Felix’s words still echo in my head an hour later when I’m standing at the reception desk for what must be the fifth time, asking if they have any news.
“I promise I will notify you as soon as I know anything,” the woman behind the desk tells me with more patience than I would have had after the second time of me asking.
“I know. I’m sorry, thank you.” I lower my head and return to pacing in front of Felix and Gray. They stopped trying to tell me to sit down about forty minutes ago. I feel like if I stop moving, I’m going to fall apart again. Percy is curled up in the seat next to Felix, and he almost looks like he’s sleeping, but I can feel his eyes tracking me.
“Remy Broussard,” a man calls loudly, and my feet suddenly stop moving. There’s a man, a doctor, dressed in wrinkled green scrubs with a matching cap on his head.
“We’re with Remy,” Felix says from beside me. When did he get there?
“Which one of you is Frankie?” he asks, and I raise my hand. The doctor was looking at Gray and Felix, expecting one of them to answer, so it takes him a moment to notice my hand lifted in front of my chest.
The corner of his mouth tips up. “He warned me you would hurt me if I messed anything up.”
“Did you?”
His eyebrows shoot up like my question surprised him.
“No.” He chuckles. “Surgery went well. It’ll be a little while before you can see him, he’s just waking up.”
“What kind of surgery?” I question. No one told us he was having surgery.
The doctor is completely calm and relaxed, which should make me feel more comfortable, but it freaks me out.
“He had a lot of internal bleeding. I suspected a punctured lung, but the chest tube wasn’t enough to relieve the pressure, so we opened him up and had a look around. I cauterized a few lacerations on his spleen.” The doctor purses his lips and gives a tiny shrug as if it’s no big deal, then adds, “The healer did the bulk of the work, I just shone up his interior and gave him a little breathing room.”
“So he’s okay?” I’m nodding my head as if that can influence the doctor to agree with me.
“He’ll still need surgery on his leg,” he cautions. “The swelling needs to go down before we can do that though, or cast his arm, but he’s going to be fine.”
I burst into tears. Felix wraps his arm around my back and curls me against his chest before he explains, “She was worried.”
“It’s completely fine. The nurse will call down when you can go back and see him. Give it an hour or so.” I think Felix shakes the doctor’s hand, because I feel his chest flex a few times, but I just sob with relief.
Eventually, Felix guides us over to the chairs, and I finally sit down. Percy climbs into my lap, and I run my hand over his back in slow, steady strokes. I’m still filled with anxiety, but the crying jag helped release a little of the restless tension that was making it impossible for me to sit still.
About thirty minutes later, the receptionist leans over the desk and gestures for us to come over. “They are ready for you.” She scans all of us and nibbles her bottom lip. “I’m only supposed to let two of you back, but…” She trails off.
“Thank you.” I walk over to the door that leads to the back before she can change her mind.
Once we’re through the doors, I falter. I’m not sure where we’re supposed to go. When I turn to ask the receptionist, there’s a man in scrubs heading our way. His eyes take in the three of us and Percy on my shoulder. “You’re here for Broussard, I can take you up.”
“Is he awake?” I question him as he leads us down a hall to a bank of elevators.
“I haven’t seen him, but I’m sure he is or they wouldn’t allow you up to see him.” He pushes the button for the third floor after we all load into the elevator.
The man peeks at me from the side. I smooth my hair. I probably look like a hobo. “Somebody said it wastheRemy Broussard, the one who plays for the Titans.”
I don’t know if I should confirm that or not. It’s not until that moment that I realize what an effect this is going to have on Remy’s career.
“This better not get leaked to Witchy Times or WNN.” Gray gives the man a hard glare.
The door of the elevator opens, revealing the same white floors most hospitals have, but the lights are noticeably dimmer. The man is quick to exit and make his way to the left, where we find an even wider hall and a nurses’ station a few steps down. “They can take you to his room. I really hope he’s okay, I’m a big fan.” The man hangs back a little as we make our way over to the nurses’ station.
The woman behind the counter gives us a wide smile. “Hey, Janet is still in there with him, but she should be just about done.” She rounds the desk with a quick step and walks right toward us. Our group splits, and she sticks her head in the door directly behind us. “Are we ready for visitors?” she chirps.
“I’m ready to get the hell out of here,” Remy grumbles.
The nurse glances back at us and rolls her eyes before pushing into the room and jerking back a privacy curtain that surrounds the door. “You don’t get the good meds when you leave,” she warns.
