“How is he?” Tommy asks, stopping at his bedside.
“He’s the same. No changes, but we’re optimistic. His vitals are awesome.”
Tommy bites his bottom lip, and it’s obvious he wants to say something, but he refrains.
Nicole stands by his side and reaches to run her hand along Bryce’s arm. A tear slides down her cheek, and I swallow hard. Seeing others cry is what makes me the most vulnerable. I want to join them.
“He’s not responding to very much, but the swelling in his brain has decreased and his collarbone is set nicely.”
We stay silent for a few minutes, and I put my laptop and notes away, getting up. “I don’t like to leave him alone, but if you’d like a few minutes, I can step outside,” I offer.
“No, Devon, we only wanted to stop by and see him.” Tommy’s eyes come to mine full of sorrow. “He’s one of the best men I’ve known. Several times during OCS, I wanted to quit and come home. He pushed me hard to continue. His determination is contagious.”
“Don’t I know it! Bryce’s determination is unforgiving. Somehow, he convinced me to give him another chance after what he put me through.”
Tommy chuckles. “He said you gave him a scare. He had to work at it.”
“Not too hard! The fully decorated Christmas tree in the middle of Aspen was a nice touch though.”
We smile at one another, and Nicole looks extremely uncomfortable. In this moment, I’m no longer bitter and upset with them. I appreciate their respect for Bryce.
“Is there anything you need? Anything we can do?” Nicole asks nervously.
“No, Nate is back on shift, but he and Jamie are here at least once a day. Sheila and Dave spend the day here as well. We’ve gotten into a routine.”
“We’re here if you need anything,” Tommy reconfirms.
“Thank you, but we’re fine.”
“Can we continue to visit?” Tommy asks cautiously.
“Absolutely. He’d like that.”
They step back together and walk toward the door, and Tommy turns to me. “For what it’s worth, we’re so sorry about everything that happened. If we could go back and make different decisions, we would.”
“Thank you for that.” I look between the both of them and weigh my words carefully. Then I focus directly at Nicole and drive my point hard. “Hopefully neither of you are ever in a similar position.”
“With that being said, feel free to visit Bryce anytime you want. He’d appreciate it.”
They walk out, and I sink back in my chair, covering my face.
“Bryce, was I a bitch? That was unnecessary, right? They were trying to be nice, and I had to be ugly.”
I watch his sleeping form and try to will him to answer me. All of a sudden, his monitor starts beeping, and his chest convulses. His hand shoots up, swatting at the air.
I press the nurse button, but it’s useless because a team of people rushes into the room, forcing me away.
Bryce’s head starts to shake violently back and forth as they try to calm him down. Both of his hands fly around, and a nurse tries to brace the arm in the sling, protecting his collarbone.
The second his eyes open, I step into his line of sight, thinking I can help. He thrashes against everyone, swinging his good arm. His eyes land on me and darken. I shudder but step around the bed, reaching for his hand.
“Bryce?”
He looks around and tries to sit up. The nurse holding him gives me a chin jerk to come closer.
“It’s me, Devon,” I say softly, my heartbeat racing. “Focus on me. You’ve been asleep for a while.”
His eyes spin around the room and land on the ceiling. He swallows hard and breathes deep a few times.