42. Hudson
42
HUDSON
T oday has been an absolute shit show, and if I could rewind it and go back to the start of the day when Lacy was here with Harvey and me at home, with her beautiful smile on me as Harvey gave her the bouquet of flowers, I would.
“This is a fucking hornets’ nest,” Sawyer says, looking up at me from where he sits with his laptop. He has been busy pulling things together ever since my former in-laws left. Calling in criminal lawyers from his extensive team, pulling evidence and already drafting statements and letters.
“I can’t believe it,” Connor says with a shake of his head. The two of them know everything I know, and I feel sick for betraying Lacy’s trust with the information, but I couldn’t keep my anger in check.
“Good thing you have those new security cameras out front; they picked up everything. We have his facial features, his snide comments that he thought only you could hear. Everything. This, along with a statement from Lacy, will get him, for sure. Not to mention, anyone else who might come forward after word gets out of his situation. The school will remove him, there’s no doubt in my mind,” Sawyer says, and I sigh. At least I did something right.
I grab my cell and try her again.
“Still no answer?” Connor asks, and I shake my head. I know she is at the hospital because I confirmed they had checked in. I haven’t called Melody yet. I have a feeling her mother would do that already, and I need her to concentrate on Lacy’s mom.
“Nothing,” I say, throwing my cell on the dining table and scrubbing my face.
I hear Tanner pull up, along with Victoria, and I thank God my parents took Harvey to their place. Mom will no doubt have him busy in the kitchen, whipping up some chocolate creation to keep him away from all this today.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Victoria yells at me the minute she and Tanner are inside. Tanner watches me, his gaze almost deathly.
“Trying to get a handle on things. Lacy won’t take my call…” I tell her, feeling frustrated.
“Wrong answer. The correct answer is, I’m just grabbing my keys and am driving to the hospital, because I really need to be with the love of my life right about now,” Victoria admonishes me as she stands there with her hands on her hips. She’s right. I’m worried that Lacy won’t want to see me for blowing up her life like I have, but I need to fucking try .
“Fuck,” I groan as I quickly grab my cell and keys and stride out the door.
“Fucking love. Who in their right mind would do it to themselves.” Sawyer shakes his head, and I don’t answer him. I don’t talk to anyone, but Tanner pats me on the back and gives me a nod, telling me it is the right thing to do.
“Go get your girl,” he says, and I nod to him and run out the door, eager to get to Lacy.
I pace into the hospital. I called her another five times on my way here, but somewhere between Whispers and Williamstown, she turned off her phone.
“Doctor Hamilton. Good afternoon,” a nurse at the reception says, obviously recognizing me, but I don’t recall her.
“Good afternoon. Looking for Veronica Jones’ room, please?” I ask, knowing Lacy’s mom will already be in surgery and that Lacy will be waiting in her room for her.
“Room twenty-four, just down the hall—”
“Code Blue in twenty-four. Code Blue in twenty-four.” We get interrupted, and my chest clenches at the announcement. Without another thought or question, I start running. I sprint down the hall and turn the corner in time to see Jolene push open the door.
“Doctor! It’s Lacy!” she says, panicking, and I push through the door and see Lacy slumped on the floor.
“Lacy!” I shout as I dive to her, and I hear others rushing in right behind me .
“What happened?” I bark at Jolene, who looks sick with worry.
“I came to check on her. I wheeled her mom into surgery about thirty minutes ago and, well, I just wanted to see how she was holding up. I found her like this and hit the alarm.”
I can tell by the way she’s genuinely frightened that she’s telling the truth. I investigated Jolene the minute Lacy said she was her high school bully. She’s a health nurse, does blood tests, and helps out around the ward. She isn’t a seasoned professional, and I dare say has never had to help a patient like this.
Lacy has an IV connected to her arm, her body lifeless and pale, and my whole world crumbles.
“Lacy!” I feel for her pulse, which is faint, and I thank the stars her chest is still rising and falling as I manically start looking her over.
“Lacy!” I yell, as I get to work pulling the IV from her arm. By the look of the bag, she has donated more than another pint of blood, and I’m furious as I try to stem the blood flow while I simultaneously feel her pulse to ensure she is still strong.
I’m breathing heavily, panic crawling up my throat. I’m a doctor, a seasoned professional, but the insane fear and adrenaline that I felt months ago grabbing her from the rafters at Marie’s Place comes crashing back to me.
“I have her, Doctor Hamilton,” one of my colleagues says, pushing through the door with a team. They know I’m off duty. It’s hospital protocol that I step aside and let them handle it, but I don’t want to let her go. My heart literally falls out of my chest as they push in front of me and take over. I don’t want them to have to restrain me and forget about Lacy, so I step back quickly, moving out of their way, and watch them work on her. I fist my hands. Watching others treat her is the hardest thing I have ever had to do as they try to rouse her, attaching machines to check her heart and pulse. My eyes flick to Jolene, who is standing to the side, shock on her face, and a healthy dose of reality of exactly how precious life is on her mind.
I can barely breathe. I swallow hard, my mouth dry as I look back at Lacy. Her body is still limp, her beautiful hair out, her features softened and her skin deathly pale. She looks rested, at peace, and I look up to the ceiling and close my eyes, praying that this isn’t the end.
She will be alright. She has to be, because I’m going to marry this girl.