Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jace
“Her neurological exam was good, there is some heavy bruising and the laceration to her forehead did require several stitches. We will keep her here a couple days and monitor the swelling. There is also the bruising from the seatbelt and the burns on her neck and chest, but those should all heal with time. She is disoriented and will be in and out of consciousness from the ongoing medication. But right now the best thing for her is rest.”
“Can we see her?” Dax asks looking so defeated. The guy was barely hanging on, like his lifeline had been severed and he could barely breath.
“A small visit would be fine, but we’d like to keep it two at a time.”
“Aurora Reid’s family,” another doctor entered the room and before any of us can speak a man in a suit and a petite woman wearing far too much makeup stand. “Here.”
I look around the room seeing confusion on everyone’s face, but Craigs.
“And here,” he says loudly, gaining the full attention of everyone in the room.
“Craig,” the man in the suits says with a flare of his nostrils. “We are her parents.”
“Being a parent requires more than one call a year, when you need to put on a show. When was the last time the three of you sat down for a conversation? So you know anything about her?”
“Excuse me,” the doctor tried to interrupt but the couple I’ve never seen once continues to defend their actions or tried too. To be honest I couldn’t care less.
“She’s my wife,” I say loud enough to overshadow the voices echoing around the waiting area and the shouting quickly stops.
“She’s not married,” the man I now know is her father states, but he doesn’t look too sure. In fact, he glances at his wife, and all she does is shrug.
“Like Craig said, when was the last time you all had a conversation? I’ve been with her for more than a year and I’ve never once met either of you.” Maybe we weren’t together-together during that year, but I know her. “Right now, none of this matters. I just want to know how my wife is.”
Craig smiles, offering me a nod of approval.
“After several scans we found that Mrs. Reid had a dislocated shoulder, and a broken wrist. We have reset both and had to put a percutaneous pin in that we’ll remove after the bone heals. There is lots of bruising to the right side of her face, and she required stitches to her right eyebrow.”
There was still look of concern on his face as he looked over my shoulder and then slowly brought his attention back to me.
“At the scene, your wife woke and began to panic. After several attempts to calm her, the efforts were unsuccessful and she slipped, catching her side on a piece of metal sticking out from the rubble. She lost a lot of blood, and at one point her heart stopped.” I wasn’t even aware I was unstable until I felt someone holding me up from behind.
“Hold it together man,” Oliver said at my side.
“Is she…” I couldn’t even say the words.
“She’s got several weeks recovery ahead of her, but she will be fine.”
I nod, feeling like all the weight I’ve been feeling for hours has now been lifted. “Can I see her?”
“She isn’t awake yet, but I think sitting next to her bed won’t hurt,” the doctor says as he places his hand on my shoulder and begins leading me toward the double doors.
“Wait.” Her father steps forward. “We are her parents.” He looks over me from head to toe, I am sure taking in all my tattoos and piercings. “We don’t even know if this man is who he says he is.”
“Her emergency contact is a man named Craig Dawson who she has listed as her father.” The nurse steps up with an iPad, holding it out to the doctor.
Craig leans in smiles and shifts his attention back to the doctor. “That’s me but this man is the exact person she will want sitting at her side when she wakes up.” He places his hands on my shoulders and gives them a squeeze. “Give me updates on our girl,” he tells me, and right then I gain an entirely new form of respect for the guy. When Daxton got Bree, we all gained Craig. He has quickly became a big part of all our lives. He is the father figure we’ve all needed our entire lives. He keeps us in line, and he cares for all of us like we’ve always been his family.
Following the doctor, I glance back to see Aurora’s parents leaving the hospital.
When we reach her room, the nurse opens the door, and I step inside. “If you need anything, please just hit the nurse’s button on the side of her bed. She may come in and out of sleep, due to the anesthesia and thespian medication.” She offers me a smile, and says, “I’m assuming you are Jace?”
“Yes.” I stare at Ror.
“She asked for you.” I look away to find the nurse standing near the door. “It was the first thing she said when we wheeled her out of recovery.” With that final word, she steps out of the room and leaves me alone with Aurora.
Rounding the end of the bed I assess her injuries, or at least the ones I can see. Her right eye is so swollen the socket is even with her cheek bone. A bandage over her eyebrow area and her jaw, is purple with several scrapes leading down to her neck.
Her wrist is bandaged, there is still dried blood on her forehead, and it’s all so overwhelming. I sit in the chair at her side and bury my face in my hands trying to pull myself together.
Her heart stopped.
I can’t let that go, the fear, the pure terror over the fact that we could have lost her.
We could have lost both of them.
Reaching out, I take her good hand in mine, linking my fingers through hers. Lifting up now joined hands to my lips, I press a kiss to her knuckles and then lean over and lay my head onto the side her bed.
Listening to the beeps of the machines, I focus on her breathing and thank God, which is something I never do. I thank him for saving them both, and vow to never let her go.
Never!
I feel a fingers comb through my hair. “Jace.” It’s a soft whisper, a sound so fucking sweet it brings tears to my eyes.
Lifting my head, I find Aurora looking at me. Her eyelids so heavy she blinks a few times in order to hold them open.
“Hi baby.” I stand, careful not to hurt her as I press a soft kiss to her lips.
“Bree?”
“She’s good,” I assure her in order to keep her calm. “Daxton is with her.”
“It all happened so fast,” she says, her voice hoarse. “We came around the bend in the road and?—”
“The rescue crews said there was no way for you guys to avoid it. There were too many.” Not only did the girls hit one, but three deer. Another vehicle coming from the opposite direction witnessed the entire thing and said there had to be more than ten running in a group. They crossed the road and the girls came from the opposite direction, catching the tail end of the group.
“All that matters is that you are both okay,” I tell her. “A little banged up, but nothing that time won’t heal.”
She nods.
“Scared the hell out of all of us though.” I kiss her forehead, giving myself a few minutes before I leaned back and looked at her. Needing to make sure she is fully alert. “The idea of losing you terrified me. I know that it took me far too long to get to where we are now, but it wasn’t because I didn’t love you. Because I do,” she blinks at me. “I love you, Ror,” I repeat kissing her lips softly. “I’m in love with you.”