41. Chapter 41
Jasmine
Pure adrenaline courses through my legs, keeping me upright as Dario’s lifeless body is pushed through the doors of the emergency room.
“Single gunshot wound to the posterior neck. Entry wound only.” I take in their words and shudder as the image of Todd shooting Dario replays in my mind. Just like he always does, Dario protected me, and now it may cost him his life.
“Blood pressure is eighty-six over fifty,” a woman’s voice calls out. “Bleeding is controlled. Oxygen is dropping.”
The gurney is rolling down the hallway so quickly that I can’t keep up. I need to see him. I need to be with him the way he’s always been there for me. As I’m about to reach his side, a man in blue scrubs intercepts me.
“Ma’am, I need you to come with me to the waiting room.” His voice is gentle and kind, but my eyes glare at him for keeping me from the man I love.
“I’m with him. I need to be with him.”
He gives me a soft smile, and I want to slap it off his face. “I understand, but the best thing you can do for him right now is to allow the doctors to do their job. I know it’s difficult to leave him, but we will update you as soon as we can about his status.”
I look back to where they were rolling Dario and find he’s too far for me, then give the nurse a defeated nod.
He has to be okay.
The air is sterile and silent around me as I sit in the waiting room, feeling thousands of miles from the trauma bay where Dario attempts to cling to his life. A paper coffee cup is pressed into my hand before Gio takes a seat beside me with a sigh.
“Dario says coffee is your favorite. Thought it might help you get through this.”
I offer him the best smile I can muster. “Thanks,” I say, taking a sip of the mundane drink. “How’s Tank?”
Gio leans his head back against the wall and blows out a long breath. “Not good. It’s really not good. Luca’s a mess.”
My heart breaks knowing the strongest man I’ve ever met is so distraught over losing his friend. “Does he know about Dario?”
Gio nods. “Yeah, I’ll keep him posted, but he’s where he needs to be right now.”
My face falls. I didn’t realize Luca and Tank were that close. “Were you able to get any information?”
He snorts and takes a sip of his own coffee. I almost laugh when he looks down at the cup as though it has a personal vendetta against him. “No. Even I have my limits. Right now, we have to trust that the doctors are doing everything they can for him. For both of them.”
I nod and take another sip of my coffee. As we sit there in silence, a woman in blue scrubs, like the man from earlier, pushes through the doors and walks my way, a small smile on her face. That’s a good sign, right?
“Mr. Caruso?” she questions Gio, who nods. “I’m Doctor Laurie, a trauma surgeon working on your brother’s case. Could we speak privately?”
I look at Gio, desperation in my eyes.
“You can speak to me in front of Miss Baker.”
A grimace crosses the doctor’s face. “Actually, we can only speak to the family.”
“She is family,” Gio barks. “So speak.”
A small sigh spills from her lips, but she concedes and nods before continuing, “Very well. The results of Mr. Caruso’s CT came back, and it’s encouraging.”
My breath quickens. Encouraging doesn’t mean we’re in the clear.
“The bullet entered through the back of his neck and lodged in the base of his skull,” she explains. “It narrowly missed his spinal cord and the major vessels supplying blood to his brain. He was incredibly fortunate.”
I laugh. “Fortunate? It’s fortunate to have a bullet lodged in the base of your skull? It’s fortunate to be fighting for your life while the people who love you are on the other side of the wall, dying inside as every minute without you passes?”
Gio grips my shoulder in an attempt to calm me.
“Will he survive?” he asks.
The surgeon nods. “He’s lost a significant amount of blood, and there is swelling around the injury. The biggest concern now is relieving pressure on the spinal cord, but we believe Mr. Caruso can push past this.”
“So what happens now?” Gio asks, and I’m thankful he’s here with me through this.
“He’s being prepped for surgery now.”
“What type of surgery?” I ask, my voice panicked.
“We’ll go in and explore the wound, controlling the bleeding and removing the bullet if we’re able to do so.
Any damaged muscle or soft tissue will be repaired, and we will make sure the vertebral artery and spinal canal are free from injury.
I’ll have a neurosurgeon joining me in the procedure due to the closeness between the bullet and the cervical spine. ”
“How long will he be in surgery?” Gio asks.
She sighs. “Best case scenario would be a few hours, though; it could take us double that if we run into issues.”
“Do you think there will be issues?” I ask, my voice heightened.
She gives me a small smile. “The CT gave us a lot of information, but we won’t know everything until we get in and take a look. While we can hope this will be an easy procedure, realistically, there are things that could happen.”
I lean back in the chair, thankful I’m seated because this information would have me collapsing to the ground.
“Thank you, Doctor,” Gio says, and with a nod, she turns and heads back to keep the man I love alive.
It’s been five hours of babies wailing, teenagers hobbling, and grown men coughing, but Doctor Laurie finally pushes through the doors and walks over to us, a smile on her face.
I stand to greet her, no longer able to sit in the hard, plastic chairs. Gio stands beside me. He’s been between this floor and the one where Tank is currently lying in a coma.
“The surgery seems to have been a success,” she says, and I let out a breath, finally relaxing my tightened chest. “The bullet missed his spinal cord by millimeters. He must have an angel looking out for him.”
My cheeks flush, knowing the new nickname Dario has bestowed upon me is the Italian version of the word. “Were you able to retrieve the bullet?” I ask.
“We were,” she says with a smile. “We also repaired some damaged muscle and controlled the bleeding. We’re very optimistic that he’ll make a full recovery.”
“Can I see him?” I ask, but my shoulders slump as she shakes her head.
“He’s currently in recovery and still sedated. Tonight he’ll be transferred to the ICU, where we will monitor the swelling on his neck, and if everything looks good, we will wake him up gradually.”
I bite my bottom lip and look over at Gio, who wears a discernible expression. I look back at the doctor, praying she realizes how badly I need her to say yes to my next question.
“When he’s transferred to the ICU, then could I see him? I’d like to stay the night. I want to be there when he wakes up.”
The doctor sighs heavily, but before she can answer, Gio speaks.
“Yes.”
“I don’t think…”
“I said, ‘yes,’” Gio interrupts, not leaving any room for argument. “When he’s moved to the ICU, we are to be informed right away. I want a station set up for Miss Baker so she can rest peacefully beside him. My brother will want her there.”
The doctor looks like she wants to disagree, but a look crosses Gio’s face that causes her to reconsider. Without saying another word, she gives a nod and retreats through the swinging doors.
“Thank you, Gio.”
He nods. “Now that Dario’s in the clear, I need you to take care of him.”
“Where are you going?” I ask as Gio heads toward the elevators.
“I have another dying brother to take care of.”