Chapter 43
We sit beside Aiden’s bed while the machines keep their steady rhythm, each quiet beep a reminder that he’s still fighting his way back to me.
I have one hand wrapped around his while the other rests in Finn’s. His fingers close around mine in quiet support, steady and reassuring in a way I did not expect. I hadn’t expected him to stay this long, and I certainly hadn’t expected him to open up the way he has.
Somewhere in the long stretch of waiting, he began telling me how he and Aiden first met.
He had only just been assigned to the Depoe Bay base a few years back, arriving with strong recommendations and some of the best swimmer scores in his class.
He already had a name people expected him to live up to, and one of the first assignments he was given after arriving was helping train the new marine response team.
Aiden had been part of that group.
Finn tells it with a small shake of his head and a smile that carries equal parts amusement and resignation.
“It didn’t take the man long to start breaking a few of the swim times I’d worked years to build,” he says, glancing toward the bed. “Hurt my ego a bit, I won’t lie.”
I listen intently, a quiet smirk tugging at my lips as he continues.
“And what made it worse,” he adds, “was that I couldn’t escape him after that. Everywhere I turned, there he was.”
He gestures toward Aiden.
“And then there’s the flower business.”
I can’t help the small smile that pulls at my lips.
“The flower business?”
Finn shakes his head, still sounding half exasperated.
“The man plants flowers for the elderly folks in town, and he bakes bread for them too, what the feck is that about?”
My smile widens.
“And everyone fecking loves him for it,” he adds.
A quiet laugh slips out of me.
“It’s infuriating.”
But after a moment, his smile softens, his gaze drifting back toward Aiden.
“I suppose it’s about time I admit our rivalry’s been fairly childish,” he says. “Hate to admit it, but the man pushed me. Made me better at what I do. Made me work harder.”
He exhales slowly.
“Helped me become the best version of myself.”
I squeeze his hand gently as I listen.
A knock interrupts the quiet moment, and the door opens, and Paula, the on-duty nurse, steps in.
“Hi, May, sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Holloway’s uncle has arrived,” she says kindly. “Unfortunately, we can only have two visitors at a time.”
Finn immediately begins to stand.
“I’ll head out.”
I rise with him.
“I’ll come with you,” I say. “Nathan is probably with Uncle Mike. He should be able to come see him too.”
I look at Aiden and lean down and press a soft kiss against his forehead.
“I’ll be right back,” I whisper.
Finn and I step out into the hallway and make our way toward the waiting room.
As soon as the doors open, I see Uncle Mike standing there with his cane, worry written clearly across his face. Not far behind him, Nathan stands near the wall.
“Uncle Mike.”
I hurry toward him and wrap my arms around him.
He hugs me tightly in return.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Nathan shake Finn’s hand before pulling him into a quick embrace, clapping him firmly on the back.
“How is he?” Uncle Mike asks when we finally pull apart.
“He’s doing okay,” I answer. “He’s stable. They’re doing everything they can to warm him up, and the doctors think he should wake up soon.”
Relief flickers across his face.
“You should go back and see him.”
It’s then that I notice a couple standing a few steps away near Nathan and Finn.
The sight of them stops me cold.
“April?”
Her worried eyes lock with mine, and we both move at the same time, rushing toward each other and colliding in a tight hug.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, tears already filling my eyes again.
“We got on a plane as fast as we could,” she says. “I couldn’t leave you here alone.”
I pull back just long enough to look at her before hugging her again.
Her hand begins rubbing slow circles across my back, just like Mom used to do when we were sick, and the comfort that settles over me at having her here is stronger than I expected.
When we finally pull apart, I turn to Max and hug him too.
“Thank you for coming.”
“Of course,” he says, hugging me back. “Whatever you need, we’re here.”
April turns to Finn and wraps him in a hug.
“You wonderful human being,” she tells him.
Finn chuckles.
“This is my boyfriend, Max,” she says, introducing them.
Max steps forward and offers his hand.
“Thank you for your service.”
Finn shakes it firmly.
“Aye. Nice to meet you, lad.”
“So tell us all about it,” April says eagerly.
And he does.
A few minutes later, we’re all settled into the waiting room chairs, me between April and Finn while she holds my hand and listens wide-eyed as Finn retells the story of the rescue, gasping and oohing at all the right moments.
And as I sit there surrounded by them, watching the people who rushed here without hesitation just to stand beside me in one of the hardest moments of my life, I can’t help but feel how lucky I am.
Because somehow, in the middle of all of this chaos and fear, I get to call these wonderful people my family.
About an hour passes before Uncle Mike and Nathan make their way back into the waiting room.
Aiden’s uncle looks exhausted, the weight of the day written plainly across his face as he makes his way carefully across the room with his cane steady in one hand. The moment he sees me standing there waiting for him, his expression softens.
I cross the distance between us and wrap my arms around him.
He hugs me back just as tightly.
“Thank you,” he says after a moment, his voice quiet but full of meaning. “For taking such good care of him.”
Emotion presses suddenly against the back of my throat, but I manage a small nod when I pull back to look at him.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay with him as long as he needs.”
He studies my face for a moment before turning to Finn, who has already stood to greet him.
“Thank you,” Uncle Mike says, emotion thick in his voice. “For saving my nephew.”
Finn shakes his head.
“Ah, now, there’s no need for that,” he says. “Just doing my job.”
Nathan rests a hand on Uncle Mike’s shoulder.
“I’m taking Mike home,” he explains. “I called Andrés earlier. He’ll be coming over to stay the night with him.”
Uncle Mike gives a small wave of his hand as if to confirm that the whole arrangement has already been decided.
Nathan’s eyes move back to me.
“I stopped by your place earlier and picked up Neptune,” Nathan says. “He, Skye, and Houston are having a sleepover tonight, so you can focus on Aiden.”
That earns the first real smile I’ve felt in hours.
I step forward and hug him.
“Thank you for taking care of Neptune.”
“Don’t mention it,” he says easily.
Across from us, April studies me for a moment, her eyes moving slowly over my clothes.
“Are you planning to go home at all tonight?”
I glance down then, suddenly aware that I’m still wearing my work clothes.
The thought of leaving the hospital tightens something immediately in my chest.
“I don’t want to leave.”
April doesn’t argue. Instead, she reaches for my arm and squeezes it gently.
“Okay. Max and I will go to your house and grab some clothes for you, and we’ll bring you some dinner.”
Relief moves through me.
“Thank you,” I say, hugging her and Max again.
“Of course,” he says. “Whatever you need.”
Nathan gestures toward the hallway.
“You can follow me,” he tells them. “I have the key to May’s place at home.”
Within a few minutes, the waiting room feels noticeably quieter.
It’s just Finn and me now.
I glance up at him, half expecting him to say he should probably head home too, but he doesn’t move.
“Come on,” I say, and he follows.
We walk back down the hallway toward Aiden’s room together.
The soft rhythm of the monitors greets us the moment we step inside again, steady and familiar now after hours of listening to it.
I return to the chair beside the bed and reach for Aiden’s hand, curling my fingers gently around his.
Finn pulls the other chair closer and sits beside me.
I glance at him.
“Shouldn’t you go home and get some rest?” I ask him. “You didn’t exactly get to enjoy your day off.”
He leans back in his chair.
“They gave me tomorrow off,” he says. “I can rest then.”
His eyes shift toward me for a moment.
“I’m not leaving you alone, lass.”
A rough voice breaks in from the bed.
“She’s not alone.”
My head snaps up so quickly my chair shifts against the floor.
Aiden’s eyes are barely open, his voice hoarse and weak, but unmistakably his.
“I’m right here.”