I was already calling Justice’s cell before I’d made it to the stop sign at the end of his road.

No answer.

I dialed it again, and again, and again.

Only for it to go to voicemail each of the five times.

I never caught up to the ambulance, but when I arrived and parked in the No Parking zone, it was to find a lone ambulance sitting there waiting with no one onboard.

I practically ran inside, leaving my brother to figure out his own way in.

It was a dick move on my part, but at that particular moment in time, I didn’t give a single fuck.

I arrived at the counter that separated the staff from the patients, and clearly looked just as flustered as I felt because the woman calmed me down with just a few short words.

“Who are you looking for?” she asked.

I swallowed hard.

“My fiancé,” I lied.

The lie slipped so easily off of my tongue that the woman didn’t question it.

“His name?” she asked.

I told her, and she typed it into the computer.

“It looks like he’s in the trauma room,” she said. “Number two. He arrived five minutes ago by ambulance, correct?”

I didn’t know.

But I said yes anyway.

“Let me go check,” she said.

Then she disappeared into the enclosed area behind her, and I couldn’t even follow because the damn thing was guarded with a godforsaken keypad.

I dropped my head into my hands and prayed.

I prayed harder than I’d ever prayed before.

And when she got back, her face filled with sorrow, I felt the bottom drop out of my stomach.

“He’s apparently received a traumatic brain injury…”

I nodded. “I know.”

Before the woman could say anything more, a doctor exited the side door that led behind the counter.

She walked over to me and gestured for me to follow her to the side of the desk.

“He’s in a coma,” she said, no preamble. “He’s been suffering from seizures since he was brought in, and he stopped breathing twice on the ambulance ride over here.”

I felt my heart just…stop.

“He’s alive,” she assured me. “They’re taking him to have a CT scan now. He’s been given anti-seizure drugs, diuretics, and now we’re actively keeping him in a coma.” She paused. “A comatose brain needs less oxygen to function. This is helpful because any blood vessels that might be compressed by any brain swelling are unable to give the brain cells normal amounts of nutrients and oxygen.”

I moaned.

“We don’t know any more than that for now,” she said. “I can lead you back to the ER waiting room, and the moment we know more, you’ll be the first to know.”

I nodded.

What else could I do?

“How about we take her into the blue room, ma’am.” Lock’s deep voice surprised me.

I turned to see Lock standing there with his hands holding all of Justice’s things.

His phone.

Keys.

Wallet.

And a baby stuffed chicken that I’d given him as a gag gift last night out of my Happy Meal.

I broke down into tears.

Lock wrapped me up in one arm and guided me to what he called the ‘blue room.’

There I stayed until I was able to think cognitively enough.

“Fuck!” I cried out, searching for his phone.

“What?” Jimmy asked, looking sick to his stomach.

“His parents,” I whispered.

Lock and Jimmy understood then, allowing me to make the call without interrupting.

I searched for his dad in his phone, finding a text sent by him an hour ago that said, “Let us know that you’re okay.”

I closed my eyes and felt bile rise in my stomach.

Nonetheless, I made the call.

“Fuckin’ Christ, Justice,” Loki said, sounding irritated. “I fuckin’ told you to keep me updated.”

I hated to correct him.

The moment I did, I knew he’d know something was wrong.

“Loki,” my voice cracked. “Something happened.”Chapter 23

I’m from the south where before they eat the potato salad they’re gonna ask who made it before they even taste it.

-Royal to Justice

Royal

Four days later

It’d been four days since Justice’s body was placed into a medically induced coma.

Two since those drugs had been stopped.

And each hour that passed that he didn’t wake up felt like I was dying just a little bit more on the inside.

“We’re going to grab some coffee, honey,” Channing said. “Would you like some?”

I shook my head. “I’ve had like five cups. I feel like my heart’s going to walk right out of my chest.”

Loki chuckled. “I’m bringing you back a cookie, though.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but he shut me up with a single glare.

“Fine.” I rolled my eyes.

It was nice having them here.

They kept me sane and promised me over and over again when I wasn’t strong that Justice was a fighter.

He would be okay.

Luckily, the TBI—traumatic brain injury—was mild.

No surgery had to be done to relieve any swelling, and other than the loss of consciousness and the slight swelling of his brain, Justice ended up being extremely lucky.

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