Chapter 49
W atching the ambulance with Peace and Harmony inside it pull away, I wrestle my emotions to the mat and chokehold them. I want Peace, want to be with her, comfort her. She was so scared. I’m scared for Harmony. For all of us. This is a complete cluster.
As the police move toward me, I brace. My hands form fists at my sides. Trouble like this is why I can’t be with Peace. Not tonight, after this, probably not ever. The wheels are in motion. I’m taking responsibility for everything. Once they do toxicology on Harmony, which they undoubtably will, they’ll know about the drugs. The cops will have taken my statement by that point. Taking the blame for Carson, I’m completely screwed. My career, my life, everything, it’s all fucked over. And if Harmony doesn’t make it—I yank back hard on that thought. She’ll make it. She must. For her sake and for Peace’s.
“Robert Jackson?” a uniformed officer calls as he approaches me.
“Yeah.” I nod. “That’s me.”
“I’m Officer Douglas.”
“Okay.” I feign indifference to the fact that he’s got his cuffs out and that yet another squad car is pulling up with their red and blue lights flashing.
“What’s going on, Officer?” a familiar voice inquires. I turn my head, watching War jog down the stairs from the house. He’s barefoot and only wearing jeans. Eyes wide, Shaina trails behind him while tugging on the belt of her robe. “Where are the girls?” War zeroes in on me.
“Ambulance,” I reply grimly. There are squad cars on his front lawn and it’s obvious he assumes it’s because of me.
The cell War is holding in his hand lights up as it rings. “Peace,” he says after glancing at the display. He brings the device to his ear. “Where are you? No.” His eyes growing wide, he staggers backward. “We’ll be right there. Hold tight, baby.” He reaches for Shaina, and she grabs the hand he blindly thrusts her way.
“What is it?” Shaina’s voice is high, her expression panicked. “Where are the girls?”
“On their way to the hospital,” War replies shakily. “Peace says Harmony is unconscious. Officer,” he calls, and Douglas turns to look at him. “What’s going on? What’s happened?”
“We have a complaint against Robert Jackson.” Douglas gestures to me. “We’re taking him in for assault.”
Fuck . I assumed they were here because I called the ambulance, but this isn’t about Harmony. It’s about Mark and what I did to him before all of this.
“I’m not a boy anymore, you son of a bitch.” I draw up the old attitude and throw it around since it’s expected of me, and no matter what I wish, it’s too late to change shit. I’ve chosen my path. I never had a shot with Peace, not back then and not now. My old man was right. I am a lost cause.
I jump as a nearby car door slams. Pinning my shoulders back, I point my nose in the air, but my gut twists with dread as I watch Mark’s father march toward me. I remember him, though he’s older than when we were kids, and he looks even more pissed than he was four years ago.
“Mr. Jinkins. Mrs. Jinkins.” The Lakeshore Police Chief acknowledges the couple while Officer Douglas moves closer to me with those cuffs. “I just heard about your daughter on the dispatch. I’m sorry. Go. We have the situation here under control.” His attention turning to me, he yanks his own set of handcuffs free from his utility belt. Guess he wants to be the one to cuff me.
“Not even gonna question me first?” I pretend to be unafraid, but I am afraid. I’ve done a lot of bad shit in my life, but I’ve never actually been arrested.
“We’ll do that at the station,” he replies. “We’re making it official this time around.”
“All right.” I stand perfectly still as he comes around the backside of me. The cuffs click as they close around my wrists and the metal is ice cold against my already chilled skin. My heart stops. It hits, and it hits hard that this is it. Even if Harmony recovers, which she must, Peace is lost to me.
Peace
“Dad! Mom!” I shout and run to them across the hospital waiting room on my shaky legs. I’ve never in my life been so relieved to see them and Alex and Mike, who are right behind them.
“How is she?” Dad asks, wrapping his arms around me. Mom does the same from the other side. Theirs are not the arms I want, but they are a welcome port in this terrible storm.
“They haven’t given a status yet.” My throat collapses on a scared sob.
“Poor Harmony.” Alex taps Dad’s shoulder. “Let me have a turn to hold Peace.”
Dad scowls at Alex but steps back.
“Oh, Uncle Alex,” I cry, sobbing in his arms. “It’s so terrible.”
“What happened, snickerdoodle?” He soothingly strokes my back, and I clutch his perfectly pressed button-down shirt, wrinkling it.
“I don’t know exactly. I fell asleep on the outdoor bed after reading to Bo.” My fingers twist the finely combed cotton. “When I woke up, Bo was there. He was carrying Harmony in his arms. I guess they went swimming together in the lake.”
“I knew that boy was responsible,” Dad snaps, his light brown eyes on fire.
“I guess he must be.” I nod slowly, my stomach sinking. This isn’t an instance where I can defend Bo. Tears flood my eyes. “Do you think she’ll be okay?” I voice my biggest fear.
“She has to be,” Dad declares. But I don’t take comfort in his declaration. This isn’t a problem at a concert venue or bad press. It doesn’t matter who he is. Being a big rock star won’t make a bit of difference here.
“Family for Harmony Jinkins,” a doctor calls as he steps through the employees only doors.
“Yes,” Dad replies. “That’s us. Harmony is my daughter.” He leads my mom over to the man wearing the white coat. “How is she?”
I follow my father and mother, and my uncles move with me. I’m shaking badly, but Alex wraps his fingers around one of my hands, and Mike grabs the other. They steady me.
“I’m Dr. Green.” He gives us a somber glance. “I just wanted to come out and give you an update.”
“What is it, Doc?” War asks.
“The good news is she’s breathing on her own,” he replies, placing his stethoscope around his neck. “Her vitals are stable, and her lungs are clear. But the bad news is she hasn’t come around yet. And her MRI shows some cerebral hypoxia. We believe that’s partly from trauma but mostly due to the amount of alcohol and drugs in her system.”
“What drugs?” Dad asks and glances at me sharply as if I have that answer.
“Cocaine mainly.” Dr. Green shakes his head. “But there’s also a trace amount of opioids. Were you not aware your daughter was doing drugs?”
“No, I wasn’t aware.” Dad’s expression grim, he shakes his head. “But I guarantee she won’t be using them anymore. Not under my roof.”
“Yes, well.” Dr. Green clears his throat. “It appears this was a very unfortunate accident. But protocol requires that we notify the authorities when illegal substances are involved. They mentioned others being on the scene.”
“I was there,” I rasp and swallow, attempting to clear the roughness from my throat. “But I didn’t know about the drugs, and I didn’t go swimming with her.”
“When will she wake up?” Mom asks, tears sliding from her worried eyes.
“We can’t say for sure.” Dr. Green lifts his hands and spreads them wide in a helpless gesture that makes my stomach clench. “At this point, we’re only guessing. We won’t know the total extent of the damage or what her status will be until she wakes up.”
“Oh, no,” my mother gasps.
“I’m sorry, folks. I wish I had more that I could tell you.” He shakes his head sadly. “For the time being, it’s a waiting game for all of us.”
“Is there anything we can do to help?” I ask, my voice cracking.
“You can talk to her. Read to her. Sing even,” he says, looking at me, then at the others. “Whatever you can do to coax her back from wherever she is. Just keep in mind that only one person at a time can be in her room, and only family are allowed in the ICU.”
“I’ll go first,” Mom declares.
“Then me,” Dad says.
“Then me, I guess,” I whisper.
“And me,” Alex adds. And no one, not even Dad argues with him. Alex is family. Mike too. This is terrible, but somehow, we find each other and clasp hands. Our love for Harmony binds us together and strengthens us. I’m comforted by that, but I can’t shake the unsettling suspicion that there’s some important detail that I’m missing.