Touch by Touch (Riggins Brothers 4)

“Was sh-she okay?” I ask. It’s a stupid fucking question. Of course, she wasn’t okay, but I know that he knows what I meant.

“I don’t know. The ambulance was racing off before we could get answers. All they would tell us is that they were bringing her here.”

“The family of Aspen Steele,” a nurse calls out.

I stand and rush to her. “Conrad Riggins,” I announce. “How is she?”

“How are you related to Ms. Steele?” she asks.

“I’m her sister, Aurora. Conrad is her fiancé,” Aurora says, coming to stand next to me. “And they”—she points behind her—“are our family too.”

“Oh my. Okay, let me see if I can find a private waiting area that will accommodate everyone.” She turns to leave.

“Wait!” I call out. “How is she?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t have an update. The doctor asked me to get the family.” She gives me a sad smile and walks away.

We go back to our seats. I can’t sit still. My legs are bouncing up and down. My heart feels as though it could thump right out of my chest. I need answers. I need to see her.

“Family of Aspen Steele,” the same nurse calls out about five minutes later.

We all stand and follow her down a long hallway to a small waiting room that reads Private. It’s barely large enough to hold all of us, but we make it work. “The doctor will be right with you.”

I open my mouth to bitch about having to wait yet again when the door opens, and a tall, older gentleman in a white coat steps into the room. “Hello, I’m Dr. Black. Are you all here for Aspen Steele?” he asks, glancing down at the tablet in his hand.

“Yes. I’m her sister, and this is her fiancé, Conrad,” Aurora answers.

He nods. “She’s stable. When they found her, she was unconscious, so they intubated her to make sure she had a clear airway. I’ve just reviewed her X-rays, and her lungs look clear.”

“Is she awake?” Aurora asks.

“No.” He shakes his head. “We’ll need to leave her intubated for several hours. We need to watch her for flash pulmonary edema. We’re working on getting her admitted to a room.”

“Doc.” My voice cracks. “Is she going to be okay?”

“Like I said, she’s stable. Her vitals are good and her lungs are clear. The next few hours will be the test to see if she develops FPD. We’ll monitor her closely over the next several hours and then do another X-ray. If that comes back normal, we can begin to extubate and bring her out of sedation.”

“I need to see her.” I don’t ask for permission.

He nods. “One at a time.”

I look at Aurora, and her eyes are soft. She looks over at Grant and then back to me. “Please tell her I love her,” she says through her fresh tears.

“When we get her settled into a room, we can do two visitors at a time,” the doctor adds, having sensed our dilemma.

“A-Are you sure?” I ask Aurora. I feel like a dick. She’s her sister, but I can’t breathe without Aspen.

“I’m sure. I’ll see her when they get her into a room.”

I wrap my arms around Aurora and hold her close. “I love her, sis. I love her so fucking much.”

“I know you do,” she says when I release her. “Go. She needs you.”

Grant steps up behind her and wraps her in his embrace, and I know she understands. The bond they share is much like the one I share with Aspen. In fact, I’m sure if I was in her shoes, I’d let her go first also. I love my brothers, but Aspen, she’s my everything.

Our footsteps echo off the walls as I follow the doctor. The noises around me fade away, and I feel as though I’m walking through a tunnel. I don’t know what to expect when I see Aspen. I don’t know how I’m going to react. I just know she needs me. I know if I can just touch her, if I can tell her how much I love her, she’ll come back to me.

The doctor stops just outside of a room with a closed door. “A nurse will be in to check on both of you in a minute.” The doctor pats my shoulder and walks away.

Taking a deep breath, I grip the handle, turn, and push. I keep my eyes on the floor as I close the door and make my way to the side of her bed. Lifting my gaze, I take in my love. My knees feel weak, which has me gripping the rails of her bed to remain standing.

She has a tube down her throat and IVs in her arms. Her face is pale with smudges of black, and the smell of smoke is overwhelming. I don’t attempt to stop the tears as they fall from my eyes. “Baby,” I whisper.