CHAPTER FIVE #2
“That’s enough,” Thatcher said gently. “This isn’t the time. We all need to pull together for the kids’ sake. You know that.”
Carrie nodded, tears dropping from her eyes. “I just can’t believe you’d cheat on her again,” she whispered, sounding broken.
“I didn’t,” I said quietly. All movement paused as they took in my words. I could feel everyone looking at me. “I was planning a surprise birthday party for her because I fucked up our anniversary so badly.”
Carrie froze. “What?”
“Calliope Mason is the party planner. She’s been helping me plan everything. Blair walked in and saw me with her in my office. She thought… well, you know what she thought.”
Carrie’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh no. Oh God.” She sat down and put her head between her legs.
Sadie stopped crying long enough to choke out, “She’s got to pull through and hear this.” She stared at me. “You were seriously planning a birthday party for her?”
I nodded. “It was supposed to be small, intimate, and in our backyard with just our closest friends. But the more I talked to Calliope, the bigger the party became. I told her what I’d done; that I’d completely ruined our actual anniversary.
It gradually grew into this mammoth event.
I rented out the country club, then she decided we needed a British theme because I was going to give Blair my anniversary present at the party. ”
I looked around the room. Everyone was staring at me, their eyes filled with sorrow and pain, their faces drawn and pale. “I was going to take her to England for a couple of weeks next summer.”
“But why all the late nights at work? The texts? The time you spent locked in your home office?” Carrie asked.
I hung my head. Blair had told Carrie all of this.
My beautiful, perfect wife thought I was cheating on her.
I looked up and met Carrie’s eyes. “I knew I was way too busy with the practice. I never got to the kids’ events or had time with Blair, and I wanted to change that.
I was working on hiring another dentist. That was another surprise for her.
I was going to cut my hours way back so I could spend more time with my family. ”
We were all silent after that. Carrie looked deflated, like someone had taken her soul and left her body behind.
It was then that the waiting room door opened. A doctor with a clipboard stood there and everyone in the room looked at him hopefully.
“Family of Blair Hastings?” he said.
The entire group of us stood, and the doctor’s eyebrows rose. “Who is her husband?”
I raised my hand.
“Just you, please. Then you can tell everyone else.”
I was suddenly scared to go alone. I glanced at Carrie. “Can her, er, sister come, too?” This guy didn’t need to know that Carrie wasn’t really her sister. Besides, they were as close as sisters.
He gave a brief nod.
Carrie practically rocketed from her seat, and the two of us joined the doctor in a small room near the waiting area. It was barely big enough to hold the desk and two chairs that were in there. The doctor perched on the desk and looked like he didn’t want to tell us what he had to say.
I was about ready to shake it out of him, and I think he could tell.
He took a deep breath and finally began talking. “Your wife suffered a severe acute subdural hematoma in the crash. It’s… very serious. She’s still in surgery, and we’ll discuss best treatment options after she’s out.”
I didn’t even know what to say. “So… what does that mean?”
“What’s her prognosis?” Carrie asked.
“We’re not sure about her long-term prognosis and won’t be until she’s in recovery after the surgery concludes.” He cleared his throat. “But I can tell you, it’s not good. She was very, very fortunate we got to her when we did or she would not have made it.”
I felt sick. “Are you trying to tell me my wife is going to die?”
He didn’t answer immediately but seemed to be evaluating how to handle the conversation.
“I’m not saying that, but I will tell you that she is in critical condition.
The next forty-eight hours will tell us more.
But you do need to prepare yourselves for the possibility that she might not pull through. ”
Carrie was sobbing quietly in the seat next to mine. I felt like I was having an out of body experience, as if the doctor’s words were bouncing around me and I wasn’t able to fully process them.
Because how do you process that? How could I prepare myself for the possible death of my wife? How would I tell my children?
I put my head in my hands and took slow, deep breaths.
This could not be happening. Blair was so young, so full of life. She had to pull through. There was no other option.
Because I didn’t think I could function without her. None of us could.
***
No one slept and we barely ate over the next few hours.
I knew I needed to get to Sutton, the twins, and Sophia before they saw anything on social media.
Indigo Falls was a small town and word would spread fast. I didn’t have to worry as much about Selene and Sammy since they didn’t have phones yet.
Of course, their siblings could tell them.
I stepped outside to call Diane Crenshaw and see if she could continue to make sure they didn’t have internet access. That was basically an impossible task, so I felt terrible for asking it of her. But I knew Sadie’s parents had gone over to the Crenshaw’s house to help with the children.
Her brother Tim and his wife Natalie had joined us in the waiting room.
Just as I was about to call, the doctor appeared. His face was grim. “Mr. Hastings, can I see you for a moment?”