3. Travis
3
TRAVIS
T ravis dialed his focus in on Gage as sweat dripped down his face. There were few things as therapeutic as sparring first thing in the morning, and a double session was just what Travis needed to break out of his funk.
Gage jabbed, and Travis dodged just in time and snapped back like a rubber band, using all of his momentum to land a right hook square against Gage’s cheek.
“Ouch,” Travis taunted as Gage shook his head to get his bearings. “You’re a little sloppy today.”
Gage stretched his neck to both sides before assuming a ready stance.
“Do I need to go easy on you?” Travis asked.
Gage mirrored Travis’s steps as they moved around the ring. The trash talk didn’t usually get to Gage, but the guy was moving slow today.
Gage wasn’t making a go for it, which meant he was getting tired. Travis took a chance and went all-in on a roundhouse kick that landed solid against Gage’s thigh.
Gage sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. “Shoot, man.”
Rounds with Gage were fun because they didn’t aim to maim, but neither of them pulled punches. A kick like that could have broken something if Travis wasn’t careful.
“Just trying to get your attention. Too much?”
Gage bit the strap on his right glove and pulled it off. “I’d like to be able to walk tomorrow.”
Travis tugged his gloves off and hopped out of the makeshift ring. He took a seat on a worn wooden bench beside Gage and grabbed a bottle of water. “What’s on your mind?”
“It’s stupid,” Gage mumbled.
“Not too stupid if it’s throwing you off like this. Anything I can do to help?”
Gage rolled his eyes. “It’s Hadley. She’s worried about Anna, and it’s tearing her up. I hate it when she’s sad and I don’t know how to help.”
Travis had gotten a front-row seat to the changes in Gage’s life over the last year. Watching his friend progressively grow to love Hadley and be a good boyfriend, then fiancé, was pretty satisfying. Gage had gone from unapologetic outlaw to a caring Christian and a good partner to Hadley.
“What’s the matter with Anna?” Travis asked.
Gage wiped the sweat off his face with a towel. “She got engaged.”
“I heard. I guess everyone has their opinions about that couple since the guys at the fire station were talking about it too.”
Travis’s guy friends didn’t do a lot of gossiping, but most of them had girlfriends who were all friends and looked out for each other.
“Hadley thinks Dean is a…”
“Searching hard for something to call him that isn’t X-rated?” Travis asked.
“Yep. He’s not my favorite person. I doubt he’s anyone’s favorite person. The guy is a loser, and he’s not good to Anna.”
“But she said yes to marrying him,” Travis pointed out.
“Right, and I keep telling Hadley that, but it doesn’t seem to help much.”
“Has Hadley talked to her about it?”
Gage rested his head against the wall behind them with a thunk. “No, and she’s scared she’ll hurt Anna’s feelings. Why is it so hard for women to talk to each other?”
“When did our gym time become girl talk time?” Travis asked.
Gage chuckled. “Sorry, man. I just hate seeing Hadley upset.”
“Then maybe you should say something to Anna.”
Gage’s eyes widened. “Not a chance. I’m staying out of it. I already talked to Beau about it, and he said we should stay out of it too.”
“I’d offer to do the honors, but I don’t know her as well as you do. A conversation where I tell her that her boyfriend is a jerk might not go over well.”
Gage stared off into the gym where a handful of people were making use of the workout machines. “Maybe he’ll sabotage things on his own. I mean, Anna has to wise up at some point, right?”
“I guess. When’s the wedding?”
“Hopefully, not any time soon,” Gage said low. “But if I know Anna, she’s been planning it since she was six years old. She might already have a caterer booked.”
Travis looked up at the digital clock on the wall and stood. “Sorry, man. I hope Anna wises up and Hadley doesn’t have to worry about her anymore.”
“Thanks. Where are you headed? You don’t usually leave for the ranch this early.”
Shoot. Sneaking around was a lot tougher when his roommate actually paid attention. How did Gage keep up with Travis’s schedules for multiple jobs when he had more than one himself?
“Just got some things to do before work.”
“All right. I guess I’ll see you at the house later.”
When Gage didn’t press the issue, Travis headed for the showers. Why was there a tugging in his chest? He’d been fighting it for the last two days, and the more he tried to forget it, the more the nagging in the back of his mind told him to go with his gut.
Fifteen minutes later, he settled into his truck and closed the door. Crossing his arms on the wheel and resting his head on them, he closed his eyes and waited for his breathing to slow.
“God, what am I doing? She’s probably fine. I can’t do anything else to help her. Why am I wrestling over going back to the hospital?”
No answer came, but the urge to go check on her welled up inside him again.
Travis lifted his head and started the truck. The diesel engine roared to life like his resolve. “Fine. I’ll go see her. I’ll ask her how she’s doing, offer to help her if she needs anything, and leave.”
Every muscle in Travis’s body stayed taut on the long drive to the hospital, but a steady string of “What if” questions rolled through his head.
He parked in front of the hospital and killed the engine. The building wasn’t that impressive, and while he knew the emergency department like the back of his hand, the rest of the hospital had remained a welcome mystery to him.
Why was he going in now? Why was he walking into a situation that couldn’t have a good outcome?
“Find out how she’s doing, and go home,” he said aloud in the quiet cab. Letting out an exasperated huff, he opened the door. “This is crazy.”
Once he was in motion, Travis made his way into the hospital on autopilot. He stopped at the information desk and gave the sour-faced nurse as much of a grin as he could muster.
“Good morning. I’m here to see…”
Shoot. Who was he here to see? He didn’t know her name.
The elevator behind him dinged, and he turned just as one of the nurses he knew stepped out.
“Kennedy.”
Kennedy looked up from digging in her purse and gave him a bright smile. Her long black hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, and her intricate tattoos snaked their way up her arms and under the short sleeves of her blue scrubs.
“Hey, Trav. Are you working?” Her gaze traveled from his head to his toes and back, taking in his jeans and T-shirt. She stretched an arm out to the side to give him a quick hug.
Kennedy had given him plenty of hints that she was interested in him, but he’d never made a move. She was a few years younger than him, and there’d never been a spark of anything other than friendship, at least on Travis’s end.
“Actually, I just came to check in on the woman we brought in a couple of days ago. Do you know if she’s still here? She didn’t have a name.”
Kennedy’s eyes widened. “Oh, Jane Doe.”
“I guess that means she still doesn’t have a name.”
“Last I heard. I haven’t seen her, but I heard about her during a shift change yesterday. I don’t think she’s awake yet.”
Travis followed Kennedy down the hallway. What was he even doing here? The nurses wouldn’t be able to tell him anything, and she was basically in a coma.
Kennedy stopped outside of a room and quietly knocked. “Oops. I guess she isn’t going to respond.” She rolled her eyes and smiled, making light of her own mistake.
“Thanks,” Travis said, pausing at the door.
“You’re welcome. I hope she wakes up soon, or at least someone comes to see her.”
“Me too.”
Kennedy checked her watch. “I gotta run. Heading out to a concert in Montana with the girls.”
“Have fun, and be careful.” The reminder of the injured woman waited on the other side of the door.
Kennedy grinned up at him. “You’re so sweet. I’ll be extra careful just because you told me to.” She gave him an excited wave and turned to march back down the hallway like she owned the place.
Travis pushed the door open and peeked inside. The lights were dimmed, and silence hung in the air. The woman lay peacefully on the bed, and a blanket stretched over her.
He should leave. He should turn around and walk away. He could be early for work. He could stop by Beau’s shop and get his oil changed. He could stop for a donut on his way out of town.
He could be doing anything else, but for some reason, his feet were moving into the room. He left the door ajar and stopped beside the bed and took in the woman before him.
Someone had washed the blood out of her hair. It was a sandy blonde that flowed over her shoulder like a river of sunlight. Her eye was still swollen, her head was bandaged, and another bandage wrapped around her upper arm.
Travis saw injuries every day, but every once in a while, the trauma got to him. It squeezed his heart like a vise, cutting off his ability to breathe.
He pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat, leaning forward to prop his elbows on his knees and rest his head in his hands. A heavy weight sat on his shoulders.
Silence settled around him–emptiness begging to be filled.
“Lord, I don’t know what this woman needs, but You do. I pray You’ll heal her body and give her mind rest. Help me to know what You need me to do because I don’t know why I’m here.”
Travis swallowed hard. Had he been drawn here for this? Did she need prayer more than anything?
“Please bring the people who love her. Help them to surround her and remind her of Your love. Give her strength and hope.”
He should have asked Mr. Chambers or Mr. Benson to pray. They were so much better at this. Travis talked to God a lot, but his prayers always seemed basic.
“And… thank You for saving her. Help her to be strong. Healing is going to be tough, but she needs to remember to lean on You.”
Did she even know God? Another mystery added to the list.
The door creaked, and a short, dark-haired nurse flipped the lights on as she walked into the room.
“Oh, hello. You must be her husband.”
Travis stood, pushing the chair away from the woman on the bed. Being mistaken for her husband was a far cry from the truth. “No, I’m actually the paramedic who responded to the call. Has she had any visitors?”
“None yet. You don’t have any idea who she is?” the nurse asked.
“I’m sorry. I know less than you do.”
The nurse sighed and stepped up to the medical cart. “Well, we’ve been piecing together her medical file. She seems to be doing well. She hasn’t woken up yet as far as we’re aware, but she’s stable.”
Travis backed into a corner while the nurse worked. The ache in his chest was starting to ease. Maybe he’d just needed to pray for her. It was really all he could do.
The nurse turned to him with a smile. “Will you be staying a while? Do you need anything?”
“No, I think I’m about to go.” He reached into his chest pocket for the notebook and pen he kept handy. “If I give you my phone number, will you let me know if she needs anything when she wakes up? I’d like to help her get in touch with her family.”
“Sure. That’s very thoughtful of you.”
Travis scribbled his number on the paper and handed it to the nurse. “Thanks. I’m Travis.”
“I’ll put this in her chart,” the nurse said as she gave him a nod. “Take care.”
When he was left alone in the room with the woman again, Travis moved the seat closer to the bed. Bowing his head, he resumed his prayer from earlier.
“Lord, I hope she knows You. I hope she remembers to trust You and lean on You when things are tough. Amen.”
With his mission complete, Travis got to his feet and stretched his back. Now he could go home knowing he’d done all he could do. He’d ask his friends and everyone at church to pray for her, and his job here was done.
He turned to leave, and a small movement caught his eye. The woman’s finger twitched.
Travis stopped and watched the delicate hand as her fingers lazily moved. Her head turned slightly, brushing against the pillow. Blinking slowly, she opened her eyes and squinted at the lights.
Travis’s entire body froze. He could finally find out who she was and get her in touch with her family.
Her gaze settled on him, and she continued to blink. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again.
Travis pressed the button beside her bed to call the nurse and settled back into the chair by the woman’s side.
She looked at him, then looked around the room before bringing her attention back to him. In a low, hoarse voice, she whispered, “Who are you?”