“I’m on my way.”
The hospital in Island Park sat right next to Peacock Park. Darren only knew that, because Logan had told him all about the birds that lived there. And about how Layla had kissed him there in the rain.
Darren had only listened with one ear then, but he knew enough to know he could park at the park and get into the hospital quicker than using their underground system.
“Reagan Buttars,” he asked the information desk.
“She’s in emergency,” the woman said, and Darren took off down the hall. He found Ben in a waiting room, his face the perfect picture of agony. “Ben, hey.” The brothers embraced, and Ben’s shoulders shook.
Horrible flashbacks quaked through Darren. Sam coming home to tell them their parents had died. Waking Ben last. All the brothers crying. Before, it had been Sam who was the strong one. Sam who took care of everything. Sam who kept the family together, and food on the table, and bills paid.
Darren needed to call his brother and thank him for what he’d done. But right now, he needed to be the strong one for Ben.
“What happened?” he asked. They took two seats and Darren watched his brother closely.
“Car accident,” he said. “She was coming out to the farm to pick me up, and I guess she went to pass this tractor and there was another car coming.” He shook his head. “Missy’s family is coming from Burlington. They’ll fill this place up.” He cracked a smile that quickly sagged again. “I can’t lose her, Darren.” Tears started anew. “What if I lose her?”
Darren swallowed, his brother’s agony too much for him to bear. “What have they told you?”
“That they don’t know anything, and as soon as the doctor can come out to talk to me, he will.”
“How long have you been here?”
“Twenty minutes.”
“How did you get here?” Darren wasn’t sure why all these questions mattered, but they seemed to be calming Ben.
“Cody brought me.”
As if on cue, Cody came around the corner, two cups of coffee in his hand. He gave one to Ben and extended the other to Darren.
“It’s yours, isn’t it?” Darren asked.
“I can go get more.”
Darren waved him off. “No, you drink it.” He stood and moved to the other side of Ben. “Sit down.”
Cody sat, and Darren cursed himself for not being at the farm that evening. He could’ve been there to help Ben when he needed it.
“Where’s Farrah?” Ben asked. “Weren’t you going to see her this afternoon?” He glanced from Cody to Darren.
“No,” Darren said. “She’s meeting her family tonight.” They had a group therapy session Darren couldn’t wait to hear all about. But he hadn’t told Ben about any of that, out of respect for Farrah and her privacy.
“So where were you?”
Darren swallowed, suddenly wishing for the hot coffee so he had something to occupy his hands, give himself a few extra seconds to think.
Don’t lie, he thought.
“I was out at the Bybee farm,” he said, a sense of dread filling him. “I go there a lot. Jim Bybee’s taught me how to whittle, and Corey feeds me whenever I come.”
Ben’s eyebrows shot straight up. “The Bybee farm?” He looked at Cody, clearly confused.
“Don’t be mad, okay? I started going there last summer after Sam moved. I was lonely, and you guys were all dating and getting married, and Jim and Corey, they’re like…the mom and dad we don’t have. They’ve become my family.” Darren silently begged him to understand.
He wasn’t sure if he did or not, because a doctor came out and called, “Ben Buttars?” which caused Ben to shoot to his feet and hurry away.
Darren met Cody’s eye, who simply shrugged. “Sounds nice, that Bybee farm.”
