Chapter Ten
Sheridan
LEAVING THE HOSPITAL with my dad, I can’t help but feel as if he’s betraying me.
I know he’s been at the hospital with me every single day from the time he can enter my room during visiting hours until they kick him out each evening.
Of course things are behind at the garage and he needs to be able to put his focus back there so he can make money and get the vehicles he’s supposed to be working on fixed and back to their owners.
However, the last place I want to stay is with Axel.
Things are so strained between the two of us and despite us talking a little more, it all revolves around the baby.
We’re both dancing around the one conversation we need to have and I’m not sure how it’s going to go.
If I stay with Axel and things get even worse than they currently are, I’ll have to move out and it just seems like a ton of trouble that can be avoided if I just stay with my dad.
I can admit that it was kind of nice to hear Axel plead for me to stay with him on the compound.
I’ve never been to his house and I’m kind of curious as to what kind of place he’d live in.
Though, from what I’ve overheard, he stays in the clubhouse with the rest of the guys who don’t have a family instead of his house.
Maybe that’s his plan—remain in his room at the clubhouse while giving me a room at his house.
It might be that we won’t spend any time together at all and he won’t change his life just because I’ve moved into his house.
Honestly, I don’t really know how he lives his life these days.
I’ve heard a ton of things about him and the rest of the guys in the club, but I tend to reserve judgment based on what I personally see and not the words of people who don’t know what they’re talking about.
My dad leaves the room long enough for a nurse to help me get dressed in my regular clothes again.
Thankfully, Axel’s mom went to my house to grab me some clothes for when I was discharged so I didn’t have to put the same ones back on.
If I didn’t know his mom the way I do, I wouldn’t have allowed her in my home, but I’ve known her since school so I was okay with her entering my sanctuary.
Janessa went with her but promised she wouldn’t go in the house because she knew I wasn’t comfortable with her going inside.
I can see myself becoming really good friends with her at some point down the road, but right now I need to focus on my health and the baby boy I carry inside me.
Dr. Matthews is allowing me to drive so I can head to the store to get a few things I need if I’m going to be at Axel’s house instead of my own home.
I plan on packing up some clothes and the toiletries I need before my dad loads it in my SUV to take with me.
Then I’ll go to the store and grab a few snacks and other things I want to have with me.
I’m thinking I might get a few new books I can have with me so the days aren’t quite so long and boring.
Bed rest sucks and if I don’t have anything to do, I’ll go crazy.
Being in the hospital this past week has driven me up a wall because I wasn’t allowed to do anything but rest. If I’m going to be at Axel’s, I want to make sure I have something to do so I don’t get annoyed and have an attitude like I started to get when I was at the hospital.
Once I have my paperwork in hand and an appointment to see Dr. Matthews again in a few days, my dad wheels me from my room and we head out to his car.
The nurse and him help me inside where I get comfortable before I’m enclosed inside and my dad makes his way to the driver’s seat so we can get out of here.
For the first time in a week, I take a deep breath and let the hospital stay leave me.
The first thing I’m doing when I get home is taking a shower to wash the stench of the hospital off of me.
I only took one shower when I was there because the staff was too worried I’d fall with how high my blood pressure was.
Sponge baths were my friend and it’s just not enough for me to feel clean.
I’ll just leave the door open so my dad can hear me if anything happens.
“Sweetheart, I know you want to take a shower when you get home. I’m gonna ask that you wait until you get to Axel’s house.
He’ll be able to go in the bathroom with you instead of waiting outside the room like I’d have to do.
Or he can have his mom or Janessa go in with you if that makes you more comfortable.
I’m just worried I won’t be able to get to you quick enough if something happens,” my dad says as if he’s reading my mind and disappointment fills me.
“Okay. I get where you’re coming from and I understand your concerns, but it doesn’t mean I like it,” I tell him as I lean against the window and watch the world around me pass by.
There’s no point in arguing with him when I know he’s right. It just means I’ll have to wait a little longer to get clean. I can pack my favorite pajamas so I can put them on as soon as I get out of the shower.
“What are you doing after I get everything you’ll need loaded in the SUV?” my dad asks as he turns onto my street. I don’t live that far from the hospital so the trip home is quick.
“I’m gonna run to the store really quick.
I want to grab a few things Axel might not think about.
Plus, I can grab some books to read while I’m there.
It’s been a while since I’ve just read for fun and because I want to.
I’ll pack my tablet so I have my reading apps, but there’s something different about holding a book in my hands and flipping the pages,” I tell him honestly because I know he’s already worrying about me and what I’ll try to do on my own.
“I’m not going to take any unnecessary risks with the baby.
I’ll just go to the store and then head to Axel’s house.
He messaged me to let me know he’s shopping right now for groceries, but his dad will be there if I beat him to the compound. ”
“Good. Hammer can help you get your things in the house. I know you’ll try to do it yourself and that’s the last thing you need to be doing right now,” he says, already knowing I hate asking for help of any kind from anyone. “Is your back bothering you a lot today? I’ve seen you wince a few times.”
“No more than usual. Most of the time I feel as if it hurts so bad but I’m used to the pain so I can’t truly judge how it feels. I’ve had a few muscle spasms as well. Those are almost worse than the pain I feel,” I tell him as honestly as I can.
“Make sure you let Axel know if it really starts to bother you. You’ve got the medicine to take and he can give you a massage to help with the spasms and pain,” my dad reminds me as he pulls in my driveway and shuts the engine of his truck off.
I let him help me out of the truck before he grabs my bag and purse and we head inside the house.
There’s a stillness around me that’s not usually here.
It’s definitely got a stale smell and I need to clean the place from top to bottom before I’ll feel as if it’s back to normal.
That’s not something I can really think about right now though.
It’s the last thing on the long list of things I have to get done and worry about.
So, I go through to my room while my dad makes his way to the kitchen so he can clean out the refrigerator and get rid of all the food that’s expired or about to expire.
We don’t know how long I’ll be at Axel’s house so there’s no point in keeping all of this food in the house when I won’t be here to eat it.
I’m forever grateful for everything my dad does for me.
He’s always going to be my hero and the man I base every relationship I ever have on.
***
I’ve gotten everything I need from the store and my suitcases are loaded into the SUV.
One of the guys from the store loaded my bags in the back for me after I asked so I didn’t have to lift them and piss people off.
I’ve got my favorite ice cream and a ton of snacks I can keep in the room with me.
I also got several books I can read and I bought a gift card to add money so I can buy books on my apps.
It took longer than I thought to make my way through the store.
I’m not moving around as fast as normal and part of me is stalling because my next stop is Axel’s house.
So, I walked slower than normal and looked at things longer than I should have.
I’m sure someone will say something about how long I’ve been on my feet after being discharged from the hospital.
After thanking and tipping the guy who loaded everything in my SUV, I get in and leave the store.
Axel messaged me to say he was heading back to the house and would see me there.
I responded to tell him I was also leaving the store and heading his way.
At least he’ll know I’m on my way so if something happens, he’ll be prepared to come out and search for me.
I feel okay, but it can change in the blink of an eye.
Pulling out of the parking lot, I head for the stop light and come to a stop to wait for it to turn green.
I keep my music down low as I look around at the various shops and storefronts surrounding me.
Some of them have that old feeling as if they’ve been in town for longer than most of us who live here.
My favorite storefront is the general store.
It’s been owned by the same family for several generations and they rarely change anything.
You can go there to get penny candy, sit at a counter drinking milkshakes or eating ice cream they make there.
Everything inside is made of wood and they stock everything you can think of.
I love walking up and down the aisles, smelling the candles and looking at every item I want but don’t have room for in my house.
The second the light turns green, I check the road and make sure no one’s running the light.
It’s happened before and I always double-check this intersection because of the accidents that have occurred here over the years.
When I’m confident nothing is coming, I slowly pull out and start to turn toward the compound on the outskirts of town.
Before I can complete the turn, a truck slams into my side of the SUV.
My head slams into the window of my door and my wrist is jerked so hard I swear I hear something snap.
As I try to figure out what’s going on, my vision starts to fade to nothing.
The only thing I hear is the squealing of tires as I look up to find the truck that hit me racing away from the accident they just caused.
Where the hell did that truck come from?
I didn’t see anything before I started to turn. Otherwise I would have waited a few more seconds.
“Ma’am, you’re gonna be okay. I’m on the phone with emergency services right now,” a woman says after my door is opened. “Keep your eyes open if you can.”
“Tired,” I mumble, my voice sounding as if it’s coming through a thick fog. “Protect my baby.”
I fight like hell to keep my eyes open as I hear sirens.
There’s a woman at my side who hasn’t left since she opened my door.
I’m not sure who she is, but she seems very familiar to me.
Like it’s someone I’ve seen but can’t quite place where.
She’s been talking to me non-stop since she showed up even if I can’t remember what she’s saying.
I know she’s asked me questions I haven’t been able to answer as I remain locked in a daze.
It’s taken every ounce of energy I have left just to keep my eyes open and I’m not sure I’m doing all that good of a job.
“Ma’am, can you hear me?” a man asks as I try to turn my head to find out who’s next to me now. “Don’t move. Just answer if you can. Can you hear me?”
“Y-Y-Yes,” I stammer, my voice breaking as I feel something wet sliding down my face and cover my eyelids.
“Do you know your name?” the same man questions me, his voice gentle and coaxing.
“S-S-Sheridan,” I respond as I feel a sharp pain in my stomach. “Baby. Save my baby.”
My voice is a broken whisper as I feel my eyelids flutter closed again.
A second pain surges through my stomach and fear consumes me that something is happening to my son.
Thoughts of Axel fill my mind and I know I have to get in touch with him, but I can’t seem to get a single part of my body to cooperate with my silent demands.
I know my phone is in the cupholder as I feel something placed around my neck while I’m still instructed not to move.
It seems as if there’s nothing but chaos surrounding me that’s happening in slow motion.
I can’t distinguish a single person or sound as everything blurs together.
I’m getting asked one question after another by some guy.
They’re questions I should know the answers to, but I’m unable to process much of anything at the moment.
I can hardly hear what’s actually being asked of me.
There are several people surrounding me within my SUV as I’m placed carefully on a stretcher.
Once I’m outside the SUV, everything is completely overwhelming.
I can no longer hold on as my eyes flutter closed once again.
This time, they don’t open and I’m sucked down into a dark, blank abyss.
There’s no pain, sound, or chaos surrounding me.
The only thing I see is images of Axel over the years from the time we met until he left the hospital room earlier in the day.