Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 94716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Except I wasn’t in my room. I was in a hospital room. The wall to my left was a bank of windows that showed me the dark black rain clouds that looked about as dreary as I felt. Then I saw the reason for the beeping.
Heart monitor. Blood pressure. IV drip.
The long tubing ran down to a port in my vein which was covered in a clear tape to keep it in place. My bottom half was covered in the hospital issued beige blanket that was common for nearly every health care facility. To my right was a wall of blinds, and then towards the back of the room was the door leading out to the hallway.
Turning my head carefully, I found the button on the side of the bed that was red and pressed the button.
“Can I help you?” A nasally voice asked.
She was obviously bored, if the tone of her voice was anything to go by.
“Jack.” I croaked.
Another vicious cramp tore through me, and I very nearly threw up from the pain of it.
The door to the room pushed open, and a cute little nurse that looked to be the age of my sister came in. Her scrubs were midnight blue, and she was wearing those ugly Crocs that nurses seemed extremely fond of.
“Hey, sweetie. How are you feeling?” She asked sweetly.
“Hurts. Where’s Jack?”
A look of pity crossed her face before she masked it with her blank nurse face. “Where does it hurt?”
“Cramps.”
She frowned and moved the edge of the hospital blanket down. That’s when I saw the growing pool of blood between my legs. Nausea burned in my stomach again, and this time I lost it.
Not again.
“No, Jack. No.” I cried.
“This will help.”
And it did. I was out as soon as the coolness spread all the way down my arm.
***
Taima
“When the hell did they have time to make a will in the past few months? It’s even signed by a lawyer! This is total bull shit!” I said, begging, pleading with someone to help.
I knew it was impossible, but still, somewhere deep down, I knew that this wasn’t the end.
“The will was made over seven years ago. It was done the year that they married. It clearly states that they have a DNR. They also said that no medical advancements should be made in the event that something life threatening was to happen. They didn’t want to survive on machines.” The doctor explained with a hint of pity in his voice.
“That was then, this is now! Who do I need to talk to have this shit over ridden?” I screamed.
“You would need to speak with a judge. Unfortunately, your brother just doesn’t have that time. I’m sorry. If he stops breathing again, he won’t be resuscitated this time.”
I turned as the doctor walked away and looked at all the faces of Jack’s friends. His family. The women were crying. The men wore somber faces. The kids were blissfully oblivious, and it made me jealous.
I was going to lose the brother I never got the chance to know. All because I was a bastard and refused to ask for help when I clearly needed it. First Catori and now this.
Fuck, I couldn’t do this. Not now. Not when I needed him the most.
Winter was having a miscarriage. Her second and Jack wasn’t going to be here to help her if she got better. When she got better.
Thunder boomed overhead, and I turned my head so I could see out the window.
The clouds were moving at an alarming rate. The sky was black, and lit up periodically with bright flashes of lightening that streaked across the night sky.
“We didn’t hear all that was said,” Gabe said. “Can you tell us what’s going on with them?”
I turned my attention away from the darkening sky to the man that looked about as horrible as I felt. His face was a mass of colored bruises, and he was wearing a sling around his arm to keep it in place due to a dislocated shoulder when he was thrown.
James and Sam were in much the same condition, minus the shoulder problem, and I’ve never felt more grateful for someone, other than my firehouse brother’s, in my life.
“Jack,” My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat and tried again. “Jack stopped breathing on the way to the hospital, but they were unaware of his DNR, so they revived him. Once he made it to the ER, they became aware of his medical wishes. Now, the doctor says it’s only a matter of time before it happens again, and this time they won’t revive him.”
“What about Winter?” Cheyenne pushed in, leaning against Sam’s side.
“Much the same. Trauma from the explosion. She’s got some swelling on the brain that’s causing some problems. About half an hour ago, she woke up and said she was experiencing abdominal cramping and pain. The doctor checked her over and found that she was going through a miscarriage.”
Gasps of surprise and devastation played throughout the room, and I couldn’t help but feel much the same. Jack had told me about Winter losing their first just two nights before. He’d told me how devastated he was about it and how he regretted enlisting in the military more than anything else he’d ever done in his entire life.
I’d explained that even if he’d been home, this might’ve still happened. We agreed to disagree, and hadn’t spoken of it since.
I wish I could have offered more words of compassion, but I wasn’t that type of man. I was a harsh, get things done kind of person, and words always seemed to fail me when I needed to speak the most. So, oftentimes, I came off as rude and unapproachable when things couldn’t have been further from the truth.
“What now?” Ember asked, eyes locked on me.
“We wait.”
***
Four days later
“You need to wake up. You have to kick this haze off, or you’re gonna lose your girl for real this time.” I whispered to Jack.
No movement. Not even an eye flutter.