Chapter 6
Cope
Cope sat beside Jude’s hospital bed. His eyes were on the monitor mounted above Jude. His heartbeat blipped across the screen, varying from eighty-eight to numbers in the low nineties. The nurses had explained that number was right where it needed to be.
Beneath Jude’s heart rate was his EEG, measuring brain activity. Bright pink lines that looked like Lizbet’s scribbles extended from one side of the monitor to the other. Cope had no idea what they meant but knew all too well what would happen if those mountainous waves flatlined.
Hours had passed since Jude was rushed to the hospital.
Cope had spent two hours sitting in the suffocating waiting room beside the ER.
The doctor came to speak to him after the MRI was finished.
She explained that Jude’s brain had begun to swell.
He’d been started on medications to reduce the intracranial pressure.
If the medication didn’t bring down the swelling sufficiently, then Jude would need a craniotomy.
He’d tuned out when the doctor started explaining how they’d remove a portion of Jude’s skull.
He'd been allowed into Jude’s ICU room once the breathing tube had been put in.
Thankfully, Ronan and Fitz had come with him.
When Cope felt his legs start to buckle, Ronan had caught him and Fitz helped get him into a chair.
He’d been so embarrassed that when Jude needed him most, he’d nearly collapsed like a southern belle whose corset was laced too tight.
Later, they’d all watched, stunned, as nurses brought in cooling blankets and ice packs to bring down Jude’s body temperature.
When Cope had picked up his husband’s hand, it had felt like a block of ice.
Cold as the grave. Jude’s hand felt just like his mother’s had just before the men at the funeral home shut her coffin for the final time.
“The kids are on the way,” Ronan said, poking his head back into Jude’s room.
Cope buried his head into his hands. He felt Ronan take the seat beside him. “I’m still not sure they should see Jude like this.”
“You weren’t in Salem when I was shot.” Pulling down his shirt collar, Ronan revealed three puckered scars on his chest. “The doctors had put me into an induced coma, just like they did with Jude. I want you to know that I could hear everything people said. Ten, the doctors, Fitz, Carson, and Truman.”
“I appreciate that, Ronan, I really do,” Cope said, intentionally interrupting. He’d been told multiple times by different people that when he sat in Jude’s room, he should talk to his husband, just like he’d do at home. The last thing he wanted was for Ronan to repeat the same advice.
“Being able to hear wasn’t my point.” Ronan offered Cope a crooked smile. “I don’t understand how he did it and I’m not sure Tennyson could explain it to me properly, but when I was out cold, he was somehow able to join me in my coma.”
“He, what?” Cope asked. He’d never heard this story before and after seven years in Salem he’d heard all of Ronan’s tales so often that he could tell them himself.
“Tennyson showed up, bold as brass, in the middle of my coma. I was able to speak to him and understand what he was telling me. Of course, what he was telling me was how he was going to kick my ass from here to Tallahassee if I didn’t wake the hell up.” Ronan grinned.
“That sounds like Tennyson, but what does that have to do with the kids coming to see Jude and me being against it?”
“Ten has tried several times already and he can’t reach Jude.
” Ronan sighed, sounding as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“We called Jude’s grandfather not only to tell him what happened, but to ask if there was any way to get past the spell that Running Eagle had placed over Jude when he was a baby.
He said he would speak to some of the elders and let us know in the morning.
Running Eagle is flying in tonight. Jace and Kaye are going to pick him up from the airport.
He’ll stay at Kaye’s house. The kids will go home with Ten. ”
“That’s great, Ronan, but I still don’t understand what this has to do with the kids.” Cope stopped, his mind managing to slow itself long enough to figure out what was going on. “Everly. You think Everly can reach Jude?”
“We hope so. She’s never tried anything like this before and with Running Eagle’s protection charm still in place it might be a long shot, but with your permission, I’d like to see her try.”
Cope had never had better friends in his entire life.
“Of course Everly can try. She’s got more talent in her baby toe than I have in my entire body.
” Everly was one of the strongest psychics Cope had encountered in his life.
“What worries me about Everly and the other kids is what seeing Jude like this will do to them.”
“I hear that,” Ronan said. “We all talked about it; me, Ten, Fitz, and Jace, and we decided that our kids could handle it. It’s up to you if you think Wolf and Lizbet can.”
“I’ve been such a mess today. To be honest I haven’t really given it much of a thought.
” Cope hadn’t given anything much of a thought.
The only thing on his mind was Jude waking up and coming home to their family.
“I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for us today.
Getting the kids settled and picking up clothes and stuff for tonight. ”
“It’s what we do.” Ronan stood when there was a light knock at the door. He opened it for Fitzgibbon.
“The kids are here. Do you want to come out and talk to them first?” Fitz asked.
Cope nodded. He stood, both knees cracking.
How the hell long had he been sitting in that damn chair?
Following Ronan into the hall, he saw the kids, taking off their winter coats.
Everly, Wolf, and Aurora wore determined looks on their faces, as if all three expected there to be pushback from Cope about going in to see Jude.
Lizbet ran to Cope. He scooped his daughter into his arms.
“Where Daddy?” Lizbet asked, her bright blue eyes sparkling.
Cope swore he felt his heart break. He took a seat in one of the chairs outside Jude’s room and took off her winter jacket.
Lizbet’s fine, blonde hair lifted straight up from the static.
“Daddy has a boo-boo and he’s here at the hospital.
” Cope couldn’t believe he was explaining this to his two-year-old.
“Me make better!” Lizbet hopped off Cope’s lap. “Daddy! Where you?”
“I want to see Daddy too,” Wolf said, coming to stand behind his little sister.
“Okay,” Cope reached out for the handle. “There’s just one thing you need to know. The doctors put Daddy to sleep so he can heal faster. He won’t wake up when you go in there.”
“Seepy Booty!” Lizbet said. “Me kiss. Wakey, wakey!”
Cope smiled at his daughter thinking Jude was Sleeping Beauty and that a kiss from a fair maiden would break the spell. He opened the door and led Wolf inside. Everly and Aurora were right behind him.
“Daddy?” Wolf ran to the side of the bed and reached for his hand. “Why is he so cold?”
Cope held Lizbet’s hand tighter. He didn’t want her crawling up on the bed and getting tangled in Jude’s lines. “When Daddy bumped his head, he hurt his brain. They’re keeping him cold so that the swelling will go down.”
“Daddy!” Lizbet burst into tears when Cope lifted her up to see her father.
Cope sat gingerly on the side of Jude’s bed and reached for his hand. “We’re all here, Jude. Me and Wolfie, and LizzyB.”
“Daddy home!” Lizbet buried her face in Cope’s neck.
“Come here, honey.” Ronan reached for Lizbet and Cope handed her over. He watched as they left the room.
“Where’s Everly?” Wolf asked, spinning around the room. “She can help Daddy! I know she can.”
“I’m here, Woofie,” Everly said, walking into Jude’s hospital room. She hovered near the side of the bed looking at all the machines and then finally at Jude. “I don’t know if I can help, but I’d like to try, Uncle Cope.”
Getting off the bed, Cope motioned Everly forward. He lifted her up to sit on the side of the bed where there were no lines or wires to get tangled in. “I haven’t been able to reach out to him.”
“Neither has my Dad,” Everly said, sadly. She reached out for Jude’s hand. A shiver ripped through her body. “Uncle Jude, it’s Everly. We’re all here for you. Me and Woofie and Aurora.”
At the mention of her name, Aurora walked into the room. She stopped next to Everly and reached for her hand. “I’m here too, Uncle Jude. I love you so much. You have to get better soon. You promised to teach me how to ski this winter.” Aurora giggled.
“I didn’t know Jude knew how to ski,” Cope said. They’d been married for seven years and not once had snow skiing ever come up.
“He doesn’t, Uncle Cope, but he said he would try it first to make sure I didn’t get hurt.” Aurora’s green eyes were wet with tears. “You’re the funnest uncle in the whole world. You gotta get better. I’ll be here every day until you do.”
“Can I have a minute alone, Uncle Cope?” Everly asked.
“Sure thing.” Cope pressed a kiss to the side of Everly’s head. He escorted Aurora and Wolf back out to the waiting room, but stayed near the door, just in case. Ronan and Fitz were right behind him.
Cope watched as Everly leaned forward and gently set her hand on the side of Jude’s face.
Her eyes slid shut. The machines whirled and beeped around her, but Everly didn’t move a muscle.
She looked to be hardly breathing. After several moments, she pulled her hand back. With a sigh, her eyes opened.
Gingerly climbing off the bed, Everly met Cope and her father at the door. “I couldn’t reach him, Uncle Cope. There was something in the way. I need a little time to figure out how to get around it. I’m sorry.”
Cope knelt in front of his niece. “It’s okay, honey. You did so well. When I tried to reach Jude, all I got was a blank space in my head.
“Did you talk to my Daddy, Everly?” Wolf asked, running up to her.
Everly shook her head and started whispering to Wolf. Seconds later, Aurora wrapped her arms around both of her friends.
“No!” Wolf shouted. “Everything isn’t going to be all right. You were my only last chance to talk to my Daddy! You were supposed to tell him I was sorry!” Ripping himself away from his friends, Wolf ran down the hall toward the main waiting room.
Cope followed behind his son. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ten and Ronan comforting Everly.
None of this was her fault. He’d make sure to remind Wolf of that as soon as he caught up with his son.
“Wolf, wait!” Cope called out, just as the little boy yanked open the door to the ICU ward.
“Come talk to me.” Taking his son’s hand, he led him back to the sofa near the door.
Tears streamed down Wolf’s face, which he buried against Cope’s chest. “It’s okay, Wolfie. I’m here. I’ve got you. Everything’s going to be okay.” Someday, Cope added silently to himself.
“It’s not okay! Daddy’s in the hospital because of me!” Wolf’s words were muffled against Cope’s shirt, but he’d heard them all the same.
“You were in the kitchen when Daddy fell. None of this is your fault.” How could it have been? Cope wanted to hear Wolf’s answer, but knew it would take a few minutes for Wolf to calm himself down.
“Daddy asked me to help him bring up the boxes of ornaments. He said I was a big boy now and could help him.” Wolf sniffled and wiped his runny nose on the sleeve of his shirt.
“I didn’t want to. I was hungry. It was hard work putting up the lights and I just wanted to rest for a minute.
That’s why Daddy tried to bring all three boxes upstairs at once. I did this to Daddy.”
Cope held Wolf tighter. “No, Wolfie. The Christmas boxes are almost as tall as you. There’s no way you could have brought one up the stairs.
Daddy always carries all three upstairs at once.
He would sing stupid circus music and pretend he was a clown about to drop them.
He never did.” Until today, Cope’s mind added.
“But I should have helped him,” Wolf protested.
Rocking his son, Cope tried to find the right words to soothe Wolf. “If Daddy were awake right now, what do you think he’d say if you told him the accident was your fault?”
Wolf pulled back from Cope’s chest. He wore a thoughtful look. “Daddy would tell me I was being silly. I didn’t trip him or push him.”
“That’s exactly what he would say to you, not to make you feel better, but because it’s true.” Cope pressed a kiss to Wolf’s forehead. “What happened today was very scary. Not knowing if Daddy is going to be okay is scary too. It’s Daddy’s job to rest and get better.”
“What’s our job?” Wolf asked.
“That’s such a great question.” Cope had never felt more proud of his son. “Our job is to support Daddy with our positive thoughts and words.”
Wolf grimaced. “I didn’t do that today. I yelled at my best friend.” His bottom lip trembled.
“Everly’s been helping people with her gifts for a long time, Wolfie. She understands that things don’t always go the way she wants them to.” Cope’s mother had explained this very thing to him time and time again when he was growing up. As a psychic, it was the hardest lesson he ever had to learn.
“Things didn’t go my way today. I wanted Everly to tell Daddy I was sorry. I need to go apologize.”
“That’s a great idea,” Cope said. “You can go tell Daddy how you feel. He can hear everything you say. Ask Uncle Ronan to tell you about that, okay?”
“Thanks, Dad.” Wolf gave Cope a hug and ran back toward Jude’s room.
Saying today hadn’t gone his family’s way today was the understatement of the century.
It seemed like weeks had passed since Wolf had woken Jude up that morning, begging him to start making pancakes.
Never in his wildest dreams could Cope have imagined that he’d end this day with Jude in the intensive care unit.
Now that he was alone with a minute to catch his breath, Cope tried again to use his gift to see if he could catch a glimpse of what was in store for Jude.
After a few seconds of darkness, Cope stopped trying.
His mind wandered to the other patients on the ward.
A woman with pneumonia wasn’t going to make it through the night.
Another, who’d undergone a quadruple bypass surgery would be home in time to open gifts with his grandkids.
One by one, Cope focused on each of the five patients. He could clearly see how their stories would play out, for better or for worse. He could see all of their futures, but for one. Jude.
Not being able to see his husband’s future meant that Cope was flying blind. He was terrified of what tomorrow would bring. Bowing his head, Cope began to pray.