“No, sir,” River said and looked down at her feet. “I’m sorry I don’t have better news to give you.”
“Thank you, dear. Any news is better than not knowing,” Mack said softly. “How are the children?”
“Riley has a broken arm and is sleeping off the sedative they gave her before setting it. Braxton has a concussion and has been moved to the pediatric floor for overnight observation.”
Someone knocked on the door before immediately pushing it open. Another nurse rushed inside, heaving in breaths like she’d just finished running a marathon. “They just delivered Savior’s baby. A little girl. She’s going to the NICU, but she’s doing okay for how early she is.”
“And Avery?” Copper asked.
“Um, Avery had some complications that I can’t discuss, but she’s going to be okay, too.”
“Thank you, Kennedy,” Copper said and stood to shake her hand.
“Can I see my great-granddaughter?” Mack asked.
Kennedy shook her head, but River stepped forward and took his hand. “I think I can sneak you in for a quick peek.”
“Take a picture!” Layla shouted after them.
As soon as they were gone, I focused on Copper. “Tell me what happened.”
“I’ll be happy to as soon as Phoenix gets here. I don’t want to tell it again,” he said and I could tell whatever happened was weighing heavily on him.
When Phoenix was brought back to the little girl’s room, Copper told us every excruciating detail of the accident and the subsequent rescue.
“So, what happened to the person that hit them?” I asked.
Copper shook his head. “Don’t know. The cops were talking to witnesses and trying to see if anyone had a dash cam that caught the wreck, but it appears to be a hit-and-run.”
“Well,” I scoffed, “they can run, but they can’t hide.”
32
Avery
Pain.
I was in a lot of pain. And I felt like I was going to be sick. I tried to move, but that made the pain worse. I placed my hand over my stomach, where it hurt the worst, and gasped at what I felt, or didn’t feel.
“My baby,” I rasped.
“Ms. Parker, you’re just waking up from surgery. You’re in the hospital.”
Right. I was in the hospital because my gallbladder crapped out on me. “Mom? Kellan?”
A warm and familiar hand gripped mine. “Hey, peanut,” my dad said.
“Daddy? Where’s Mom?”
“She’s upstairs in her room.”
I managed to crack an eye open and looked at my father. “What are you talking about?”
“Your mom had surgery today. You don’t remember?”
“Why would mom have surgery on the day I scheduled my surgery?”
“Is this normal?” my dad asked someone across the room.
