Page 79

“How is he?” I asked automatically.

“His family’s here and gave me permission to officially update you on his condition.”

“Okay.” I exhaled slowly, feeling the need to stand, maybe to prepare myself for whatever was next. But Kyle had just saidhis condition. The fact that he was still with us was a blessing I hadn’t overlooked.

“He’s intubated and dealing with some bleeding in his abdomen. His left arm and collarbone are broken. He needs surgery, but we have to wait until he’s strong enough.”

“To survive?” I asked.

“Yes. Unfortunately, he’s not stable at this point. His vitals aren’t showing the kind of consistency we want and need. I’ll be honest with you, tonight will be telling.”

I closed my eyes and covered them with my hand. “And Jake? How is he?”

“Holding it together. He said he’s going to call you in the morning.”

I nodded. “I’ve taken the morning off. God, I wish you were here. Are you okay? Do you need anything? Food, maybe? I can deliver.”

“They ordered some pizzas for everyone. I’ll grab a slice at some point. I’m gonna stay here tonight.”

“Okay.” I was relieved she was there for Charlie and also worried about her, but not quite sure what to do in regard to the latter. “Take care of yourself, okay?”

“I haven’t had to. Just staying focused.”

She was holding it together. I could tell. But I wondered what would happen when she stopped moving. “Kyle.” I didn’t have the perfect words, but in the midst of worrying about Charlie, I didn’t want her to feel like I wasn’t there forher. “Please call me if you need anything.”

“I’m good. Promise.” I could almost see her forcing a smile. “What about you? You hanging in there?”

“I am.” It was a helpless feeling, sitting around waiting, but that was literally my job at that point. To support everyone from afar.

“Whatever happens, we’re going to get through this,” she said. “I can just feel it.” And for a moment, I actually believed it.

* * *

It was the gnawing in my stomach that woke me up. I was still in my clothes from the night before, lying on my side on my couch. I blinked, taking stock of my surroundings and trying to catch up. It was light outside, and notably, the storm had cleared the way for the bright burst of sunlight that shot through my living room window. That’s right. I’d slept out here. When had I last eaten? It was lunch the day before. I’d planned on dinner at the Jamboree, which had never even opened its doors officially before the world went to hell on a thunderclap.

I checked my phone. I had a missed call from Jake. Dammit. I gave my head a shake in search of clarity and called him back. With my hand to my chest, I stood upon his answer.

“Hey, there,” he said.

“Hi. I saw you called an hour ago, but I guess I finally drifted off. How are things there?” It was a weird dance of not knowing how involved I was reasonably allowed to sound. I felt a little like a guest star on their TV show. Important, yet only adjacent to the main characters.

“They’re holding as steady as they can be. Charlie gave us a bit of a scare a couple of times overnight, but he seems to have leveled off. They’re saying he’s more stable. His blood pressure is holding and his heart rate is good and strong.”

I took a cleansing breath and my hand flew to the top of my head. “That’s great news.”

“They’re looking at surgery in a few hours if he’s still improving. He’s been sedated, but hopefully they’ll wake him up tomorrow if all goes well.”

I squeezed the phone in gratitude. Things were trending in the right direction, and it felt like I could breathe.

“And hey, Savanna? Kyle’s been just fantastic. Was here all night along with the other doctors.”

I was flooded with both warmth and pride. “She’s amazing.”

He filled in a few more gaps about the accident. Charlie had been on his way back from the store’s other location, a familiar commute for him, when he’d been involved in the accident. Jill had been a rock in spite of her own fear of losing him, and Jake was trying his best to keep a positive outlook.

“Thank you for taking the time to update me,” I said.

“Well, kid, of course. You’re part of us now. Though I admit, we’re not at our best right now.”