The Road To Heaven (Allendale Four 3)

I barely heard Anderson on the phone as I wrapped my arms around Hayden’s body. I’d known something was off. Wrong. I’d felt it in my bones. Why had we let him run off like this? How had I ever let him go in the first place?

I brushed his hair off his forehead and whispered in his ear, “Don’t let go…do you hear me? Don’t let go.”

50

Hayden

It was harder to wake this time, my head throbbing and nausea building in my stomach. I felt hands on my cheeks—bright lights in my eyes. “Mr. Pierce, can you hear me?” a voice asked. “Mr. Pierce?”

“Yeah,” I rasped, my throat dry. “What’s going on?”

I shoved the light away, it pulsed like a bomb in the back of my head. A man in a uniform crouched next to me. I frowned. “Who are you?”

“I’m Ryan,” the man said. “I’m an EMT. Your friends called me when they found you on the ground and couldn’t wake you up. Do you remember what happened?”

I struggled to sit, but he pushed me back down. I felt weak, confused. “No. I…well I was going to the gym but my head was killing me. And…” I shrugged. “I guess I passed out?”

“Can you tell me about this medication?” he asked, handing me the bottle.

“He suffered a concussion,” another voice said, when I couldn’t find the words to answer. “About eight weeks ago. It was severe. The medication was to help with the headaches.”

I followed the voice and saw the familiar face behind it. “Anderson?”

“Hey, man.”

I felt more confused than ever.

“Did you take more medication than prescribed?” Ryan asked.

I shook my head. “No. I don’t think so. I just…” I touched my forehead. “I’ve just been feeling dizzy lately and thought maybe I was dehydrated.”

Ryan pushed my head back and said, “I’m going to check your eyes, okay?” He flashed light in them once again and I grimaced. “It looks like you’re still suffering from side effects of the concussion.”

“I’ll call his doctor,” Anderson said. “Do you have his phone?”

I didn’t know who he was talking to until I heard the reply, “Here. The number’s at the top.”

“Thanks, babe.”

Babe. That voice. I made eye contact with her. “Heaven? What are you doing here?”

She moved closer and took my hand. Tears glistened in her eyes. “Don’t worry about me. You rest, okay?”

“I’m fine.” I struggled to sit, pushing the EMT’s hands off of me. “Why are you here?”

She glanced at Ryan. “If you’re done, can we have a minute alone?”

“It looks like you just had a dizzy spell from the concussion, so I’m not going to make you come in. But you need to see your doctor right away and don’t overexert yourself. It looks like you haven’t healed all the way yet.”

His words were a jumble, filled with things I didn’t want to hear while Heaven stood in front of me, possibly ready to say a million things I needed to know.

Ryan grabbed his things and Heaven walked him to the door. “Thank you,” she said. “We’ll make sure he gets follow-up care.”

She shut the door behind him and came back over to the bed, sitting by my side. Impulsively, I touched her cheek. She smiled briefly and then said, “You scared the shit out of me, Hayden Pierce. First leaving without saying goodbye, and then finding you like that.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “For both of those things.”

She sighed. “I don’t think I have the right to lecture anyone on unhealthy, risky behavior, but I should have seen how much you were struggling. The irritable behavior and irrational reactions. I knew you were pushing yourself too hard, but I also know that’s your nature, except you’ve been so angry and that’s not like you.”