Chapter 15
Michael
It’s another waiting game at the hospital. Ice and Rebel are pacing, and I can tell they are worried about Hawk. Hell, I’m worried about him. It’s been over an hour since we arrived, and the waiting is taking its toll on all of us.
Several minutes later, Dr. Siegel comes into the waiting room. “We’re taking him into surgery now to remove the bullet. I’m sorry for the delay, but we had to stabilize the bleeding. He’s got some internal bleeding, and once I get inside, I can assess the damage.” He pauses and turns toward Ice. “I’m sorry, but he’s not out of the woods yet.”
“He’s gotta live. Whatever it takes. Please,” Ice says.
“I’ll do my best,” he replies and turns to leave.
Two hours later, Dr. Siegel returns. The look on his face is telling me the news is not good.Fuck!Everyone stands to hear what Dr. Siegel has to say as he begins. “Hawk is out of surgery and is still hanging on. We were able to remove the bullet, and thankfully, it bypassed his heart. Unfortunately, however, it punctured a lung. He’s currently on a breathing tube.”
“The prognosis?” Ice asks.
“I’m gonna be honest with you. It’s not good. He’s lost a lot of blood and has been breathing with limited oxygen. We’ve given him a blood transfusion, and we’re hoping he won’t need any more. The breathing machine is helping him breathe with full oxygen. The next forty-eight hours are critical. If he survives, then his chances are good, keeping in mind the healing process after that is gonna be long and uncomfortable for him. I’m sorry, but it’s all I can give you right now. We’ll just have to wait and see and pray he gets through the next couple of days.”
“That should be me fucking lying in that bed, not him!” Ice yells.
Rebel steps up and grabs Ice’s arm. “No, it shouldn’t. Get a hold of yourself. He did what any of us would have done in a similar situation. He did what you would’ve done. Don’t start this shit. He needs you right now to be strong for him. Hell, he fucking needs all of us.” He waits for Ice to calm down a bit. “If anyone can get through this, it’s Hawk. You gotta have faith, man.”
“Fuck! I feel like shit!”
“I know, but we can’t change what’s happened. We just have to deal with it.” Rebel pulls out his phone. “Do you want me to call the girls?”
“Yeah, they need to know.”
“What if they want to come back to New York?”
“As much as I don’t want them here, we can’t keep them away. Emma would have my head, and Honey—oh fuck, Honey.” Ice rakes his hands through his hair. “Get them here as fast as you can. Have Sainte drive them.”
“No,” I say, interrupting. “They can’t wait the eight-hour drive. They can use the jet. Just give me a time, and I will have it at the airport ready for them.”
Ice and Rebel both look at me, and Ice says, “Thanks, Michael.”
Rebel walks away, his phone in his hand ready to make the call. “Is he awake?” Ice asks Dr. Siegel.
“No, he’s still out. It’ll be several hours before he wakes up. Keep in mind his body has suffered a major trauma. He may not wake up even after the anesthesia wears off. It’s nothing to be alarmed about at first. It’s just his body’s way of preserving it to help him heal. You gotta be patient.”
“Patience is something I don’t have, Doc. I gotta see him.”
“You’ll be able to see him tomorrow. Right now, he needs rest.” Dr. Siegel turns to leave but turns back. “You boys should go back to the Vitalis’, get some rest, and hopefully you’ll be able to see him first thing in the morning.”
Ice shakes his head and whispers, “I can’t fucking believe this.”
“Doc, just let him see him for a minute. He needs to see him,” I say.
Reluctantly, Dr. Siegel agrees. “Fine, but just a minute. Then you need to promise to let him rest.”
Ice nods.
Dr. Siegel waves him on and says, “Come with me.” Ice follows just as Rebel comes back.
“Well, Michael, you better get that jet ready. The girls wanna come back, just need to know when they need to be at the airport.”
“Let me make a call. Hang on and I’ll let you know.” I pull out my phone and call Eric, our pilot. He answers on the first ring. “Hey Eric, how long will it take you to get the jet ready to fly to Erie? I’ve got some people I need you to pick up and bring back here.”
“I’ll need to check with the airport tower and fuel the jet and submit a flight plan. Provided the plan is approved, I could be in Erie in about five hours.”
