Page 30

We made it through the sliding glass doors, the cool air inside the hospital hitting me like a slap.

The waiting room wasn’t as crowded as I’d feared, but every second still felt like an eternity.

I half-dragged Preston up to the check-in desk, where a woman in scrubs looked up from her computer, her expression immediately shifting to concern.

“He’s in really bad pain,” I said, my voice trembling. “Lower right stomach. He can’t walk, he’s sweating, and he’s...he’s really out of it.”

The nurse nodded quickly and picked up the phone. “We’ll get him seen right away. Can you help him into this wheelchair?” she asked, gesturing to one parked nearby.

“Yeah, of course,” I said. Somehow, I managed to ease Preston into the chair without dropping him. He groaned again, his head lolling to the side. That couldn’t be good. My stomach hollowed out in terror.

“Preston,” I whispered, crouching beside him, “you’re gonna be okay, alright? Just hang on.”

The nurse finished her call and turned back to us. “We’re bringing him straight to triage. Follow me.”

I pushed the wheelchair behind her, weaving through the maze of hallways, the fluorescent lights above flickering faintly. My chest felt tight, like I couldn’t get a full breath, but I forced myself to focus on Preston. He slumped forward in the chair, one hand clutching his side.

We stopped in a small room where another nurse waited. “What’s his name?” she asked.

“Preston Charming,” I answered quickly. “He’s a college student. ”

The nurse nodded and knelt beside him, her tone calm but professional. “Preston, I’m going to check a few things, okay? Can you tell me how bad the pain is, on a scale of one to ten?”

Preston groaned. “Ten, he whispered.

I stepped forward, my voice urgent. “It’s bad. He said it’s like stabbing, and it’s getting worse.”

“Alright,” the nurse said, glancing at the other. “Get a blood pressure reading and let’s prep for an abdominal ultrasound. This could be appendicitis.”

They worked quickly, checking his vitals and asking me questions while I hovered helplessly nearby. I answered everything I could—when it started, what he’d eaten, if he had any allergies.

Soon, they were wheeling Preston toward another room, and one of the nurses turned to me. “We’re taking him for imaging now. If it’s appendicitis, he’ll need surgery. You can wait here, and someone will update you soon.”

“Surgery?” My voice cracked, but I nodded. “Okay. Just...please take care of him.”

“We will,” she said, her tone kind but firm.

As they disappeared through the doors, I sank into one of the plastic chairs in the waiting area.

My hands were shaking, my heart pounding so hard it hurt.

I stared at the double doors, willing them to swing open with good news.

Thank god the nurse told me to bring him here.

I couldn’t imagine what would’ve happened if we’d stayed home.

I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself.

“Please be okay,” I whispered, more to myself than anything.

I lost track of time in the waiting room.

The clock on the wall ticked on, but every minute felt like an hour.

My foot bounced nervously against the floor as I stared at the double doors, half-expecting someone to come through and tell me something— anything.

Every time a nurse walked by, my stomach twisted, only to sink again when they kept going.

Finally, after what felt like forever, a nurse approached me. She was holding a clipboard, her face calm but focused. “Jordan?” she asked.

I shot up from the chair so quickly it nearly tipped over. “That’s me. Is Preston okay?”

She gave me a reassuring smile. “It is appendicitis, as we suspected. The surgeon is prepping him for an appendectomy right now. It’s a routine procedure, and we caught it in time, so there’s no sign of a rupture. That’s good news.”

I let out a shaky breath, the tension in my chest loosening just a little. “So...he’s going to be okay?”

“Yes,” she said gently. “The surgery should take about an hour, maybe a little longer. Once he’s out of recovery, we’ll come get you so you can see him.”

I nodded, my hands still trembling. “Okay. Thank you. And you’ll do it right now?”

She nodded. “It’ll happen very quickly. You did a great thing bringing him in.” She gave me a small pat on the arm before walking back through the doors.

I collapsed back into the chair, relief and worry washing over me. He’d be okay, but surgery seemed…dangerous. Complications could happen. But he was healthy and in his prime, so he’d be good. Routine procedure meant they did this all the time. And one hour… I could survive one hour.

Oh my god. My nerves grew roots, weaving and winding over every vein as each breath took effort. I needed to do something. I grabbed my phone from my pocket and texted Quentin and Logan.

Jordan: they have him back for surgery. Appendicitis. Should take an hour .

Quentin: I told his brother. He’s calling his parents, and they are all en route. Campus hospital, right?

Jordan: Yes. You can pass them my number if you’d like.

Quentin: Will do.

Logan: Jordan, what do you need? What can we bring?

Jordan: I don’t know.

Logan: We’ll come. You shouldn’t be waiting alone.

Tears finally prickled in my eyes. I didn’t want to be alone.

Being alone was my biggest fear, my biggest insecurity.

I wanted Logan here with me. I wanted her quiet reassurance.

Because the truth of the matter was simple: I needed Preston in my life.

Not like a fun “he’s my friend” kind of need.

This was a bone-deep; he was a part of my soul. I didn’t want to live life without him.

Before I could completely spiral, my phone buzzed with texts from Price and their parents. Price was on his way there, and his parents were an hour and a half out. But they were all coming. Preston would wake up from surgery and feel how much he was loved and needed.

Jordan: Quentin, can you let his coach know?

Quentin: Absolutely but once the team knows, it’s gonna be chaos.

Jordan: That’s okay.

My knee bounced as the seconds ticked by at the slowest pace ever. I paced, I sat, then stood, then did a lap around the waiting room. My stomach ached, from worry and hunger, but I couldn’t get comfortable.

How could I when the person I cared the most for was in surgery? How did people do this, survive the waiting?

“Jordan!”

I spun, finding Price standing there with wide eyes. I didn’t even think. I opened up my arms, and Price wrapped me in a huge hug. “He’s in surgery now,” I said, my voice breaking. I held it together, but now I couldn’t. “I need him to be okay. ”

Price held me tight, squeezing me like he needed this hug too. “He will be. He loves you too much to let you down. Trust me.”

I cried in his chest, not caring that makeup was on my face or that I looked like a mess. Just seeing Preston’s twin brother set off all the emotions I’d boxed up all night. They spilled out, and I wasn’t sure how long he held me when he passed me off to another set of arms.

“You’re here, Log.” I fell into her, and her familiar scent and comfort was like coming home. “I’m so scared.”

“Hey, he’ll be okay.” Logan rubbed my back and brought us to a chair where we collapsed into it. I rested my head on her shoulder as she held my hand. “Quentin called his sister, the nurse, and she said this is an easy procedure. Super quick, clean, and they do thousands of these.”

“Talk more medical to me. Tell me how he’ll be okay.”

Logan cited off more things Quentin’s sister said to reassure us, and I closed my eyes, focusing on taking deep breaths. Somehow, an hour went by, and a nurse walked through the double-doors, silencing all side conversations.

“Preston Charming?”

We all stood up. The nurse eyed us before smiling. “He’s out of surgery. Everything went well, no complications. He’s in recovery now and waking up. You can come see him in about fifteen minutes.”

“Thank you,” I rasped out. “Thank you.”

Her smile softened. “I’ll come back to get one of you. He’s doing great, but he’s groggy and needs some rest.”

She disappeared back behind the doors, and for the first time in hours, I could finally breathe.