of his ears, and hear the creak of his rocking chair beside mine as we sat on our porch sipping lemonade.
I tipped my head back against the wall and closed my eyes as grief racked my body and I shook violently.This can’t be real.Life really couldn’t be so cruel, could it?
“Don’t give up,” Vic said softly. “I said it looked bad, not impossible. I know Deacon and he’s a fighter, Mitch. He wants to be with you so he’ll fight to stay.” I couldn’t form the words to respond to him so I simply nodded.
“Hey, Mitch,” Detective Harmon said, appearing on my other side. “Can I call someone for you?”
“My father,” I replied after some thought. I knew I should call Howard and Dorey, but not until I knew what to tell them. It seemed cruel to call them and just say that he’d been shot without knowing anything else.
My father arrived shortly after Harmon called him. He took the seat beside me and put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to him for comfort as I told him what happened in my kitchen with his wife. “I’m so sorry, Mitch,” he said dazedly. “I can’t wrap my head around any of this. It doesn’t seem real; that someone I was married to for so long could behave in such a way.” He grew quiet and pensive as we sat in the uncomfortable chairs. “It’s true that I didn’t love her, but to kill our child and to set off on this path…” His voice faded and became choked. “I’m sorry I brought this all on you.”
Later, I could try and assure my father that I didn’t blame him for Estelle’s actions, but right then I could only think about Mark and pray that he would be okay. I just couldn’t imagine a world without him in it.
“Mitchell Heston,” an authoritative voice called out from the waiting room.
I jumped up hoping it was a surgeon with an update about Mark, but I quickly realized how wrong I was when my eyes met that of a very unhappy police officer. I held up my hand like a kid in school being called upon for attendance by his teacher. The officer made his way to me and I wondered just how much trouble I was in for leaving my house to come to the hospital.
Detective Harmon heard the officer call out my name from where he stood off to the side talking on the phone. He quickly ended the call and headed in my direction and I was glad to have his presence. Just as the officer was about to open his mouth and read me the riot act, the door to the surgery unit opened and a surgeon in scrubs walked out.
“Family of Mark Bradley,” she said. I couldn’t tell by the expression on her face if she was going to tell me good news or bad news.
“I’m his family.”
