Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 78576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“I see.” Marjorie slides into a chair.
“What can we expect?” Bryce finally asks, his voice low and sad.
The doctor takes a deep breath. “We just don’t know yet, sir. He may also have brain trauma. He was in and out of consciousness when he was transported here.”
Oh God. Brain trauma? So even if he recovers physically, he could end up a vegetable for the rest of his life.
I would still love him anyway.
I want him back in whatever form, as long as it means he stays on this planet.
“What else do the scans show?” I ask.
“No bleeding in the brain, thank goodness. But he will probably have a concussion. He may have some amnesia. We just don’t know.”
“I don’t understand,” Marjorie says. “Why can’t you tell us more?”
“I’m not the surgeon,” he says. “I’m an ER doctor. But we have the best trauma surgeons taking care of him right now. Drs. Lucas and Montgomery. One of them will be out to speak to you as soon as they can.”
“My sister-in-law practiced here for years,” Marjorie says. “Dr. Melanie Steel.”
He nods. “Yes, I know Dr. Steel.”
“Can’t you get us any information quicker?”
“We know your family is a huge benefactor to this hospital,” he says. “But I can’t make the surgeons work faster, ma’am. I’m sorry. They will do their best, and your son is in the best hands he could be in.”
“My God…” She rises and falls against Bryce.
“We’ll do everything we can, Mr. and Mrs. Simpson.” Dr. Amos nods and walks back through the doors.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Dave
I’m floating. It’s an odd sensation, like being suspended in a dream. I can see my own body lying on the operating table, still and lifeless. Doctors and nurses are huddled around, their voices muffled, their faces obscured by masks. They’re working with a sense of urgency, but I can’t make out their words.
I want to reach out, to tell them that I’m right here, watching everything they’re doing. But my voice doesn’t work, and my limbs won’t respond. It’s as though I’m a mere spectator to my own existence.
I look down at my body, and it’s a strange sight. Tubes and wires are attached to me, and the monitors beep rhythmically, a reminder that there’s still life within me, even if I’m floating above it all.
The room seems to shimmer with an otherworldly light, and I see an aura of energy surrounding the medical team. They’re focused, determined, and skilled. I wonder if they know that I’m here, that my consciousness is observing every detail.
As they continue their work, I’m overwhelmed with a sense of detachment from my physical self. It’s as though I’ve stepped into a different dimension, one where time and space don’t quite behave the way they should. I’m neither here nor there, but somewhere in between.
I watch as they make incisions, work to mend what’s broken inside me. Worry is in their eyes, the furrowed brows, the occasional glance exchanged between them.
A surge of emotion washes over me. Fear, hope, uncertainty—they all swirl together, creating a turbulent sea of feelings. I want to tell them that I’m rooting for them, that I trust them with my life. But my words remain trapped.
Time passes, though it’s impossible to say how long. The room begins to blur, and I feel myself being drawn back toward my body. The sensation is disorienting, like being pulled by an invisible force. I want to resist, to stay here in this ethereal realm where I can witness everything without being bound by the limitations of the physical world.
But the pull is too strong, and I find myself descending, back into my body. As I re-enter, I feel the weight of it all—the pain, the vulnerability, the fragility of life.
Another chance.
I have another chance.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Maddie
Hours pass. Or minutes. I’m not really sure which.
One of the surgeons, a younger woman with blond hair, comes out twice and updates Bryce and Marjorie, and I try to listen.
Going well. No answers yet. We’re doing all we can.
Damage to kidneys. To liver. To spleen.
All I can think about is Dave—the man I love—lying on an operating table, his life depending on these doctors.
Totally without his control.
Totally without my control.
Without the control of his parents.
Angie and Sage have fallen asleep, Henry is pacing, and Bryce and Marjorie sit together, holding each other.
How much more does this family have to go through?
Jonah is sick, and now Dave…
I can’t let my mind go there.
A volunteer comes to me. “Can I get you anything, miss?”
I shake my head, though my mouth is dry.
Not even a drop of water would stay down.
She asks the same of Henry and Bryce and Marjorie. All three of them shake their heads.
Both doctors come out then.
I rush over to Angie and Sage. “You guys, wake up? Both the doctors are here.”