Page 43 of Until the End (The Lost Letters #3)

Ginny

T he heart rate monitor’s rhythmic beeping is the only thing that’s keeping me going right now.

Carson’s hand has lain limp in mine for days while we wait for him to wake up.

He barely looks like himself. There’s a tube coming out of his mouth to help him breathe, and his skin looks so pale from the blood loss.

The doctors only recently took him off sedation.

They said he should wake up at any time now, but it feels like it’s been a month since I last talked to him.

Until I can look into his emerald eyes, I won’t be able to relax.

I’ve never been so terrified in my life.

The second I recognized Cecelia’s intentions, I shoved Carson to the side. The doctors said if I hadn’t, the bullet would’ve gone into his heart. Instead, it hit him in his right lung, making it collapse and bleed internally.

What happened after is a bit of a blur. It’s been randomly coming to me in snapshots, and I hate every single one. I wish they would go away.

All I really remember is seeing Cecelia fall to the ground and not get back up again. I have no idea where Carson’s shot ended up hitting her, but the police informed me that she bled out on the floor while I was calling for help.

Calvin had his phone in his pocket, so after I called 911, the operator helped me keep Carson from dying.

The paramedics showed up about ten minutes after I called, and they got him into the ambulance soon after arriving.

I refused to stay behind, even though the police tried to keep me there.

It was only because Uncle Cooper is the police chief that I was allowed to leave.

When the doctors took him back for surgery, one of the nurses in the ER helped me get cleaned up. I had Carson’s blood all over me, and I threw up so many times I barely had the energy to stand.

Michael sat with me while we waited for any news about how Carson was doing. The rest of the family showed up in waves. Not all of them stayed, since we would’ve taken up the entire sitting area, but every one of them hugged me and told me how glad they were that Carson and I were okay.

It was too much to handle, and I came really close to losing it in the waiting room. I wanted to scream at them that Carson wasn’t okay, but I managed to shove the words down into my stomach.

I’m assuming Gia shooed everyone away because as quickly as they showed up, they were gone, leaving only Carson’s parents, his brother, me, and Michael.

In the end, the surgery went well. The doctors put in the breathing tube to allow Carson’s lungs time to heal.

He also had to have a chest tube put in to help drain all the fluid that had built up in his chest. It’s hard to see him with all the wires and tubes coming out of him—it makes him seem fragile.

I hardly want to touch him in case I hurt him even more. He’s been hurt enough.

A hand on my shoulder pulls me out of my musings.

I glance up to see Michael. He’s holding out a cup of hot chocolate, and I give him a small smile in thanks.

I’ve never felt more loved than I have these past few days.

My family’s brought me every comfort item I could possibly want or need, not to mention feeding me constantly to ensure I’m staying healthy.

It’s almost been too much, but I’m grateful all the same.

Michael sits in the chair on the other side of the bed while I drink my treat. “Doc said he’s expecting Carson to wake up sometime today.”

I nod. “I’ve never wanted anything as bad as I want him to open his eyes.”

“He will.” The vehemence in Michael’s voice bolsters my own resolve. It’s then that I notice he’s in his police uniform.

“Are you on shift?”

“Yeah, I just came by on my lunch break. Wanted to check on you and see if there were any updates.”

“Thank you. For everything.” Not only has he been the one holding me together, but he and Uncle Cooper were the ones to take my statement about what happened with Cecelia and Calvin.

I wouldn’t have been able to talk about it with anyone else.

They stayed professional throughout the entire story, only interrupting when they needed clarification for their report.

Then they both hugged me to their chests while I sobbed until I didn’t have any tears left.

I don’t know what I would’ve done without Michael.

Gia’s also been a saint. She’s helped keep the family from completely overwhelming me with their love. She’s barely left my side throughout this whole thing. The only reason she isn’t here right now is because she went home to shower.

Chelsea, Tanya, and Mariana have been fielding all the news outlets’ requests for information.

I haven’t kept up with the stories, letting them handle everything for me.

Daren ended up with a pretty bad concussion.

He’s been beside himself about Calvin getting the drop on him, but I honestly don’t fault him.

It was only a matter of time before my stalker made their move.

None of us imagined Cecelia was behind everything, but she’s been taken care of.

The thought makes me nauseous, so I try to shove it away with all the other unpleasant things I’m not thinking about right now.

Michael and Cooper did some digging, and apparently, Cecelia had blackmailed Calvin into helping her.

They didn’t give me specifics, but they made it clear that Calvin wasn’t a good man.

That was evident, given how he didn’t seem to have any qualms about kidnapping us, but it’s nice to know for sure.

I’m reading my book a couple of hours later when Carson’s fingers wiggle in mine. I sit up with a gasp. “Carson?” I stand from my chair to look at his face. His eyebrows are scrunched as if he’s in pain. “Baby, please. Can you open your eyes for me? Just for a second.”

His lashes flutter until his bleary gaze meets mine. Confusion is evident, and he sluggishly tries to reach for his mouth.

“Stay still, my love. You’re okay.” I run my hand down the side of his face, and he calms down a bit. “You’re in the hospital, but you’re going to be fine. Everything is going to be okay.”

He moves his hand to press it against my belly, and tears well in my eyes.

“The baby is fine. So am I, for that matter. We’ve just been waiting on you to wake up.” I quickly swipe my palms against my cheeks before putting them back on Carson’s face. “I love you so much, Duck. More than I could ever put into words. Rest now, okay? I’ll be here when you wake up.”

His eyes droop, as if he’d been holding out just for me. He’s asleep again within seconds, but the hope bubbling in my chest doesn’t diminish.

Once I know he’s asleep for sure, I call for the nurse, letting them know he woke up for a minute. They come in to check on his vitals, and I relay what happened. The doctor is pleased with his progress and doesn’t expect him to need to be intubated for too much longer.

For the first time since we were taken, I let my hope grow. We’ll have a long road to recovery, both physically and mentally, but I have no doubt the two of us will make it through.