Chapter 26
Twenty-Six
Maggie stashed the phone in her pocket and approached the doctor. “Is there news about Corey?”
“Come on back.”
With a sinking feeling full of dread, Maggie followed her to the same room they’d been in earlier.
The doctor closed the door. “She came through the surgery and is in recovery. We did a CT scan and saw no sign of bleeding in her brain.”
“That’s good news, right?”
“Very good news.”
“Is she conscious?”
“Not yet, but we’re more optimistic after seeing the scans. It’s a wait-and-see thing for now. She’s not out of the woods yet, but she’s better than she was.”
“Can I see her?”
“When we get her settled in a room. If you give me your number, I’ll have one of the nurses call you.”
“Thank you so much.” Maggie gave the doctor her phone number and returned to the waiting room to text Brayden, Teresa and Arnelle, updating them on Corey’s condition.
Each of them responded with relief and pleas for Maggie to keep them informed.
Since she had a little time, she went to the cafeteria, bought a cup of coffee and took it to a bench outside the emergency entrance, where she tipped her face into the warm sunshine and thought about what Brayden and her mom had said about the things she could control and the things she couldn’t.
In time, hopefully she’d get better about not taking the setbacks suffered by her clientele so personally. Or maybe she wouldn’t. Maybe she would always take their setbacks to heart and feel responsible when their program failed to make a difference for someone they tried to help.
Her phone rang, and she took the call from Kate. “Hey.”
“I heard about Corey. How is she? Are you all right?”
Maggie told her sister what she knew.
“I can tell you’re blaming yourself, Maggie, and it’s not your fault.”
“I wish I was home last night. Maybe I could’ve kept her from leaving.”
“If she was determined to go to him, nothing could’ve stopped her. Not even you. When we hired you for this job, we never expected you to be on duty twenty-four hours a day. Everyone is entitled to time off and time away, including you.”
“Thanks. I know. I just wish this hadn’t happened.”
“I know, but I need you to tell me you understand it’s not your fault.”
“It’s not my fault.”
“All we can do, Mags, is provide the tools. We can’t make our residents use them. And this is why they sign the release absolving us of responsibility for them. Because they’re adults and can do whatever they want, even if it’s not what we’d advise them to do.”
Maggie recalled how Ashton had absolutely insisted on what he called the hold-harmless release form. Everyone who entered the facility signed it to protect the owners and staff from liability in situations like this one and what’d happened to Debbie.
“Thanks for calling and reminding me of what my job is and what it isn’t.”
“You’re doing so great. The fact that you care like you do is the most important thing to the residents. That’s what they need most. Someone who cares.”
“True. We do give them that.”
“Yes, you do. So how was your date with Brayden?”
“It was really great. He arranged for us to stay in the city after the fundraiser.”
“That’s so sweet. I love that he did that. And of course you’re beating yourself up for being there rather than at home when Corey left.”
“I was. I’m better now. I talked to Brayden and Mom and now you, and you all said the same things.
It’s a learning curve for me on how to deal when things go sideways.
I met some people at the fundraiser last night, and they invited me to join their networking group.
I think it’ll help to have actual contact with other people in this field, rather than just relying on online support. ”
“I agree. It’ll be good for you to be connected to others in the field. You’re doing everything right, Mags, despite a really rough couple of weeks. Why don’t you and Brayden come for dinner so you can have some Poppy time? That’ll make you feel better.”
“I’d love to. Let me see what time I get out of here. I’ll let you know.”
“Either way, it’s fine—and it’s an open invite. You know that.”
“I do. Thanks for the support.”
“Love you so much, and I’m so, so proud of you.”
Kate’s kind words brought tears to Maggie’s eyes. “Thanks. Means a lot. Love you, too.”
“Text me later.”
“I will.”
Two hours after Maggie saw the doctor, she received a call that Corey had been taken to a room in the ICU. The nurse gave her the room number. “You need to be prepared that she looks pretty banged up, but she’s stable and was awake for a short time, which is very good news.”
“That’s great. Thank you. I’ll be up soon.”
Maggie texted the room number to Brayden and asked him to update the others.
Got it, he replied. Will be there soon.
Maggie also sent a quick update to her mom as she took the elevator to the third floor, where she requested entry to the ICU. The nurse who let her in showed her to Corey’s room.
Maggie stepped into the room and gasped at the bruises that covered the young woman’s face, arms and neck. Tears filled Maggie’s eyes and slid down her cheeks. She would never understand how someone could do such a thing to another human being, especially someone they’d once professed to love.
Her heart broke for Corey. She’d been through so much. Maggie laid her hand on Corey’s shoulder and gently brushed the hair back from her face, which was so swollen, she might not have recognized the girl if she hadn’t known it was her.
Corey’s left eye was swollen shut.
Her right eye opened. She grimaced when she saw Maggie. “Sorry,” she said, licking dry lips.
“Take it easy. Don’t try to talk.”
“Shouldn’t have…”
“Shhh. You’re going to be okay.”
“Hurts.”
“I know.”
Corey dozed off again, and the next time she woke, she seemed surprised that Maggie was still there. The nurse had come in and said she could have a little bit of water, so Maggie held the straw for her as she drank through swollen, split lips.
The small effort expended to take a sip left her depleted.
Maggie put the cup back on the table, wishing there was something she could do besides stand there and be mostly helpless.
“Maggie.”
“Yes?”
Corey took a deep breath, let it out and closed her eyes. “I think I’d like you to call my mom.”
“I can do that. Do you know her number?”
Corey gave a slight nod that she seemed to immediately regret, and keeping her eyes closed, she recited the number.
“What do you want me to tell her?” Maggie asked.
“Everything.”
“I’ll be right back.” Maggie went into the waiting room to place the call to Corey’s mother.
The woman didn’t answer, so Maggie left a message.
“This is Maggie Harrington, a friend of Corey’s in Nashville.
Could you please give me a call?” She gave her phone number and ended the call, hoping she would hear from the woman sooner rather than later.
She answered a few other texts, including one from Karen in Arizona, who reported that Debbie’s kids had made a smooth transition to their new school and were doing as well as could be expected.
Thank you for the update. Please give the kids our love and keep in touch.
She also checked her email on her phone and found a message sent last night from a sergeant in the Nashville Police Department letting her know that Trey had made bail and would be released.
Maggie blew out a deep sigh. If only she’d seen that message last night, Corey might not be in the ICU. She was about to return to Corey’s room when her phone rang with a call from Corey’s mom.
“This is Maggie.”
“This is Corey’s mother, Brianne, returning your call. Have you seen Corey?”
“I have.”
“Is she all right? I haven’t heard from her in months.”
“She’s all right, but she’s in the hospital.”
“Oh my God. Because of him? I told her he was no good. She never listens to me.”
“She’s been through a lot, and I think she could use your support. She’s fully aware that she should’ve listened to you.”
“What happened?”
Maggie told her everything she knew as gently as she possibly could.
“I had no idea she was pregnant,” Brianne said, sounding tearful after having heard the whole story. “Where is she now?”
“In the ICU of Nashville General Hospital.”
“I’m on my way. I’ll be there in less than two hours.”
“I’ll stay until you get here.”
“Thank you so much for calling.”
“No problem. I’ll see you soon.” As Maggie ended the call, she received a text from Brayden.
I’m outside the ICU.
She went out to let him in and led him to the waiting room.
He held a cloth shopping bag. “Change of clothes.”
“Bless you.”
After putting the bag on a chair, he held out his arms to her.
Maggie walked into his embrace and let him surround her with his strength and the scent of leather, horses and sunshine that she’d forever associate with him.
“How is she?”
“Awake, alert and in a lot of pain. She looks dreadful. Her entire face is bruised, one eye swollen shut, her lips split.”
“Motherfucker,” he muttered under his breath as he tightened his hold on her. “And how are you?”
“Better than I was. I talked to my mom and Kate, and they said the same things you did. I’m realizing it’s going to be a process toward accepting there’s only so much I can do for them. They have to be willing to do the rest.”
“That’s exactly right.”
Maggie pulled back to look up at him. “How did the riding lessons go?”
“Good,” he said, smiling. “Travis is a natural. He’s going to be my star student.
Reminds me a lot of myself at that age. Jimmy and Lily are a little overeager.
I had a talk with them about making sure they’re following the rules of the stables and not acting up around the horses.
They’re all great kids. Some are just more natural around the horses than others, which is usually the case. ”
Maggie rested her forehead against his chest for another minute. “I’m going back in with Corey for a bit. Her mom will be here in the next couple of hours. I can get an Uber home if you don’t want to wait.”