Chapter 24
24
HOPE
“Mom! Look, I can make a rainbow!” Evan shouts across the yard as he holds the spray up to the sky.
I chuckle as I push the mower forward. “It looks pretty, Ev.”
Satisfied that I’ve seen his rainbow, he returns to washing the suds off the car, and I turn the mower around and head back in the opposite direction.
The upkeep of the house feels like a never-ending job, and even though Dad, Graeme, and Shane have offered numerous times to help, I refuse. They all helped us so much over the last few years, and I’m determined to become independent this year. I know it’s been hard for them to step back and give us the space to learn to do things for ourselves, but I’m happier knowing I can do things on my own. And Evan’s older now, so he can help and is happy to do so … mostly.
I finish mowing and put the mower away, then grab a bucket so I can dig the weeds out of the garden beds. Evan meets me on the front porch with two glasses of lemonade. “You have a missed call from Uncle Nix,” he tells me as he hands my phone over.
I put it on the step between us. “I’ll call him later.” I take a long drink, the cool liquid soothing my throat. “Thanks for the drink. I was thirsty.”
The phone rings, and when I look at the screen, Nix’s name glows brightly. I grab it and answer with a smile. “Hey, Nix. Long time, no speak.” Conversations between the two of us used to be awkward. As Wyatt’s commanding officer, he held a lot of guilt for Wyatt’s death. He felt responsible for allowing Wyatt and Shane to play soccer with the boy who was carrying the explosive device that ultimately stole Wyatt from us.
“Hey, Hope. Yeah, it’s been a while. Sorry about that, I’ve been busy and time seems to disappear,” he says, but there’s a note of stress in his voice.
“That’s all right. Is everything okay?” I ask as my eyes scan the garden beds for weeds that need to be removed.
There’s a long pause on the other end of the line, and I check the screen to see if our call has been disconnected. “Uh, I don’t know how to tell you this, so I’ll just say it.”
My heart races, and my hands shake. Blood rushes through my ears, and my mouth fills with cotton. It all happens in an instant as panic hits me like a freight train. “What’s wrong?” I stand, no longer able to be seated.
Evan twists his head in my direction, his face pinched tight.
“A rattlesnake bit Shane this afternoon, and Violet rushed him to the emergency room,” he says, his voice full of tension, and I can tell it must be serious by his tone.
My hand flies up to cover my mouth. Panic threatens to drag me under, but I concentrate on my breathing. “Oh, my god!” I pace the walkway, twisting a curl around my finger. “Is he gonna be all right?”
Evan jumps to his feet. “What’s happened?”
“A rattlesnake bit Shane. He’s in the hospital,” I rush to tell him.
Nix’s voice steals my attention back to the call. “They took him straight in for treatment when they arrived, and he’s still there. Violet hasn’t heard anything more. I’m on my way. I’ll keep you updated.”
“No, we’ll head over.” I look at Evan with wide eyes. “Which hospital is he at?”
“Mercy Vale. Go to Emergency. I’ll meet you there.”
I climb the steps and hurry inside. “Okay.” I disconnect the call. “Evan. Get changed, we have to go.”
He rushes behind me. “Is he gonna be okay?”
I stop in my tracks, sensing that my son needs reassurance. Shane means a lot to him—to both of us. I grip his shoulders firmly and lock my gaze with his. His eyes, so much like his father’s, almost knock me on my ass, but I take a deep breath. “He’s in the best place to get the help he needs. He’s going to be okay, but I’d like us to be there to support Violet and Jasmine. Okay?”
He nods quickly. “Okay.”
“Go get changed, and wear something comfortable. Layers are a good idea. I’m not sure how long we’ll be,” I call after him.
“Okay.”
I quickly change, shove some snacks and bottles of water in my purse, and we head out, locking the house behind us. We’re both quiet in the car as I drive us across town toward the hospital. I wonder what happened? My hands tremble against the steering wheel, so I grip it tighter.
He has to be okay. He can’t survive an explosion overseas only to come home and not survive a rattlesnake bite—not now, when he’s met the woman of his dreams and is finally living the life he deserves.
Life can’t be that cruel. But that nagging voice in the back of my head reminds me it can.
I glance in the rearview mirror at Evan. He stares out of his window, lost in thought. “He’ll be okay, Ev. He’s strong and healthy.” I take a deep breath, hoping I haven’t just lied to my son.
His only response is to nod.
We pull into the parking lot, and I find the only empty spot. Of course, it’s the farthest away from the emergency entrance. We couldn’t possibly find somewhere closer when I’m in a damn hurry. We quickly climb out of the car and head through the giant glass sliding doors. We make our way to the emergency area waiting room, finding it packed with people. And the way they’re gathered together, I can only assume they’re all here for Shane.
Nix walks toward us, says hello to Evan with a handshake, and wraps me in a hug. With his arms around me, my bravery leaves me and a sob breaks free. He pulls me in close, and I bury my face in his hard chest. “I’m sorry I had to call you. Violet thought you’d like to know.”
I look up at his stern face. “Thank you. Of course I’d want to know. He’s important to us.” Pulling away, I swipe away my tears in embarrassment. Guilt—my constant companion—washes through me because I’ve pushed Shane away over these last months, and we haven’t seen him all that much. “Any news?”
He shakes his head solemnly. “Not yet.”
My mouth turns down, and worry makes my stomach twist. “I should talk to Violet.”
He nods stiffly, and I walk over to Violet, who’s holding her sweet daughter, Jasmine. We smile sadly at one another and embrace the best we can with her gorgeous little girl between us. I don’t know what to say to her. I don’t want to give her platitudes; I’m certain I wouldn’t want to hear them if I were in her shoes. Instead, we seem to have a silent conversation, offering each other support just by being close.
“Anything I can do for you?”
Violet shrugs, her eyes red and swollen. I can only guess how many tears have fallen. “Pray he’s okay,” she murmurs, her voice dripping with despair.
I nod and shift so I can get a better view of Jas’s cute little face. “How are you, Jas?”
She pulls her tear-stained face out of the crook of her mother’s neck. “I’m sad. My daddy’s sick!”
Daddy.
Oh, my. I figured things were pretty serious, but I had no idea they were this serious. My heart feels like it’s floating with happiness for them. That they found each other and have become a family. He’ll definitely pull through this—there’s no way he’d ever leave these two behind.
“I know. But the nurses and doctors are looking after him, and he’ll be all better soon.” She nods, acknowledging my words, and I return my attention to Violet. “What happened?”
“We decided to go on a picnic. We’d been there a while, and I was taking photos, so Shane and Jas went for a walk.”
“There was a rattlesnake under the bush, and Daddy picked me up so it wouldn’t bite me, but it bit Daddy and made him sick,” Jas adds quickly.
I reach out to rub her tiny arm and look back at Violet, continuing our unspoken conversation. Lucky he was there.
I know. Thank god he saved Jas . She holds her daughter a little tighter.
Imagine if the snake had bitten Jas. There’s no way she would have survived something like that. He saved her life with his quick thinking. But that doesn’t surprise me. Shane’s all about caring for the people around him.
We all stand, sit, or pace the floor of the waiting room as we wait for news. Violet’s mom and her partner gather Violet’s nieces and Jas to take them home—I’m surprised when Jas leaves willingly. Violet breaks down, and we all gather around her to give her the support she needs as we remind her how strong Shane is. We all know he’ll be fighting hard to stay for her and for Jas.
It feels like an eternity passes before a nurse comes out through the doors. “The family of Shane Sutton,” she calls.
We all leap to our feet, Violet’s sister, Cassia, supporting her. “That’s us,” she tells the nurse.
The nurse scans the group. “I can only take two people through.”
Violet seems to shrink a little, but finds her voice. “Can you give the rest of us an update at least? Is he … is he okay?” she asks shakily.
The nurse’s gaze wanders over each of us. “He was in pretty bad shape. The amount of walking he did before he received assistance meant the venom made its way through his system. However, he was brought in within two hours of the bite, and we immediately started antivenom treatment. While he didn’t have an allergic reaction to the treatment, his condition worsened, and we had to give him another dose and move him to the ICU”—my breath wooshes out of me—“where he’ll be monitored closely and continue to receive further treatments every six hours.”
I can’t believe this is happening. It feels unreal that such a giant of a man is so unwell. He always seems so invincible. So strong. So vital.
Violet loses her fight to stand on her own, and as she collapses, Toby—her brother-in-law and world-famous musician—catches her and holds her up. I watch her find her strength and face the nurse. “Will he be okay?”
The nurse’s eyes scan our group and land back on Violet. “He’s improving, which is a positive sign. I can’t tell you any more than that. You’ll need to speak with his doctor. But I’m happy to take two people through to see him.”
Evan and I move away from the main group while they have a discussion about who’s going to go through with the nurse. We wrap our arms around each other in support. Nix and Toby hug Violet, and she disappears through the doors with Shane’s mom.
“Mom, do you think he’s gonna be okay?” Evan’s been so quiet throughout everything, internalizing his worry, so I’m glad he’s finally speaking.
“You heard the nurse. He’s improving, which is a positive sign. Rattlesnake bites can be deadly, but if he’s improving, I think he’ll be okay.” His shoulders drop from around his ears and I massage the back of his neck and across his shoulders.
“Do you think we’ll get to see him?”
I shake my head. “I don’t think so. Not tonight anyway, because it’s so late. We can come back and visit with him when he can have visitors.”
“I’m not ready to leave yet.”
“Me neither.” I’d rather be here with the people who love him the most, than be at home. At least here, if there are any updates, we’ll hear them along with everyone else.