Page 33

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

CHEETAH

I don’t have my car here. We were drinking, so we were going to Uber home tonight. Fortunately, there’s an Uber nearby, and the hospital isn’t too far away.

With my jacket around Kam, I hold her in my arms in the backseat of the Uber as she shakes uncontrollably. I’m trying to whisper reassurances in her ear, but I have no idea what we’re walking into.

If this goes badly, she’ll be permanently wrecked for life. There will be no coming back from it for her. I pray for her sake and Bailey’s that this has a happy ending. I’m terrified that it won’t.

I managed to text Quincy. He and Ripley are now also on their way to the hospital. They were already halfway home, meaning they’re about twenty minutes behind us.

The Uber drops us off at the emergency room door. Kam sprints inside with me hot on her heels. She starts screaming at every employee in sight. No one gives her any answers and she’s freaking out. They keep promising that they’ll look into it and that she should sit and wait, but that’s not good enough for her.

It’s mayhem. I’m trying to keep her calm, but it’s an uphill battle.

Eventually, Reagan Daulton and her husband, Carter, walk in. They’re still dressed as they were for the wedding. She immediately grabs a hysterical Kam by the shoulders. “Calm down. You’re not going to get answers acting like this. My sister and brother-in-law work here. I called them as soon as I heard about the accident. He’s a spinal surgeon. He’s with her in imaging so they can pinpoint exactly what’s wrong with her. He couldn’t say much more without your permission, but I know he’ll be down to talk with us in a few minutes. We’ll get you answers, just be patient a little longer.”

Kamryn nods and whisper-cries, “Okay, thank you.”

Tears are pouring from her eyes. I hate seeing her like this.

I pull Kam into my arms as Reagan continues, “I know every single board member at this hospital. We’re going to get her the best treatment available. I promise you that.” She rubs Kam’s arm. “The press is already on this. I need to issue a statement on behalf of the team. I won’t give any health updates without your approval, but I need to say something. Do you know why she was with Tanner Montgomery?”

Kam stoically responds, “She’s been fucking him for a year.”

Reagan’s eyes widen as she looks to me for confirmation. I nod. “She nannies for his daughter. They’ve quietly been dating for about a year.”

Kam’s voice cracks, “Like I said, she’s been fucking him for a year.”

Reagan’s lips twist. “Perhaps something along the lines of she had a lot to drink, and he was making sure she safely got home would be better.”

Kam brings her hand to her mouth as if something is just now occurring to her. “I bet Tanner was drinking. I want the electric chair for him if he was.” She looks around. “Where the hell is he? Did he drop her and leave?”

I sigh as I rub her back. “You know that’s not the case. He cares deeply for her.”

Reagan nods. “He passed out when they got to the hospital. He had refused treatment at the scene, wanting to stay with your sister. He’s now getting imaging done too. Last I heard, he was still unconscious.”

Shit. I hope he’s not hurt too badly. I pull out my phone and text Fallon. I don’t have Tanner’s father’s information. Maybe she can reach out to him.

Ripley and Quincy run in through the emergency room’s automatic glass doors. As soon as they locate us, Ripley and Kam run toward each other and embrace in a pile of tears.

We all stand there quietly as the two of them sob in each other’s arms. No words need to be spoken for us to know that we’re all fearing the same thing.

Eventually, a tall blond man in a white lab coat walks toward us. He looks like he’s about forty. He and Reagan exchange a familiar glance. He must be her brother-in-law.

Looking at Kamryn, he asks, “I suppose it’s safe to assume you’re Bailey Hart’s sister?”

She immediately turns to him. “Y…yes. Is she okay?”

He holds out his hand for her. “I’m Dr. Brody Cooper. I’m the head of the neurosurgery department at this hospital. I’m married to Reagan’s sister, and she asked me to take the lead on Bailey’s case.”

Kam shakily takes his hand. “Please tell me she’ll be fine.”

He swallows as he gently drops her hand. “I won’t lie, her injuries are severe.” Kam starts getting hysterical. I take her back into my arms as I practically hold her upright. “The imaging showed two issues. Do you have a medical background?”

Kam shakes her head.

He nods. “Okay. I’ll give it to you in layman’s terms for now. Her first injury, which is not my area of expertise, was to her lower abdomen. I’m only involved because Reagan asked me to be. The trauma is severe enough that she’ll need to have her right ovary removed.”

Kam gasps before yelling out, “Will she be able to have children? That’s all she fucking wants in this world.”

“Women with one ovary can have children. If you’d like, as a backup, we can harvest any eggs we find in the right ovary when it’s removed.”

Kam nods. “Yes, harvest everything you can. I’ll have her kid if it comes to that.”

He presses a few buttons on an iPad before looking back up at her. “That surgery will take place right away. She’s being prepped now. As for her other injury, she sustained a spinal fracture.”

Kam nearly collapses, but I hold her tight. “Will…will she walk again?”

He pulls something up on his iPad and shows it to her. It’s a three-dimensional illustration of a spine. “I’ve reviewed the imaging thoroughly, and I will operate on her tomorrow.”

The illustration then runs like a video, displaying the fracture and exactly how he’ll go about the surgery and what it will entail. The technology is amazing. He explains it in detail. “I’m optimistic that with a lot of physical and occupational therapy, she’ll make nearly a full recovery.”

Kam asks, “What does nearly mean?”

He answers, “It means that there are no certainties with the spine. I think she’ll walk, but I also know she’s a professional athlete. There may be certain things she can’t ever do again. A numb finger, toe, or more. Areas where the nerve connections are never quite right again. Something along those lines. As you know, athletes require a bit more than regular people. I don’t know if playing softball will be in her future, but I’m confident that living an otherwise normal life will be in her future. Like I said, no promises, but I think we can get her up and running.”

Kam nods. “I understand. As long as she can live a normal life. And you don’t know my sister. She can do whatever she sets her mind to. If she wants to play again, she will. What’s the timeline for her recovery?”

He blows out a breath. “Assuming the surgery tomorrow goes as I expect it to, I’d say three to four months of intensive inpatient treatment followed by a few more months of outpatient treatment. She’ll start her therapy here right away, and that will last for about two weeks. Then we’ll transfer her to the facility of your choosing. We can get you a list of facilities covered by your health insurance.”

Reagan shakes her head. “Give me only the name of the top facility. We’ll cover it if her insurance doesn’t. I want her to have the best care.”

Dr. Cooper clicks something on his iPad and shows it to Reagan. “If she were my family member, this is where I’d want her.”

Reagan takes down the information while I ask, “What about Tanner? How’s he?”

Kam mumbles, “Who cares.”

Brody types away on his iPad again before looking back up at me. “Are you family?”

I shake my head. “No. I’m a longtime friend and client though.”

He winces. “Does he have any family here?”

I shake my head again. “His father lives in Florida. I texted his ex-wife, but I haven’t heard back from her. I’m as close as it gets. I’ve known him for a dozen years.”

He looks around. “I’m breaking a few laws by telling you, but he sustained a very severe concussion. The CT showed no brain bleed, but he’s unconscious right now and probably will be for a few more hours. He’ll need to stay away from light for at least a week and will require a decent amount of rest.”

Kam scoffs. “A concussion? That’s it? My sister is losing an ovary and has a broken back, and all that asshole got was a headache for a few days. Was he drunk? I want to press charges if he was.”

Dr. Cooper visibly swallows. “His bloodwork won’t be back until tomorrow, but it’s standard protocol to take it.” He slides his iPad into his lab coat pocket. “I need to run. Your sister will remain sedated until after her second surgery. We’ll know more when that’s done. I’ll come find you then. What she’ll need most is support and positivity. She’s got a long road ahead of her. She’ll be shaken when she wakes up and discovers all that she’s going to face in the coming months.”

I feel my phone vibrate and peek down at it. It’s Fallon. It looks like she was on an airplane when I texted but is now coming straight here from the airport. She asks for an update, and I give it to her.

I tried to get Kam to go home considering the fact that Bailey will be sedated for several more hours, but she refused to leave. Reagan and Carter left, promising to return when Bailey wakes. Along with Ripley and Quincy, we’ve awkwardly been sitting in a room with two beds. One has Tanner, who’s still out cold. He’s got a bandage around his head. Apparently, he hit it very hard. Hard enough to cause a big gash requiring stitches. Fallon has been on and off silently weeping, sitting at his bedside.

Fallon is a blonde-haired, blue-eyed bombshell. There’s no other way to describe her. Even with red-rimmed eyes in the middle of the night, she’s a beautiful woman. She and Tanner had an amicable divorce. I don’t know the specifics of the breakup of their marriage because Tanner has always been tight-lipped about it, but I’ve never once heard him utter a bad word about her. All I know was that it was roughly five years ago, and they very peacefully co-parent Harper. Joint meals and full family vacations are the norm for them.

Fallon works in the physical therapy department of this hospital. Several of her coworkers have popped in to check on her. She’s obviously well-liked.

The other bed in the room is open, waiting for Bailey to return from her surgeries. Kam has been sitting in it while bashing Tanner for hours. I can tell Fallon is getting annoyed but is keeping quiet, likely knowing that Kam is simply scared for her sister.

After a few hours, Tanner eventually wakes. Every time he attempts to gather information, Kam berates him and peppers him with questions about the details of the accident. Finally, Fallon reaches her breaking point and grits out, “E-fucking-nough. Just shut your mouth. I can’t listen to you bitch and whine anymore. It doesn’t help anyone, especially Bailey.”

The three of us smile at each other. Kam had that coming. Ripley stands and takes Kamryn’s hand. “She won’t be out of surgery for a little while. Let’s grab a snack. We’ll give Fallon a chance to catch Tanner up on everything.”

We leave and head to the cafeteria. I buy all the coffee and dark chocolate I can find before we all sit. I look at Kam. “You need to relax with Tanner. ”

“He—”

“They were in an accident. By definition, accidents are not on purpose. I was with him enough throughout the wedding to know he wasn’t drunk, Kam. If, for some reason, the bloodwork shows that he was, then he’ll have something worse than your verbal assaults to deal with. Tanner is not a bad man, and I know he cares about Bailey. It will be better for her if you work with him, not against him.”

Ripley nods in agreement. “He’s right, Kam. Bailey won’t want you two at each other’s throats. It won’t help her.”

Tears begin streaming out of Kam’s eyes again. She croaks out, “I’m just so fucking scared for my sister.”

I wrap my arm around her. “I know, babe. She’s strong. You both are. Like the doctor said, let’s stay positive. When she wakes up, make your usual Kam jokes. Bailey can give her standard eye roll at you. She’s going to be scared out of her mind. I think you being yourself will be the most calming thing for her.”

She slowly nods her head. “You’re right. I’ll try.”

“Good. Have you heard from your dad?”

She shakes her head. “He must have already been asleep when I reached out. I left him a message to please call me as soon as he wakes, but I didn’t want to just leave a voicemail as to why. I’m sure he’ll fly up right away.”

“What can I do to help?”

She reaches for my hand. “Just pray for her.”

KAMRYN

“No. Fucking. Way.”

Tanner clenches his jaw. “Yes. Fucking. Way. I’ve already made all the arrangements. I’ve purchased all the equipment she could possibly need. You know full well she’ll be more comfortable recovering and doing her therapy at my house than at some cold hospital.”

Is he stupid? There’s a reason people need to be inpatient.

I pull my hair as I bark out, “Hospitals have professionals for this very reason. Who is going to work with her? You? The person who did this to her.”

He exhales a few calming breaths. He’s clearly at his wit’s end with me, but I don’t give a shit. “Fallon is moving in. She’s taking a leave of absence from her job to be totally dedicated to Bailey for the next three months. I trust her and only her to do this. There’s no one better and certainly no one who will care more.”

“Maybe you hit your head harder than they thought. You’re telling me that your former fuck buddy and your current fuck buddy are all going to live together as one big happy family?”

He sighs. “You are a child. Grow up. How are you possibly related to her?”

Cheetah pulls me into the hallway and grabs me by the shoulders. “Hey, relax.”

I shake my head. I’m so fucking exhausted, but I refuse to leave or sleep until my sister is out of surgery and awake. Every inch of my body is running on caffeine and adrenaline right now. It feels like it could all give out at any moment.

I collapse my face into his chest and start sobbing. “Why did this happen to her? She doesn’t deserve this. It should have been me.”

He rubs his hands over me in a soothing manner. He’s a godsend. I’d be institutionalized right now if he wasn’t here.

He lifts my chin so our eyes meet. “Don’t say that. Don’t ever say that. I know your head is spinning, babe, but think about how much happier Bailey will be in his home than in some random hospital. Harper will be there. She loves Harper so much. You know that. She’ll be in a real bed, not a hospital bed. She’ll be surrounded by people who love her all the time. You won’t have to deal with hospital hours and rules. You can come and go whenever you want.”

I nod robotically and a bit reluctantly. He does make compelling points.

“Let’s go back in and tell him that you’re onboard. It’s best for Bailey. When she wakes up, you two need to be a unified front. After we tell him, I want you to get some sleep.”

I shake my head. “Not until I know she’s out of surgery and her back is fixed.”

“We’ll sit in her room. You’ll sleep on me. I’ll stay awake. When she’s out of surgery and conscious, I promise to wake you. Don’t you want to be fresh for her? She can’t see you freaking out. You need to pull a Kamryn Sarah Hart.”

I pinch my eyebrows together. “What’s that?”

He smiles as he rubs my face. “Making people laugh. Making everyone around you happy.”

“I don’t think I make Tanner happy.”

He chuckles. “Definitely not.”

“I think my mind is too tired to come up with jokes. Do you have one I can use?”

He thinks for a few seconds. “Hmm. Oh, I’ve got a thematic one. What do you call a nurse with dirty knees?

“What?”

“The head nurse.”

I let out a laugh, and he winks at me. “I love that laugh. Bailey needs you at your best. You need sleep to be at your best.”

“So do you.”

“It’s just like sex. You first.”

I smile. I think it’s my first smile since this nightmare started. Nodding, I say, “Okay. She should be out and awake before my dad gets here but wake me if he arrives first.” Dad and his boyfriend are flying in tonight.

“You got it.”

We go back into Bailey’s room, and I must fall asleep in less than five seconds because I barely remember sitting down.