Chapter 18
The constant beep of the monitor makes the raging storm inside my head unbearable and has me peeling my eyes open despite my better judgment.
The room is too bright. Big clinical lights shine down on me from above as that awful hospital smell hits me. Shit. What have I done to land myself here?
That’s right. The car crash.
Tully.
Fuck.
Movement has my eyes flicking across the room to take in the three large bodies sitting at the end of my bed. “Henley,” Noah sputters out, flying to his feet and rushing forward as he notices my eyes are open. His movement has Dad’s head whipping in my direction before relief settles over his features. While Rivers remains still, looking completely deflated.
“How are you feeling?” Noah rushes out as Dad gets to his feet and comes to my other side. Both of them grabbing a hand each.
“How long was I out?” I murmur, hating how the sound of my own voice makes my head feel that much worse. “How bad is it?”
Noah cringes, not wanting to answer, but dad has no reservations. “You hit your head pretty bad, Squish. You’re pretty cut up, but nothing you can’t handle,” he says before glancing up at the clock. “The ambulance brought you in about two hours ago.”
“Damn,” I grumble.
“How are you feeling?’ Noah repeats.
“I could use some painkillers,” I tell him, making his hand squeeze mine. “My head is pounding.”
Dad cuts in. “I’ll get the nurse. Hopefully she’ll just dose you up and I can get you home in your own bed.”
Damn, that sounds so good.
A moment later, Dad’s rushing out the door and I follow his movements as he passes Rivers. I can’t help but linger there, watching as his head hangs low. A vision of Tully laying limp in Rivers’ arms flashes through my head and is enough to have me trying to get out of bed to go searching for her. “Tully?” I question as Noah tries to push me back down in my bed. “Tell me she’s alright,” I say with tears brimming in my eyes. “Where is she?”
Rivers’ head raises just a bit. “She’s in surgery,” he says, his voice coming out as barely a whisper.
The red light. The tree. She was sitting right where we hit the tree. Oh, God. No. If I’m this banged up, then she must be…
No.
A sob gets stuck in my throat as I clench down on Noah’s hand, looking up into the eyes that are so much like his sister’s. “Is she ok?” I beg, fearing the worst.
He shakes his head and I see the need within him to break. Hospital rooms and sisters are all too familiar for him. The last time he was in one, he lost his little sister. It can’t happen again. I don’t know what kind of man he would be if he walked out of this hospital an only child. It would change him forever.
He’s trying to be strong for me, but doesn’t he know he doesn’t need to?
“Noah,” I prompt, needing to know how bad it is.
When Noah struggles to get it out, Rivers sighs a sound that I’ll never forget as long as I live. “She has extensive internal blee-”
“NO,” Noah roars at him through the too small room, his voice sounding like a hammer against my skull. He strides across the room, grabbing Rivers in a heartbeat and slamming him up against the wall. “You don’t get to respond. You don’t get to have a damn fucking thing to do with her after this. She’s on that fucking table because of you. You put her there.”
“Fuck you,” Rivers growls, pushing him back. “If you didn’t try to be a fucking hero and take that job, you would have been there, driving her home yourself.”
Noah slams his fist into Rivers’ gut. “Oh, so this is my fucking fault?”
Rivers pushes him back and the two of them crash into the end of my bed. “You could have fucking killed her,” Noah roars. “Both of them.”
Shit. This is more than just a fight. This is as real as it gets. If they’re not careful, they’re going to get hurt and it’s not going to be pretty.
“Don’t you think I know that?” Rivers yells back at him. “You weren’t fucking there. I was the one who pulled her out of that fucking car while she was drowning in her own blood. Do you have any idea what that was like? No. So, don’t stand there telling me what could have fucking happened, because I know too fucking well.”
“Stop,” I yell, throwing the blankets back and storming out of bed, only to get caught on the fucking drip pulling at my wrist. “Both of you fucking idiots. Stop it.”
Naturally, they couldn’t give a shit what I have to say about it.