Chapter 38
Chapter
Thirty-Eight
Natalie: Hey, call me when you get this.
Natalie: Never mind, I’ll call you.
Natalie: Unless you get this first.
Natalie: Sorry, I’m a little stressed. We can talk later.
My phone wakes me up, and I need a second to realize it’s ringing—someone is actually calling me—instead of my alarm.
Fumbling for it, I blink at the screen. It’s Natalie, and it’s six a.m.
“Hello?” I answer, still groggy. I clear my throat and try to sound more awake.
“What’s up?”
“Oh, crap, you were asleep, weren’t you?” Her voice is high and tight, and she doesn’t wait for a reply. “I’m sorry, I thought you might already be awake, and I wanted to give you time to find another ride.”
Her words are moving so much faster than my tired brain. “Ride?”
“I was going to pick you up for your morning class today, but I can’t.”
Her voice wobbles, and it cuts through the fog of sleep. “Natalie, what’s wrong?”
She sobs into my ear, and my heart cracks in two. Whatever is bothering her, I want to race to her side and fix it.
“It’s my dad,” she says through her tears. “He’s gotten worse.”
“What—what does that mean?”
After she told me about his condition, I googled polycystic kidney disease, so I have some basics. But WebM.D. only got me so far. From what I understand, as long as he continues dialysis, he’ll be okay. It’s not ideal, not by any means, but it will keep him alive indefinitely until a transplant becomes available.
“He couldn’t keep anything down.” She huffs a sad, slightly hysterical laugh. “It was Jace who noticed. The rest of us were too busy.”
I grip my phone so tight my fingers ache. After another gulping sob, she continues. “My mom took him to the E.R. last night. I stayed home with Jace but couldn’t sleep, waiting for her updates.” She swallows. “And the dialysis has stopped working.”
“But I thought it could continue to work forever?” The words sound na?ve as soon as they leave my dumb mouth. I wish I could take them back, but it doesn’t seem to offend her.
“I thought so, too.” Her voice is wooden, steeped with exhaustion. “But I guess over time, it can become less effective. His diagnosis was eight years ago, so it’s been a while…” She trails off, and I don’t know how to fill in the blanks. After a sniffle, she says, “They need to keep him in the hospital. Monitor his heart and his blood pressure while they figure out a new dialysis plan.”
Not being able to drive has never been so frustrating. I have to get to her, hold her. How long has she been awake? Who will make sure she’s okay? Silence stretches over the phone, with the hum of hospital beeping and PA announcements in the background.
“Babe, where are you?” I ask, keeping my tone soft and soothing.
“With my mom. Once Sarah got home, I took the bus to the hospital. I couldn’t leave Mom alone to deal with it anymore.”
That’s typical Natalie, racing to take care of the people she loves. Only this time, someone is going to take care of her.
I swing my legs out of bed, wincing as my left foot touches down and bears too much weight. Grabbing underwear, a shirt, and joggers, I cradle the phone between my ear and shoulder.
“Text me the details. Room number and stuff like that. I’ve gotta go, but I love you.”
I press the end button before she can argue, and gratification fills my chest as her text comes through with the answer to my questions.
After a record-setting fast shower, I hobble down the hall—should have grabbed my boot and crutches—to harass my roommates.
Cooper’s door is wide open, room empty, bed neatly made. He must have spent the night at Jasmine’s. When I pound on Evan’s door, he responds by throwing something at it and yelling. I guess that’s a no.
Jonas peeks his head out of his bedroom, dark curls standing up in a mess on his head. “Do you need something, Hunter?”
Normally I wouldn’t ask him for help, wouldn’t inconvenience him. I’ve let it get weird between us since he took my spot, and I can’t repay him for what I’m about to ask anytime soon.
But I swallow my pride. “Yeah, I do. Can you give me a ride? I need to go to the hospital.”His eyes widen as another idea hits me. “And can we find a drive through first?”
“You’re really serious about this girl, huh?” Jonas taps his fingers on the steering wheel of his Jeep.
Juggling the drink carrier and Starbucks bag in the passenger seat with me, I nod.
“How did you know?” He looks at me out of the corner of his eye, then back to the windshield. “I mean, uh, that she was—not ‘The One,’ but worth hanging on to?”
It took time for me to trust the guys on the hockey team. I was so accustomed to people using me to get to my dad that it didn’t happen overnight. Cooper and I asked Evan and Jonas to share an apartment with us because they play great hockey and picked up after themselves in the locker room. It seemed like decent criteria, and I haven’t regretted it. Jonas is a good guy—studious, thoughtful, dedicated. While we are friends, I wouldn’t say we’re super close.
I don’t mind that he asked about Natalie, but this is unfamiliar territory for us. He’s a junior this year; maybe he’s thinking about life after college. So I go with it.
“She’s good for me, you know? She sees things that other people don’t. Understands me. Calls me on my shit when I need it. Supports me. Helps me find the good in bad times.” I shift in my seat. “But it’s not only about what she does for me—that would be selfish. She’s also a really great person. Kind. Hardworking, like I’ve never seen before. She looks out for everyone else and takes care of them, and I want to put her first. I want her to see how incredible she is. I just want to give her good things and make her happy.”
Jonas nods, and I can’t help the curious glance I give him. “Why do you ask? Do you have a girl—”
“No.” He cuts me off and pulls his ballcap lower over his eyes. “I mean, maybe. There was someone I was interested in, but she’s not right for me. But it got me thinking about what’s important. What matters.”
I clap him on the shoulder as he pulls up to the hospital drop-off. “Trust your gut. You’ll know it when you see it.”
After grabbing my crutches, I somehow balance the drink carrier in one hand and the bag of breakfast sandwiches in the other. Leaning into the open door, I lock eyes with him.
“You’re a catch, Joe. Any girl would be lucky to date you. The one that got away doesn’t know what she’s missing. Thanks for the ride.”
I bump the door closed with a crutch and head through the automatic hospital doors. After being on crutches for a few weeks, I’m thankful for buildings with elevators and doors that open on their own. I know my way around the hospital, so it doesn’t take me long to find Natalie and her mom in a waiting area.