Chapter Twenty-Seven
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Weston
" W hy is Kara calling me?" I ask no one in particular, before I accept the call. "Hello? Did you mean to call Abel?" There's a lot of noise in the background, but I can hear her loud and clear.
I'm completely unprepared for the words that come out of her mouth.
"Does Melanie have any medical issues? She passed out here at the food truck, and we've called an ambulance. I just need to know for when they get here."
"Yes, she has diabetes. I don't know how bad it is or what she normally takes, but she has diabetes."
I answered quickly, "Kara, what's going on?" She says something to someone in the background, and then the noise lessens. I can't tell if she has walked outside or if they've taken Melanie somewhere, but then she speaks again.
"I don't know. She said she wasn't feeling great earlier, and I told her she looked pale, but she just kept working. Then, out of nowhere, Mav said something to her, and she went down like a bag of potatoes. She was grabbing for the prep table and missed it. We all saw it happen." Her voice is horrified. "Mav reached out for her but didn't grab her in time. The ambulance is here; they're taking her to the hospital. If you want to meet her, I can ride with her if you want me to. I have no problem doing that."
My stomach rolls as if it's an ocean in the middle of a storm.
"Yes, please. I'll meet you both there." I hang up the phone before I stop talking and run to my truck.
Jasper is hot on my heels. I can hear the slapping of his boots against the pavement. "What the fuck is happening, Weston?"
"Something's going on with Melanie. They're taking her to the hospital. Can you please let the supervisor know? Can you let the guys know I'm headed that way now? Tara's on her way too."
Jasper claps me on the shoulder. "You do what you have to do. You take care of your wife. If there's anything you need, let me know. We'll all be there ASAP."
Getting into my truck, I remember to click the seatbelt and then take off a lot faster than I should. The drive to the hospital felt like it took five hundred years; in reality, it was only twenty minutes. But on my way, I think about a lot, what would I do if Melanie is no longer in my life? I've had that happen before and barely survived it, but that was before I knew her as the person she's become.
We're in a routine now, the two of us, and I like it. She's becoming one of my best friends again, and I don't know what I would do without her. Regardless of whether I wanted to or not, I'm starting to make plans with her and realizing that I really want this marriage to work.
So now that I'm not sure what's wrong with her or if she's okay, I'm nervous and scared. More than anything, I want her to pull through this so that I can tell her that I forgive her because giving her a second chance is better than not being able to give her one at all.
The hospital parking lot barely registers as I skid to a halt, my heart pounding like a relentless drum. I barely remember to hit the lock button on my truck before I'm sprinting toward the entrance, Melanie's name on my lips like a prayer.
The sterile scent of antiseptic slams into me as I burst through the double doors, and I spot Kara immediately, her face a mixture of relief and worry. "They just took her back," she announces before I even have a chance to ask. "She's conscious, but really weak."
A nurse directs me down a maze of hallways until we finally reach Melanie's room. The sight of her pale and vulnerable, tubes snaking around her like insurgent vines, tethers my heart in a vice grip. Standing by her bed feel like standing on the edge of a knife, terrified of falling, desperate to stay upright.
But there, next to her bed, are her parents. Their faces are etched with the same worry etched across my own features, but there's something else in their eyes, judgment, blame. I haven't seen them since the day before we got married, and I don't want to see them now.
"Weston," her mother voices, her tone edged like a worn-out blade. "How could you let this happen?"
The words hit me like a physical blow, but I hold my ground. Anger rises, furnaced by fear. "She's my wife," I state firmly, my voice steady despite the tumult within. "And I'll take care of her. You need to let us handle this. We didn't need you back then, and we don't need you now."
"Clearly, you haven't been," her father retorts, his words sharp and unforgiving. "If you had kept a closer eye on her,"
"Enough," I cut in, regretting the harshness as soon as it's out, but I don't retract. I can't. "We all know how stubborn Melanie can be. I know she's been running on fumes lately, but she's my responsibility, not yours. Not to mention, she ran before. Not only from me, but from y'all too. The only difference? She came back to me."
Her mother's eyes narrow, her mouth a tight line of displeasure. "She's still our daughter."
"And she's my wife," I repeat, feeling the gravity of those words rooting me to the floor. "Please, just give us some space. I need to talk to her doctor, and being defensive isn't going to help anyone right now."
For a moment, silence envelops us all. She looks at her husband, and their expressions softening in a way that feels like reluctant acceptance. Her father gives a small, reluctant nod. "We'll be in the waiting room," he says gruffly, and they leave, leaving just the beeping of machines and the whisper of Melanie's breath in the room.
I sit beside her, taking her hand in mine, her skin soft but cool to the touch. "Hey, babe," I whisper, leaning in. "I'm here. I’ve got you."
Her eyes flutter open, glazed with exhaustion. But when she sees me, her lips curve ever so slightly. "Weston," she murmurs, and it feels like the first drop of rain after a drought. But she's right back out as quickly as she came to.
I squeeze her hand, heart swelling with a mixture of relief and hope. "I love you and we're going to have the best life. You're going to be okay," I tell her, and for the first time, I believe it.