It feels like it’s been hours since I heard anything. There’s now at least eight inches of snow outside, but it wouldn’t matter if there were thirty. I’m not going anywhere. Noah and the Morgans sit across from me. When they first got here, Mara punched me, and when her dad tried to yell at her, I stopped him. I deserved that.
If she hadn’t heard us, she never would have left, and I’d have been with her. None of this would have happened. I could have protected her. Shaking my head in disgust, I take a small bit of comfort that Noah sits in the chair next to mine.
“Cora’s going to be okay, right, Atlas?” he asks in a small voice. “What happens if she’s not?”
“Don’t think like that.” I pull him closer into my side. The nurses took my clothes for the police and gave me some scrubs to wear. I’m grateful because I didn’t want Noah to freak out when he saw me.
“Cora loves you, Noah. She’s not going anywhere. She’ll be up and about in no time.” When he first got here, we decided to tell him Cora had been in a car accident. How do you tell a child their grandmother kidnapped and tried to murder their sister? I wish I could kill that woman slowly and painfully, but Cora did it in self-defense. She didn’t get to suffer enough.
The only time I’ve stepped away was when I had to talk to thepolice. Mr. Morgan stood with me as I answered their questions about my relationship with Cora and what I knew. I told them a condensed version of what I learned. That Cora had been missing and was estranged from her parents’ families. I was her family now.
“I’m scared, Atlas,” Noah admits. My heart hasn’t felt right since they took her back. I’m fucking terrified that every beat it makes is one that she’s supposed to have. It’s true—my heart only beats for her. I need her to come back to me, for both our sakes.
“I know, buddy, but Cora’s strong. As long as we keep thinking positively, I’m sure we’ll get good news soon,” I say with as much hope as I can manage. When I see him yawn, I grab my coat, which Rhett brought along with him, and put it over his shoulders. “Get some sleep, Noah. I’ll wake you when they come out.”
Noah rests his head against my shoulder, and I tug him close to me. He’s an extension of Cora, and right now, we both need this.
I ignore the glares from Mara and Mila. They can fuck off. The only person I owe an explanation to is Cora, and the moment she wakes up, she will get it. Then, when she’s better, she’ll get one hell of a spanking.
Another hour passes, and I almost jolt Noah awake when I see a doctor come out. “Cora Ashford?” they call and look around. Gently sliding out from beneath Noah, I follow Mr. Morgan. Seth sits with Noah as the rest of us gather around the doctor.
“What is it?” Mr. Morgan asks, his face pale. His usual happy demeanor is completely gone.
“Cora is stable for now. We had to repair the break in her hand and remove a bullet from her leg. It didn’t hit anything vital, but she’s on heavy-duty antibiotics. She also has two fractured ribs and some bruising."
“Good God.” His wife releases a shaky breath. “When can we see her?”
“That’s not all.” He pauses.Shit.Nothing could have prepared me for what he says next.
“She’s in a coma right now, and we’re not sure how long it will befor. She has some significant swelling on her brain, which we had to relieve.” He pauses, looking between us. “Cora’s skull was fractured, and she had a CSF leak.”
“I don’t understand,” Mila interrupts. “What is that?”
“Cora suffered an injury at the base of her skull, and a part of the membrane that protects the brain was torn. We call it a cerebrospinal fluid leak,” he explains. “We had to insert a lumbar drain to drain it out and repair the membrane.”
“Will there be any permanent damage?” Kash questions, his face pale. “How long will the coma last?”
“We don’t know yet,” the doctor admits. “She’s young and healthy, so we’re remaining optimistic. We’re moving her to a room, and then you can visit, but only one at a time. She won’t be awake yet. Cora needs as much rest as possible right now.”
The doctor talks to Mr. Morgan for a few minutes longer, but my eyes swing to the doors past him. I need to see her. I need to see with my own eyes that she’s alive. Looking back at Noah, I see he’s now awake beside Seth. Walking over, I crouch down.
“She’s okay, Noah.”
“Can I see her?” he asks, eyes lighting up.
“No, not yet.”
“Why not?” Noah questions, looking past me to Mr. Morgan, who’s now hugging his wife. “Why can’t I see her?” His lip wobbles. “I don’t understand, Atlas.”
Pulling him into my arms, I hug him tightly. He needs it as much as I do. “Cora just needs some sleep right now. The doctor said she will be asleep for a while so she can feel better. Okay?” I loosen my hold and look him in the eye. “We can see her soon. I promise.”
When he nods in agreement, I pull him in for another hug. “She’ll be fine, Noah. Don’t worry,” I assure him, hoping I’m not making a liar of myself.
The idea that Cora might not wake up guts me. I can’t imagine what she went through when she was down in that basement. That woman shot her; Aidan broke her finger and herhead… God, I can’t even think of how badly she was beaten for that to happen. She’s strong as hell, getting through all of that and coming back to us. Cora is going to be fine; she has to be.
When a nurse comes out a little later and tells us we can go back, two at a time, I stand and grab Noah’s hand. Sending Mara a look, I walk straight past them and follow the nurse. There’s no way anyone else is seeing her first but us. Our whole world is lying unconscious in a bed back there.
Following the nurse a few hallways back, she leads us to her door, stopping to grab my arm. Looking at where she’s touching me, I shrug out of her grip.
