“Okay, bye.” I hang up and then let the first loud sob out. My body is shaking uncontrollably, and from the first-aid knowledge I have from my job, I can tell shock is setting in. Pushing the buzzer over and over again, Monica comes rushing in and takes one look at me. She’s already come to the same conclusion as me, that my body is rapidly slipping into a delayed shock.
She puts her arm around me, trying to soothe me as she calls for some more help. Another nurse comes in and then leaves to get whatever medication she asked for.
And all I can do is get the words out that I need her to hear.
“Landon Wood… emergency contact.” It takes me three times before she understands what I’m trying to say.
“Is he on his way?” she asks.
“Boston, coming… from… Boston,” I manage to get out in between sobs, and now my teeth are chattering too.
“I understand. As soon as he arrives, we’ll bring him in. Now, Vera, my colleague, is going to give you something to help you sleep for a little bit and ease the pain. I just need you to try to calm yourself down for me. Can you do that?” She’s talking so calmly into my ear, and I want to tell her I’ve been trying. But my body isn’t cooperating, and before I can open my mouth, thenoises in the room start to quieten and blackness is closing in. I can’t stay awake, so I stop trying.
LANDON
My car speeds out of the parking lot in the direction of the airport.
The ringing of my phone is deafening in the silence. I just yelled at Adrian to call me in five minutes and ran out the back door. He only waited about two minutes.
“What the hell is going on?” Adrian’s voice comes screaming through the speakers. “Is it one of the boys?”
“No. Poppy. She’s been hurt in a fire and needs me. Get me booked on the next flight out to Rochester. I don’t care what it costs. And if there isn’t one soon, charter me a fucking plane.” I can’t seem to calm my heart down.
Not again, I can’t go through this again.
Losing her would send me to a place I would never come back from. That I know for sure.
I need to get to her.
“Fuck, okay. Stay with me, I’m on it now.” I can hear him typing frantically on the keyboard. “There’s an American Airlines flight in one hour and seven minutes. I’ve just grabbed a seat and will send the boarding pass to your phone. So, slow the fuck down, because even with traffic you should still make it in plenty of time, and I don’t want you hurt too. Now tell me what the hell happened.” Adrian is still typing as I relay what I know, and my phone pings with the boarding pass.
“So, I’m about to call Felix to stay with the boys, but if he can’t, I’ll need you to stay at my place tonight until I know more.”
“Of course. Don’t worry about the boys. I’ve got things on this end. What about Mrs. B?” Adrian asks.
“She can’t know yet. I promised Poppy. So don’t say a word to the boys or her. Mrs. B lost her husband in a fire just before Poppy was born. Until we know more, we don’t want to worry her. But just thinking out loud, I might need you to fly out with her if it comes to that. She’ll be a mess and will need someone to look after her.” My mind is racing, trying to plan for all possible scenarios.
“Charlene can run the bar if needed, and I’ll get her there.” Adrian goes silent for a moment.
“Poppy’s under your skin, isn’t she?” he asks calmly.
“Yeah, buddy, she is. And I’m not sure I understood how far until I got that call,” I reply with a softness that just the mention of Poppy’s name brings out in me.
“Then go be with your girl. I’ve got you.”
“Thanks.” I gulp as the emotion of our friendship runs through me. “And Adrian, I don’t say it enough, but I love you, buddy. I couldn’t do this life without you.”
“You could.” His voice is laced with emotion too. “But my presence just makes it so much better.”
We both let out a small chuckle that breaks the moment, and then I hang up and call Felix.
I never thought I could feel this kind of deep emotion for a woman again after Lucinda.
I was wrong.
Chapter Ten
LANDON
