The door in front of me opens and two guys come out. One is older than the other, but I can tell that the younger one is some relation to Harleigh, because they have the same eye and hair colour, and the same face shape.
“Giovani.” The older man holds out his hand to me, and I shake it.
“Hi, how is she?”
He shakes his head. “I’m Rodger, Harleigh’s dad, and this is Sebastian, her brother.”
I hold my hand out to Sebastian and he shakes it. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“All good I hope.” He smiles weakly.
“Absolutely. Now, can someone please tell me what’s going on? I’m imagining all sorts.”
Rodger nods. “After dinner yesterday, Gavin was driving Harleigh home. They were run off the road by Harleigh’s ex. I don’t know what she’s told you about him…”
I cut Rodger off. “I know about Harleigh’s past.”
He smiles at me. “Good. That saves me some explaining as to how we got here.”
“Please, tell me that the bastard is dead?” I ask.
I don’t care how crazy that makes me sound. I detest this guy already and I’ve never met him.
“You’ll get on with my sons because they have the same attitude where this dick is concerned, but to answer your question, no he’s not. He escaped with minor cuts and bruises. I believe he’s in police custody as we speak. The truck turned over trying to get out of the way, which, from what we believe, is what caused Gavin’s car to crash and roll down the embankment.”
“And Harleigh and Gavin? They’re okay, right?”
“Gavin has a few broken bones. He’s here because, when he arrived, he had trouble breathing, but so far so good. He’s desperate to be by his sister’s bedside. Harleigh is another story. She’s on a ventilator at the moment to help aid her recovery. She has a lot of swelling on the brain from the impact of the accident, but we need to be hopeful that she’ll pull through.”
I take in a deep breath. “But she will pull through, right?”
“No one can answer that until she wakes up, son.”
I feel the bile rise up my throat and I try to keep it at bay. I feel sick to my stomach that Harleigh was just so happy a few days ago, and now she’s lying here fighting for her life. How is that fair?
“I know she’ll be happy to wake up and see you here, though.”
I nod. “I hope you don’t mind. I had to come and see her the minute my brother told me. He wanted to be here too, but one of us had to say behind.”
“Of course we don’t mind. Come on, I’ll show you where she is. Her mum is with her now.”
“I don’t want to intrude.”
“You’re not. Come on.”
I’m not sure if I’m thinking about Harleigh’s family, or if I’m just chickening out now I’m here. I’ll fight the biggest businessmen, but put someone I care about in a bad way and I’m a chicken-hearted bugger with my heart on my sleeve.
We walk through the white, sterile corridors. It’s so quiet and peaceful. I’ve never been in any ICU department before, so it feels alien to me.
“She’s just in here.” Rodger points to the door he’s pushing through.
Sebastian pats my shoulder and carries on walking down the corridor. I take it he’s going to his brother’s bedside. I pause at the open door. I can see Harleigh’s bed at the end of the curtain. I walk into the room and see Harleigh’s mum first. She smiles warmly at me, even though she doesn’t know who I am.
Rodger pulls the curtain back enough for me to see Harleigh lying hooked up to all sorts of machines. Her beautiful face looks battered and bruised. Her eyes are black and blue and swollen, she looks like she’s done ten rounds with a heavyweight champion.
Tears roll down my cheek. I can’t hide my emotions. I don’t care how weak that makes me look.
“Giovani, this is Margery, Harleigh’s mum. Marge, this is Giovani.”
