27
SARAH
The first hourat the hospital, we don’t know much outside of what Nico first told Carter about the nature of Theo’s injury. Now we’re just hoping a member of the surgical team will update us as soon as there’s more information to share.
Which means the only thing we have to do is wait.
Several of the Jaguars players stop by, and of course Nico and Coach Kimzey are here, but I can’t decide if the distraction of extra people around is making things easier or harder for Carter. Because he wants to talk to everyone. Makethemfeel better. Make sure everyone else in the room has everythingtheyneed.
But is that whatheneeds? I’m not sure rehashing the same information, answering the same questions over and over again, is doing him any good.
I step to the door of the waiting area and look up and down the hall, wondering if there’s somewhere else I could take him for a minute of solitude. Long enough for me to look him in the eyes and make sure he’s okay.
Across the hall, a nurse in navy scrubs is watching thewaiting room.Reallywatching. Not just passing by, but staring like she’s thinking about coming in. My eyes drop to her name badge. It reads Rebecca.
Rebecca.Could she be Theo’s Rebecca? Carterdidsay she worked on the surgical floor of Atlanta General, so this could absolutely be her, but it’s not a super uncommon name, so maybe not?
“Hi,” I say when we make eye contact. “I was wondering if you could help me. My husband’s brother is in surgery right now, and there are so many people here to support him and wait for news. But I think he might need a minute of privacy. Is there somewhere we could go? Just for a second.”
“There’s a quiet room down the hall and to the right,” she says. “It’s usually empty.”
I nod. “Perfect. Thank you.”
She looks like she might want to say something else, but then she gives her head a little shake and turns and heads down the hall.
I make my way back to Carter, finding him in a conversation with Holly and Jordo. I slip an arm around his waist, and he tucks me into his side, his grip on my shoulder a little tighter than usual. It feels like he’s telling me not to go anywhere.
“Hey,” I say, as soon as there’s a break in the conversation. “Come with me for a sec?”
He nods and I thread my fingers through his, tugging him toward the door. “We’ll be right back,” I say to Nico, then we head down the hall to the quiet room.
The space lives up to its name. Itisquiet—we can’t hear the low hum of hospital activity at all—with low lighting, comfortable seating, and a tiny water feature in the corner that creates a surprisingly soothing vibe.
“I thought you might need a minute to breathe,” I say to Carter.
He moves to the small couch against the wall and sits down, then pulls me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me and burying his face in my shoulder.
“That was a good thought,” he says.
I lift my hands to his hair, gently running my fingers over his scalp. “What do you need? Is there anything I can do?”
“You’re doing it,” he says. “I’m really glad you’re here.”
“Where else would I be?” I let my hands slide down to his face, then I lean in and press a lingering kiss to his mouth.
“I missed you,” he says, his voice soft. “I feel like there’s so much I want to say to you, but…”
“We have time,” I say. “We don’t have to worry about any of that now.”
He takes another deep breath, and I can practically feel the tension leaving his body.
“So, I’m pretty sure I saw Rebecca,” I say. “This is her floor, right?”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Carter says.
“Honestly, when I said we needed to get Theo back in the hospital to run into her, this is not what I had in mind.”
Carter chuckles. “It is very Theo. Nice and dramatic.”
