I pinch the bridge of my nose. “He was passed out, and I was trying to stop the bleeding and it all kinda slipped out. Then I think he woke up and caught the end of it.”
“But you love him?”
I hiccup a sob and nod, words unable to leave my mouth.
“I’m going to take that as a yes,” Julia replies. “We will be there in an hour. Does his family know?”
“Yes,” I croak. “I talked to his parents, they’ll be here soon.”
“Good. He’s going to be okay, Hannah.”
“You don’t know that,” I reply. “I need him, Julia. I love him.”
“I know you do.”
She hangs up, leaving me alone in this cold hospital waiting room.
It’s weird being on this side of things. Being the one waiting to hear information about their loved one. I don’tlike it. The door to my right bursts open and Nikki and Richard rush in. Nikki’s face is red with tears streaming down her cheeks as she takes me in. I’m surely a mess, covered in her son's blood.
“Have you heard anything?” she asks, sitting by my side and pulling me into her. I relax into her touch, needing the contact right now.
“No. I’m not family, so they couldn’t tell me anything.”
Richard frowns as he steps away, heading toward the front desk.
“Do you know what happened?” Nikki asks.
I shake my head. “All I know is that we were called out for an overdose, and then we got the call that there were shots fired with an officer down. I knew somehow that it was him. We got there and I saw that I was right.”
“Oh honey,” Nikki croons, pulling me into her.
Richard comes back a few moments later. “They did a CT scan and he’s in surgery, but doing well. They’re giving him a blood transfusion to help with the blood loss.”
“Thank you,” I say. Nikki reaches out, taking her husband's hand as the door opens, more of Thomas’s family running in.
Beau is first, one twin in his arm, while Marley holds the other. They rush over, firing off questions. Nikki and Richard fill them in, while I sink back into the chair, slowly numbing to the world around me.
He has to be okay.
55
HANNAH
It’s been hours with not many updates. Every second that passes I worry more. Shouldn’t he have been out of surgery by now? Wouldn’t they have more of a concrete update at least?
Josie brought me some fresh clothes to change into, and my sisters got here an hour ago. For now, we’re all waiting. No one has been talking much, except to distract the kids. They’ve all been doing so well, even baby Cooper.
Miles texted me a while ago with information about Arson. He has him at his house, and I’ll pick him up when I eventually leave here. He’s even sent me a few pictures too, so I know he’s really okay. I feel so bad. He is probably worried sick and knows something is wrong. I will have to make sure to give him extra love when I pick him up.
It’s nearly nine at night, I’m sure everyone is exhausted. Fallon and Jason each have a kid laying in their laps fast asleep, and Marley and Beau are rocking the twins in the corner. Gramps snores in a seat a few seats down from me, his cane laying against his leg. Andrew has his arms molded around Josie, who has Cooper in a wrap aroundher chest.
We all love him so much that the thought of leaving is so hard to bear. I’m sure they all want to bring their kids home and put them to bed, but they’re staying.
I stand from my chair, the anxiety eating at me. I’ve gone through more cubes of ice than I can count, and nothing is helping. I’m not going to take a rescue med because what good am I if I’m asleep? I need to be here when he wakes up.
An hour later, a doctor makes her way through the double doors. “Thomas Cunningham?” she questions, and every single one of us stands. She smiles softly at the show of family.
“How is he?” Nikki asks, her voice wavering.
