Oh, God, Cage, why did you do it?
Ever since the deputy had told her about the accident, Jenny had questioned whether it was an accident or not. What was the last thing Cage had said to her? "I'm just no damn good." Had her rejection of his love been the last rejection he could stand? Was this "accident" an attempt to win approval by ridding the world of Cage Hendren?
"No!"
She didn't realize she had screamed the word aloud until it echoed off the silent walls of her apartment. She ran through the darkened rooms on her way to the front door. Tears were streaming down her face and her fingers shook so badly, she could barely insert the key in the ignition of the car.
She saw the scene of the accident from several blocks away. A wrecker had pulled Cage's car off the tracks, but police still had the area cordoned off with flares to discourage curious onlookers.
The silver Lincoln looked like a piece of aluminum foil
a petulant giant had balled up in his fist and thrown away. Jenny's chest compressed painfully. Nothing could have come out of that mangled mess of metal alive. Her arms were too weak to steer the car, but she forced herself to keep going. She had to reach the hospital in time.
When she arrived, she parked and dashed toward the emergency room doors. Don't die, don't die, don't die, her heart chanted with each footfall. This kind of emotional upheaval and physical exertion weren't good for the baby, but Cage was first in her thoughts now.
"Cage Hendren?" she gasped breathlessly, slapping her hands on top of the nurses' station desk.
The on-duty nurse looked up. "He's already gone up for surgery."
"Surgery?"
"Yes. Dr. Mabry."
If they were operating on him, he was still alive. Thank you, God, thank you. Jenny gulped for breath. "What floor?"
"Three."
"Thank you." She ran for the elevator.
"Miss?" Jenny turned around. "He might be in there for a long time."
The nurse was diplomatically cautioning her not to hold out much hope. "I'll wait, no matter how long it takes."
On the third floor the woman at the nurses' station confirmed that Cage was in surgery. "Are you a relative?" the R.N. inquired politely.
"I … I grew up with him. His parents adopted me when I was orphaned."
"I see. We haven't been able to contact his parents, but we're still trying."
"I'm sure they're just out for the evening and will return soon." Jenny couldn't believe she was capable of making casual conversation. She felt like screaming the walls down. She wanted to fall to the floor and keen while she tore at her hair.
"There's a policeman waiting at the house to bring them here."
Jenny bit her lower lip. "They'll be frightened. They lost their youngest son only a few months ago."
The nurse made a clucking sound of regret. "Why don't you sit down over there to wait," she said, indicating a waiting room. "I'm sure we'll hear something about Mr. Hendren's condition soon."
Like an automaton, Jenny moved to the waiting room and sat down on the sofa. She should go to the parsonage herself, be there to break the news of Cage's accident when the Hendrens came home. But she couldn't leave him. She couldn't! She had to stay right here telegraphing her love and encouragement through the walls into the operating room where he precariously clung to life.
His life was precious to her. Didn't he know that? How could he have—
Oh, God, she had let him leave her thinking the worst of himself. Just as his parents had rejected him on the night of Hal's funeral, she had cruelly shut him out tonight after he had opened his heart to her. The Hendrens might be too ignorant of Cage's psyche to realize what they had done to him all his life, but she knew better.
How many times had he doubted the value of his life? Wasn't he flirting with death every time he challenged authority, or got behind the wheel of a car and defied the speed limit? Hadn't he pulled his outrageous pranks only to win the attention always denied him?
Oh, Cage, forgive me. I love you. I love you. You're the most important person in the world to me.
"Miss Fletcher?"