Wildcard: Volume Three

She shrugs me off and pleads with the doctor. “Please, just make him okay,” she sobs, reaching out for his arm. “Can I see him again before you take him?”

He nods. “We need to get him into surgery now, though.” He holds the door open for us. “I’ll give you a few moments.”

***

Back in Jake’s room, I stand back. I exhale slowly, feeling defeated. I feel useless. There’s nothing I can do to make this better, other than to be there for her. I let her sit with him and listen as she whispers happy memories in his ear. It's heartbreaking, seeing her like this. I hate seeing Jake sick and I hate the pain it puts her through. This is tearing me apart.

The doctor walks back in and nods at me. It’s time. I step forward and pull Scar against my body, wrapping my arms around her. She holds on to my hands as we both watch the orderly wheel Jake out of the room.

“Come on,” I say. “We can wait in the waiting room.”

“You don't have to do—”

“Stay?” I laugh. “Of course I'm going to bloody stay with you.” I lace my fingers through hers and lead her down to the lifts. I press the button and wait until the doors open, letting her walk in first. The doors close behind me.

“I'm scared,” she whispers. Her eyes level with mine.

I cup her chin and lean down for a kiss.

She smiles, her eyes closing momentarily. “I'm glad you’re here.”

“Me too.”

The waiting room is cold and sterile, and I'm surprised that it's nearly empty. Rows of seats line the walls. A television displaying the latest news sits on the far wall. We sit down and wait—because what else is there to do a waiting room?

Scar rests her head on my shoulder. I wrap my arm around her and kiss her forehead. Her eyes are on the television, but I don't think she's paying that much attention. I can almost see the thoughts click over in her head.

Minutes turn into hours, with no news about Jake. We're both getting restless, but I'm trying my hardest to keep her spirits up. If I say the line ‘no news is good news’ one more time, I swear kill myself—or she'll do it for me.

“So, you were in my house.”

I turned to her, surprised. That came out of nowhere. I was kind of hoping that I’d managed to escape this conversation, but apparently not.

“I told you, I got worried when you wouldn't answer my calls.”

“So you thought breaking and entering was a good solution?” She arches her eyebrow and waits for my answer.

“In hindsight? No. But at the time I wasn't thinking straight.”

“I don't know whether to be angry at you for invading my privacy, or be touched that you care so much.”

She leans her head on my shoulder again and resumes watching the TV. Guilt washes over me. I feel like a fraud, because it was just as much about trying to uncover her secret as it was about making sure she was okay.

Chapter Two

Scarlett

It’s been hours.

I’ve been pacing the waiting room while Ryder watches. He keeps telling me to sit down, that I need to stay strong for Jake, and I know he’s right, but the mere thought of losing my boy crushes any hope I have at the moment. The only thing I can do is move, and wait, and hope to freaking God that he’ll be okay.

Ryder approaches me holding a cup of cof

fee from the vending machine. I glance back to where he’d been sitting, surprised. I hadn’t even noticed that he’d gone. I take the steaming cup and drink. It tastes like tar, but I force myself to drink it because I need to stay awake.

“What time is it?” I ask, placing the empty cup in the rubbish.

“One thirty.”