Six fucking hours.That’s how long it took me to get to my mom’s side.Six hours of silence and being lost in my head of every possibility of what’s going on with her.I have my phone hooked up to the Bluetooth in my helmet, but no one calls me.Instead, I’m left to my thoughts and I barely think of anything other than going home.Thoughts of Annistyn don’t even enter my mind because I don’t know what’s going on.I can’t think of anything else until I know how my mom is doing and what she needs to get through this.
Pulling into the hospital, I park as close to the doors as I possibly can.Shutting off my engine, I get off my bike and remove my helmet as I make my way inside.Sam messaged me five minutes ago to say they were still in the emergency room and that’s where I needed to go the second I pulled in.That’s all the information I have on the situation at this point and it’s not nearly enough.
“Can I help you, Sir,” a nurse asks me as I run inside the hospital and make my way to the emergency department.
“My mom was brought in by ambulance about six hours ago.Where is she?”I question the woman standing in front of me and barely stop for her to answer me.
“What’s her name?”she questions me as she lifts the tablet closer to her face.
“Laura Winston,” I answer her in rushed words.
“I’m sorry, Sir.You can’t see her yet.She’s still going through an examination and they’re waiting for the results,” the woman says, a trace of worry in her voice as she looks up at me.
“I don’t care if they’re waitin’ on the results of testin’.I want to see my mom, and I want to be back there with her now,” I yell, my voice echoing off the walls of the waiting room I’m standing in.
“Son, calm down,” Playboy says, walking up to me and resting a hand on my shoulder.“Laura isn’t alone.Sam’s back there with her.She followed the ambulance in and forced her way back there with her.I’ve been waitin’ out here from the second your mom was brought in.Sam will come out and update us when they know anythin’.Don’t get kicked out before you get to see her.”
“Playboy, I can’t lose her,” I say, my voice breaking with all the emotion filling me because my mom doesn’t deserve to be going through this shit.
“You’re not gonna lose her, Kreed.I made sure the best team of doctors is workin’ on her.Tank is on his way and dad will be here soon.I have a feelin’ everyone from the club will show up at some point.Your mom might not interact with everyone, but they know she’s important to Sam and me which means she’s important to them.Laura and you are family and everyone sees you that way,” Playboy says as he leads me from the nurse and sits me down in a chair before he takes one next to me.“Did you tell Annistyn what was goin’ on?”
“No.I got Sam’s call and left.Didn’t say a word to anyone,” I answer him, my eyes locked on the doors leading back to the exam rooms.
“Want me to call Annistyn and tell her where you are and what’s goin’ on?”he asks me as the door opens to reveal Sam and a doctor.
Standing up, I rush to her side and look at the doctor in front of me.
“How’s my mom doin’?”I question the doctor and look at him with impatience filling me.
“She’s okay.She recently woke up and isn’t in any pain because we gave her pain medicine.Mrs.Winston has a bump on her head and her wrist is severely bruised.Radiology will read the X-rays we took, but I don’t believe it’s sprained or broken at this point.We’ll know more once we hear from them.We currently have her on an IV for fluids and a tray of food is coming down to her.I want to keep her for observation and make sure everything is okay.We are still waiting on her bloodwork to come back before we move further with any decisions,” the doctor informs me as I slump in relief because she’s okay.
“When can I see her?”I question the man in front of me with a hard voice.
“You can go back now.We’ll be moving her up to a regular room shortly.She doesn’t want to be admitted, but she has no choice in the matter today.She needs to be here to make sure nothing else is going on with her,” he informs me as I push past him and let Sam lead me to my mom’s room.
Part of me feels as if I’m going in to see Annistyn again when she was admitted.This time, it’s not the woman who owns me heart and soul, it’s my mom.The situations are completely different and yet I feel the same.I feel completely helpless and like a useless fool because there’s nothing I can do to help her.I can’t magically snap my fingers to take her home and fix everything that’s wrong in her life.It’s the same way I’ve felt my entire life and I don’t know that it will ever change.
My mom lays in the bed and is under a ton of blankets.Sam’s doing, I’m sure.It’s so damn cold in here and if my mom is already weak, she’d be cold.There’s an IV in her right arm and I can see that they tried multiple times to stick her as usual.The doctors always have a hard time getting a needle in her vein.Her head is resting on one of the hard pillows and she looks pale.For the first time in my life, my mom looks older than her years and I don’t know how to feel other than scared to death.I wasn’t lying when I told Playboy I couldn’t lose her.
“Kreed, my son,” my mom says when I enter her room.Her voice is weak and broken as she looks up at me from the bed.“I’m okay.”
“You’re not okay, Mom.You passed out while you were workin’.That’s the furthest thing from okay,” I say, taking her hand and sitting down next to her.
“I just got tired, Kreed.There’s nothing wrong with me,” she says, trying to push herself up in the bed as proof that she’s okay.The only result is her wincing in response and me knowing she’s lying through her teeth as usual in her attempt to protect me.
“Mom, we don’t know that there’s nothin’ wrong with you.They’re still waitin’ on your bloodwork and for radiology to look at the X-rays,” I state, my voice letting her know I’m not about to let her lie about this shit.“Mom, I love you and I’m not a kid anymore.I can handle whatever is goin’ on with you and will do whatever it takes to make sure you’re healthy and safe.I really think you should move to Glendale with me, Mom.”
“I’ll think about it, Kreed.How’s Annistyn doing?”she asks me, her voice full of concern as she looks around like she’s looking for the woman in question.
“Um, she’s still home.I didn’t let her know what was goin’ on.The only thought I had was gettin’ to you,” I inform her, looking at the floor because this is the last thing she needs to hear today.
“Are you serious?Kreed Valentino Winston!That’s not how I raised you, Young Man.Your first call should have been to her.Annistyn should have been given the choice to come with you or stay home,” she scolds me, her voice stronger than it was a few minutes ago.She’s pissed at me and I deserve it.
“It wasn’t my finest moment.I can be honest about that.For now, let’s just focus on you.Annistyn will understand when I get in touch with her,” I say, looking at Sam as she shakes her head at me.
“That girl deserves more than what you’re doing right now, Kreed.She won’t forgive you for this easily.You’re one of the few people she trusts and this is only going to push her away,” Sam admonishes me as she leans against the wall across the bed from me.
“I’ll call her soon.I promise,” I vow to my mom and the other woman who helped raise me as the door of my mom’s room opens and I find Cali and Caleb standing there.
