“You too,” she said. “Be safe over there.”
Zach saluted her, hoisted his duffel and boarded the train.
I stayed on the platform, drawing Hallie into a hug.
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed me.
“Maybe we’ll see one another again one day,” she said.
“Maybe,” I said, not believing it for a minute.
I always was a realist.
I turned and left her, looking over my shoulder only once to find her watching me with tears in her eyes and a soft smile on her face. Then I stepped onto the train and spent the next few hours listening to Zach berate me for not getting her number or memorizing her address.
He didn’t need to scold me.
I knew I had messed up the moment the train doors slid shut behind me.
Chapter 33
Greyson
I’m not antisocial. I’m just not social.
~ Bill Watterson
The Emergency Room at Waterford Regional Hospital is small, but full. I’ve been here for a few hours, mainly for smoke inhalation and observation. My broken leg has been splinted until the swelling decreases. The doctor enters my cubicle, taking a glance at Hallie and then me.
She hasn’t left my side since we got in the ambulance except for one five-minute stretch when she took the stack of clothes Dustin brought her into the restroom to change. And she stayed here in this cordoned-off room with a curtain dividing it from the rest of the ER when they took me for X-rays.
She looks tired, but she’s keeping up a positive front for my sake.
“You’re one lucky man, Greyson,” the doctor says. “The break was clean—a non-displaced tibia fracture.” He smileswarmly as if I just won the lottery. “I am admitting you for continued observation. The leg will be casted after we see swelling go down. I primarily want to keep an eye on your breathing overnight. Mainly, we want to assure you haven’t had excessive carbon monoxide exposure. If all goes well, you can blow this popsicle stand sometime tomorrow.”
I nod. “Thank you.”
“Okay. Well, they’ll be down here to get you checked into your room shortly. Any questions?”
“No. Thanks.”
“You’re a hero. That boy owes you his life,” he adds. And with that, he turns and walks out.
My phone rings. Hallie picks it up off the tray next to my bed and hands it to me.
I look at the screen. Mom.
“Greyson?” Mom’s voice is anxious. “Your dad’s on the line too. Are you alright? Cody called us to tell us what happened.”
“Yeah. I’m fine. Broken leg. Some smoke inhalation. They’re keeping me to make sure I can breathe.”
I cough, wishing I could suppress it while I’m talking with them. They’re bound to worry.
“Don’t worry, Mom,” I add.
“I worry, Greyson. It’s my job to worry. Who else will worry about you?”
I glance at Hallie. She will. I put her through this. Her usual bright expression has been replaced with furrows in her forehead. Her face is sallow. She needs sleep. The adrenaline crash hit a few hours ago. But she refuses to leave my side.
