Page 72 of Don’t Open Your Eyes

“Sweetheart, just because they lessen the sedation doesn’t mean she’ll wake right up. She’s had a traumatic brain injury. There’s no telling when—” He put a hand on her arm. “Or if, she’ll recover.”

“Get out!”

“What are you saying? Annabelle!”

“I mean it. How dare you say that to me! I don’t care that you’re a neurologist. In this room, you’re her father and that means you cling to hope with everything you’ve got.”

“Don’t you think I want more than anything in this world for her to get out of that bed?” He was crying now. “I’d change places with her in a minute. But I can’t. I can’t do anything but sit here helplessly, hoping and praying she’ll be okay. But at the same time, I’m watching my wife barely holding on, making herself sick, not getting any sleep. I won’t lose you both!”

She stood up and wrapped her arms around him. Of course, he was suffering as much as she was. “I’m sorry. I’m scared too. But I can’t leave her, James. I can’t. Please try to understand.”

“Okay,” he whispered. “We’ll get through this. We can’t let it tear us apart.”

She nodded, but in her heart, she knew it already had.

Scarlett

She was feeling a little better. Her body didn’t hurt so much anymore, although her throat was still sore, and she still couldn’t move. But she could hear more of what was going on around her. The doctor had been in and told her mother that she was doing better. That’s how Scarlett knew she was in the hospital. Her mother’s voice sounded so scared. She wanted to tell her that she was fine, and not to worry, but the words wouldn’t come. After the doctor left, it was quiet. Then she heard a phone ring and her mother say hello.

“Chase, hi. Yes, she’s doing much better. They’re going to decrease her sedation, starting tomorrow. Yeah, I forgot to change the address with the printer, and they sent the promo pieces to the house like I originally asked. I had James drop them off when he came by the hospital this morning. Can you come by and pick them up?”

She was getting tired again, and her mother’s voice faded.

—

Someone was talking again. It wasn’t her mom, but someone else. Who was in her room? She strained to listen. No, it was her mom. She was talking to someone.

“Hi, thanks for coming to pick these up.”

“No problem. I’m so sorry for all you’re going through. What are the doctors saying?”

The other voice belonged to a man.

“They’re hopeful, but until she wakes up—” Her mother stopped talking, and it sounded like she was crying. A few minutes later, she spoke again. “Thanks for checking in so often. Your texts always brighten my day. I’m so sorry to leave you in the lurch, but hopefully, Riggs is taking good care of you.”

“Don’t give it a second thought. You need to be here with Scarlett.”

Scarlett’s heart began to beat faster. The voice. It was his. It was him! What was he doing here? Mom, Mom! she wanted to shout. That’s the man from the coffee shop!

Before

It was time. Annabelle woke up at midnight to unbearable pain. No one had told her how awful contractions were. The baby was coming. She was still two weeks away from her due date. She called the hospital to have James paged, as he was working the late shift.

“Everything okay?”

“My water broke.”

“I’m on my way. How far apart are your contractions?”

“Twenty minutes.”

“Hang tight. I’ll be there in fifteen.”

“Don’t speed. It won’t help if you get into an accident. It’s raining like crazy out there. I’m not going to deliver in the next hour.”

“Okay, okay. See you soon.”

She winced, doubling over as another contraction racked her. This hurt like a bitch. She was definitely asking for drugs. After it passed, she went upstairs and got her little bag from the bedroom.