Chapter Fourteen
Tommy
BANG BANG BANG
What the fuck?
BANG BANG BANG
Shit. The feeling of dread is digging into me.
No one would wake me up at this time unless there was something seriously wrong.
I stumble over my getaway bag as I rush to the door.
After only getting back to Worcester around midnight last night, I fell straight into bed.
Yanking the door open, I am greeted by a red-eyed Max.
“What the hell, Max? Someone better have died for you to wake me at this time,” I bark. Thinking he must just want a place to crash after a night out. I’m not a fucking hotel.
His face drains of colour, leaving a ghostly white behind.
Fuck.
I’m closer to the mark than I thought.
“Get dressed, we need to go to the hospital now. I’ll fill you in when we get in the car.” Like hell you will.
“No! Tell me now. Who is it? Mum?” I feel nauseous at the thought.
“Not mum. It’s Maya. There’s been an accident. Now hurry the fuck up, we need to go now!”
I can’t breathe.
I can’t move.
My body is frozen, my limbs not cooperating. I’ve only just got her. I’m seeing her tomorrow. This can’t be happening.
Max grabs a hold of my shoulders and shakes me hard.
“For fucks sake, Tommy. Come on!”
Like a switch had flipped, I’m in action mode.
Running to my bedroom, I yank on last night's joggers and sweatshirt that I’d left on the floor.
Rushing back to Max, I chuck on the first pair of shoes I see, then head down to the underground garage.
The hospital isn’t that far, but taking my car will get us there much quicker than Max’s.
“Explain,” Is all I can muster. Unable to speak words, but needed to know more. My hands are vibrating on the steering wheel as I try to get us there as fast as I possibly can.
“Bro, I have no idea. They’ve been calling us both for hours.
The only reason I woke up was that I went to take a piss.
” Shit, my phone was on vibrate. Usually that would wake me, but I was dead to the world.
“All they said on the phone was that Maya and Harry were hit by a car leaving 96. Fallon is in a bad way, man, she saw the whole thing happen.”
“What condition are they in?”
“She didn’t say, just that she needs us. Listen, I know something is going on between you and Maya. I don’t know what, but you need to come clean. She’s going to need you.”
“I love her, Max. I always have.”
We travel the rest of the way in silence, both lost in our own worlds.
Come on, Maya baby.
We run into the emergency department and head straight to the front desk.
Max goes and joins the queue, whereas I can’t wait that long.
Striding past all the people waiting to be seen, I make a beeline for the back double doors.
Looking for anybody who will help me find my way to her.
I walk through the corridors until I come across the first person I see wearing some form of scrubs.
“Excuse me, I’m looking for Maya Houghton. She was brought in earlier.” Whatever expression she sees on my face has her rushing around to the nurses' station, beckoning me with her.
“Maya Johnson?” I nod. “Ah, she’s still in surgery. Are you family?”
“Yes, I’m her boyfriend,” I rush out, reeling from the fact she’s in surgery. Not knowing what is going on is killing me.
“Follow me, I will take you to the rest of the family.” She gives me a soft smile, clearly worried I might break down there and then. I’m very fucking close.
I don’t think I have ever in my life had a panic attack, and my body has decided that right now would be the perfect time to experience one for the first time.
I can hear my own pulse throbbing through my head.
Every joint in my fingers aches from the tight fists my hands have been in.
Max grabs onto me, steering me in the direction the lady has gone. I didn’t know he had followed me.
Walking down the hallway to the family room feels like I’m walking the green mile. Dread pulsing through me at every step, not knowing what is waiting for me at the other end. When we finally make it to the open door, I can hear whimpering from the other side.
No.
Please tell me I’m not too late.
Bile starts to rise up my throat, and I choke, struggling to swallow it back down.
Throwing the door open wider, we’re greeted by the shocked faces of my family and her friends.
Blair and Gracie have fallen asleep on one of the couches in the corner of the room.
My parents and Lucy are trying to comfort Fallon.
Even Jenson is here, standing close by the sleeping girls. How did he get here before me?
After taking in the room, I stride straight over to Fallon.
I need to know what’s happening. I feel blind in all of this.
I notice that Max has headed straight to Lucy, holding his arms open wide for her to fall into.
Before I get a chance to ask any of my millions of questions, there’s a knock on the door.
A tall man in his mid-thirties, wearing blue scrubs and a cap, walks into the room.
“Good morning, everyone. I’m Dr Smyth. I have just got out of surgery with Maya,” He speaks in such a calm demeanour, surely that’s a good sign.
“Firstly, I’m happy to inform you that she is stable, and surgery went well.
She has suffered an open fracture on her forearm, which we have operated on and cleaned up for now, but she also has minor swelling on the brain.
We have released the pressure, and so far, I feel happy with how it all went.
We won’t know the full picture until she wakes up, but for now, we’re keeping her sedated to give her body time to heal.
Once we’ve got her settled in her room, you will all be able to go and see her.
Please don’t be alarmed if she doesn’t wake up for a while. Sleep is what will help her the most.”
I should feel relief, yet I still don’t have the full story. It feels like I’ve not had time to process any of what has happened. Every fibre in my body is itching to go to her. To show her she isn’t alone.
“Do you have an update on Harry? I… I need to see him too,” Fallon’s lips tremble as she struggles to speak.
Shit, I forgot all about Harry.
Dr Smyth turns to her with a kind smile. “I’ll make sure you’re informed of any updates on Harry. Right now, he’s still critical and in surgery. It will be a while longer yet.”
Fallon chokes at that. Gasping as if she can’t suck in any oxygen. Mum grabs her, pulling her into a tight hug.
“You’ll let us know as soon as we can see Maya?” I demand, garnering curious glances from everyone in the room. They can all piss off. I’m not hiding this shit any longer. She’s my girl.
“I will send one of the nurses in as soon as she’s ready for visitors.” How is he so fucking calm?
My dad steps forward, trying to settle the unease in the room. “Thank you, Dr Smyth. We really appreciate it,” He leans forward to shake his hand.
After a few minutes of small talk, he leaves the room. As soon as he does, I spin towards my family.
“Can someone tell me what the hell is happening?” I bark out, my worry now turning into rage. I keep having visions of Maya, bruised, hurt and alone.
The sisters must have woken up when the doctor came in, as Blair is the first one to answer me.
“It’s all my fault,” She cries out, wrapping her arms around herself. “If I… if I didn’t tell her to hail the taxi… none of this would have happened.”
“No!” Fallon bellows from across the room. “Don’t you dare blame yourself for this; that car came out of nowhere. None of us seen it, including Maya.”
“We had all left together, it could have been any of us,” Gracie supplies, grabbing onto her sister as though she were an injured animal.
“Not Harry,” Fallon starts to sob again, her anger fading away.
“Harry is here because he saw it coming and tried to save Maya.” I am so confused right now.
Fallon must notice as she continues. “Maya stepped onto the road to hail the cab, and a car's headlights came out of nowhere. I swear there was no other car on the street. Harry must have seen it coming as he ran to grab her and ended up taking the brunt of the car. They think her injuries are from hitting her head on the curb at such a force when he pulled her away.”
The reality of how close I have come to losing my girl is like a knife to the heart. All this time pining and wanting her from the sidelines seems pointless now that I have her. For her to be almost snatched away from me. I haven’t even had the chance to take her on an official date yet.
Fuck, I need to see her.
Max and Lucy stand, offering to get hot drinks for everyone, the most British thing they could possibly do.
In our family’s eyes, a cup of tea can fix anything.
If that were true, I’d spend every last penny I had on tea bags to help my girl.
My mum offers to go with them, but they insist she wait with Fallon.
Once they head out, everyone takes a seat. My dad is coming to sit next to me.
“How are you holding up, son? I can’t imagine how hard this is for you.”
I glance up at him, confused. Why is he asking me this? Does he know about Maya and me? If he knows, do they all know? Not that I give a shit, it’s Maya I am protecting by not mentioning it earlier. She made it clear she wanted Fallon on board first.
“You’ve never been good at hiding your emotions, even as a child.
The way you just stormed in here like a crazed man proved my suspicions.
You were like a bull chasing a red flag,” He chortles, then squeezes my shoulder.
“I’m assuming she feels the same way?” I nod.
“How long? You’re treating her right, aren’t you?
” I want to argue over him asking me such a thing, but there is something about Maya that makes people want to protect her.
“A very long time, but not long at all. We have both wanted this for years, but didn’t know how the other felt,” I admit.
“Then you are both blind. I have known for years.”
“Fallon told her to stay away from me.” My anger rising, why the hell did she have to get involved?
“I’m sure she thought her reasoning was good at the time. Don’t let anyone hold you back from love. Nothing in life comes easy; where would all the fun in that be?” He gives my shoulder one more squeeze before standing and going back over to my mum.
Patience isn’t a virtue I practise often; if I want something in life, I get it. Being stuck in here, knowing she is so close and I can’t run to her, is killing me.