Unbreakable (Unrestrained 4)

“We’re going to keep her sedated and once we’re happy with her vitals, we’ll do another CT of her head to check on any bleeds but I think her injuries were largely internal.”

“Can I stay with her?” I asked, hoping they’d let me stay in the ICU so I could be with her.

“They’ll call you when you can go in,” the ER doc said, his hand on my shoulder. “She’s pulled through. The next hour or so will tell us whether we’ve caught all the bleeders and once we have that head CT, we’ll know more.”

We shook hands, and the expression on his face told me that while Kate had survived the initial operation, she was still in danger.

I knew she had the very best care possible and so all that was left for me was to wait. And pray.

I sat in the small waiting room off the ICU that was designated for families and held my head in my hands, trying to catch my breath. A nurse came up to me and I glanced up, wiping my eyes so I could see her more clearly.

“Dr. Morgan, your baby girl is doing fine and is in the NICU if you want to go and see her. They have her stabilized and she’s doing well.”

“Thank you,” I said and stood, torn between waiting to see how Kate was and wanting to see Sophia. Then, I thought about Ethan and Elaine and felt I had to call them, to let them know Kate was in the hospital.

I dialed Ethan’s number and waited. Elaine answered, her voice soft.

“Hi, Drake,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind me answering but Ethan’s asleep right now.”

“No, that’s fine,” I said and cleared my throat. “Kate was involved in a hit and run and is in the ICU at New York University hospital. They did a crash C-section and Sophia is in the neonatal intensive care unit, but she’s doing well. Kate is being sedated and they’ll be watching her for the next 24 hours. She’s critical, but she’s stable. You should come down as soon as you can.”

“Oh, my God, Drake!” she cried out, and I heard her sharp intake of breath. “They’re both alive? When did this happen? Oh, God, poor Kate. The baby was delivered?”

“Yes, Kate had an abruption and they had to take her uterus and spleen as well. They’re going to do a head CT and get a better idea of whether there’s any brain damage, but so far, she looks stable.”

“I’ll wake up Ethan and we’ll be down as soon as possible. I’m so sorry, Drake. You must be out of your mind.”

“I’m trying to hold it together, but it’s hard.”

“We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

I ended the call and closed my eyes, trying to calm down.

I heard someone clear their throat and opened my eyes to see a couple of burly middle-aged men dressed in suits and trench coats standing before me.

“Dr. Morgan?” the one man said. Blond, brush cut, and sharp blue eyes, he had a grim expression on his face.

“Yes,” I said and stood up, thinking it might be the police. “Drake Morgan.”

“I’m Detective McDonald and this is my partner, Detective St. James. We’re here to ask you a few questions about your wife’s accident.”

I nodded and slipped my hands in my pockets. “I understand it was a hit and run. That’s what my security detail said when I was notified of the accident.”

“We have a few questions to ask,” McDonald said. “I’m sure you understand.”

“Of course.” I glanced around and saw the unused conference room off to the side of the hallway. “Why don’t we go in there to talk?” I said and pointed to the room. “It’s more private.”

We went inside and sat down and I waited, eager to hear their thoughts on the hit and run.

“Dr. Morgan, can you tell us why you had a bodyguard for your wife?”

I leaned forward and took in a deep breath, composing my thoughts carefully.

“There was a former sexual partner who seemed to be a potential threat to both Kate and me, so I hired a security firm to provide Kate with protection when I wasn’t there with her.” Until that moment, I hadn’t even thought about Lisa, but then a sinking feeling overtook me and I felt as if the blood all left my body. “Why? Do you think this was a deliberate act?”

St. James flipped through his notepad. “A witness claimed that the car had been driving slowly, but when your wife stepped off the curb to cross the street, the car sped up and struck her before taking off. Several witnesses chased after the vehicle and we have a partial license plate and model and will do our best to track it down. We think it was a rental.”

McDonald stared at me pointedly. “Can you tell us where you were this afternoon between five and six o’clock?”