“Okay. First, is she breathing?”
I lean in close, watching her chest. It rises then falls. Thank fuck. “Yes.”
“Good. Check her pulse.”
I press two fingers to her neck. It’s there, still steady but not strong. “I’ve got it. It’s okay, I think.”
“How bad is the bleeding?”
I look again, and see that my shirt seems to contain it. “I wrapped her head in my shirt but I think it’s pretty bad.”
“Keep her as still as you can. We’ll meet you at the nearest hospital… Sending the address now.”
I feel my throat tighten and tears prick the corner of my eyes. “She’s not waking up, Leon. She’s not fucking waking up.”
“She will. Just get there. I’ll call and have everything ready for her when you arrive.”
“I’m driving now.” I slide into the driver’s seat, keeping one hand pressed to Blake’s head, holding pressure, and the other on the wheel. “Stay on the line.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
I throw the car into drive and floor it.
The doctorfinally comes out after what feels like a fucking eternity. This reminds me too much of Blake’s anaphylaxis, backwhen we were still searching for Bailey. The torment of waiting to know if she’ll be okay. It’s a living hell.
I’m on my feet before he’s fully through the doors, and everyone rushes over to crowd around me. Bailey’s been pacing for the last hour, Jasper’s jaw hasn’t unclenched since we got here, and Leon’s been on his phone, coordinating with the police at the Patton house. But Falin’s been quiet… too quiet. I know she blames me, and she’s not wrong. It was stupid to go at this job alone and Blake’s paid the price. I wish it was me in that hospital bed.
Bailey rests her hand on my shoulder, and I hold my breath, preparing for the worst.
The doctor takes us in, scanning our visitor stickers.
“She’s going to be fine.” The knot in my chest loosens just enough for me to breathe. “The head wound bled quite a bit, which is normal for scalp lacerations, but there’s no skull fracture. Mild concussion. We’ve stitched her up and she’s awake now.”
Awake. The relief is so strong my knees buckle.
“Can I see her?” The words come out rougher than I intend.
“Of course, but just one person is allowed back. We’ve started her discharge papers. You should be all set to go within the hour.”
Falin and I exchange glances, and she nods. She may be pissed at me, but she knows I need to see her with my own eyes.
“We’ll go and check on the house,” Leon says, but I’m already moving.
Bailey calls after me. “Tell her we love her!”
I throw up a hand in acknowledgment but don’t slow down.
A nurse leads me through a maze of curtained-off areas in the emergency department. I hate it back here. With the beeping monitors, hectic staff, the smells of antiseptic that sting my nostrils.
I don’t know how Blake does it everyday.
“Here you are,” she says, stopping to pull back a curtain.
My Angel.
Blake’s sitting up on the bed, a white bandage wrapped around her head. She’s speaking with another nurse, gesturing with her hands at the IV in her arm. Her face is pale and she looks exhausted, but those smoky eyes are sharp and focused.
“Really, I can walk out of here myself. I don’t need—” She stops mid-sentence when she sees me. “Damon.”
