29. nix #3
I can’t let him continue. “Can I speak with you for a minute?”
“Sure, happy to answer any questions.” He checks the time on his watch, then folds his arms across his chest and tilts his head to the side.
I nod toward the door. “In private.”
He skims his gaze across Murphy and Abbi, then makes his way to the door and out into the hallway. I follow him out, and with my fingers wrapped around the handle, I look back at my family. “Won’t be long.” The door closes with a sharp snick, and I turn to the doctor.
He makes a show of looking at his watch again, then narrows his sharp eyes on me. “I’m very busy. What do you need?”
I study him. An ordinary-looking man. You wouldn’t know he was an incredible surgeon if you passed him on the street.
If anything, you might think he was an accountant.
I take a step closer, and he stands taller, tilting his head back to maintain eye contact with me.
“I need …” I stretch my neck from side to side.
“I need a little compassion in there,” I snap, pointing to Murphy’s room just in case he doesn’t understand.
“That young man has just had his life turned upside down. He’s lost his leg, his hearing, and has burns on his face, body, and hand.
And you stand at the end of his bed and rattle off his injuries like a laundry list and have the audacity to tell him he’ll be fine.
” I jam my fingers into my hips, so I don’t twist them in his shirt and shake him.
“He may survive and heal, but his life has fundamentally changed. So yeah, I need a little compassion.”
His expression softens. “My apologies. I’ve been told my bedside manner is lacking, and sometimes I forget I need to do better.”
He holds out his hand, and I take it in mine, patting his bicep at the same time. “Apology accepted.”
I open the door and we return to Abbi and Murphy.
This time, Dr. Wagner softens his delivery after apologizing to Murphy.
As soon as the door closes behind the doctor, Murphy dissolves into tears, which quickly turn into heart-wrenching sobs.
His body shaking with every gasping breath in and out.
The despair etched in the creases across his face and the soul-wrenching pain in his tears are enough to bring any man to his knees, but when it’s your son … I can’t even.
Abbi slips onto the bed alongside Murphy, careful of his injuries, and tries her best to soothe him, but he’s having none of it. His pain is too great, too raw to be contained.
“I wish I’d just died!” he howls.
Abbi gasps, and I stride to the other side of the bed to lean over our son.
“Don’t even go there, Murphy. I won’t have it,” I tell him sternly.
“I’ll tolerate a lot while you heal, but that’s not one of them.
” I cup his cheeks, careful of his bandage, and force him to look at me.
“You have a long life ahead of you that will be full and rich. You’ll find a new normal, happiness, and love.
I promise you will get through this. Mom and I will drag you through it kicking and screaming if we have to, but you will come out the other side.
” I press my forehead to his. “Do you hear me?”
He presses his lips together and squeezes his eyes tight, but he nods against my forehead, and it’s enough right now. It has to be.
We sit together in silence until well past visiting hours. My stomach grumbles, breaking the silence, reminding me I haven’t fed my wife since lunch. My back aches as I straighten, and I dig my hands into my lower back to stretch backward. I’ve been feeling my age the last few days.
Murph chuckles. “You guys should go.”
“I don’t want to leave you,” Abbi tells him softly.
He shakes his head. “You need to eat, and I’ll be okay. I’m tired and you are too.”
A nurse knocks on the door and opens it. “Oh, I didn’t realize you still had visitors.” She looks at Abbi and me with sympathy. “I’m sorry, I have to ask you to leave.”
“It’s okay. They were just leaving.” He looks at us, raising his eyebrows as best he can with the bandages on his face.
We say our goodbyes, leaving with promises to return tomorrow.
I wrap my arm around Abbi’s shoulder as we make our way out of the hospital toward our hotel. Her body sags against me, fatigue zapping the last of her energy.
As soon as we enter our room, I smack her ass. “Go take a shower; I’ll order room service.”
She drops her head back on her shoulders with a groan that wakes up parts that don’t need to be awake. Not when we’re both dead on our feet. We’ve been to hell and back the last few days, and all we need is a hot shower and a hot meal, and sleep.
“Sounds divine.” She grabs her pajamas out of the suitcase and heads toward the bathroom.
I grab the menu. “Any requests?”
“Food,” she calls out as she closes the door to the bathroom.
I chuckle, shaking my head. She already has the water running in the shower, so there’s no point wasting time. I call down our dinner order, then grab my clothes so I can shower as soon as Abbi’s finished.