Page 27 of Waves of Reckoning (Echoes of Camano Island #1)

Chapter Twenty-Six

A my held on tightly to Nikki’s hand as they settled in the back seat of Paul’s car while he and Reed rode up front.

The closer they got to the hospital, the louder Nikki’s heart pounded against her chest. She was about to see her sister alive and awake after coming so close to losing her.

She could feel the angst emanating from her niece, who stared out the window of the moving car while keeping a tight grip on her hand.

Nikki looked down and noticed that her knuckles were drained of color.

She wished she knew what she was thinking.

When she’d broken the news to Reed, and he had shared it with the guests, there had been loud cheers of joy.

The relief on some of the faces was palpable.

Reed had left his right hand in charge of the rest of the afternoon as he opted to go with them to the hospital.

A couple more cars were traveling behind them with some close friends and well-wishers.

Amy had frozen in place when she first broke the news, and after that, she seemed to be on autopilot.

She hadn’t said one word since entering the car.

Nikki stared worriedly at her for a few seconds. Just then, the hospital came into view.

Nikki wasn’t sure what she was expecting to see when she finally made it into the room, but in the meantime, her anxiety seemed to be getting the better of her.

“You guys okay?” Paul turned to ask them after he’d parked the car.

“I don’t know,” Amy answered truthfully, releasing a heavy sigh.

Nikki looked over at her to see the uncertainty flickering in her eyes. Tamping down her own insecurities, Nikki squeezed the hand she still held in hers and used her other hand to run soothingly down Amy’s arm.

Amy turned to her, looking lost and afraid.

“Everything will be okay,” she said with a reassuring smile. Opening the car door, she pulled Amy along until they stood face-to-face on the pavement. Nikki reached over and pulled her niece into her arms.

“I’m scared,” Amy whispered to her.

“I know, sweetie, I know,” Nikki replied, smoothing the hair at her temples lovingly. “Everything will be fine,” she repeated, taking Amy’s cheeks into her palms so she could stare into her eyes. “I promise.”

Amy finally nodded, and the two women turned to the men waiting for them. After pushing through the lobby’s entrance, they made their way to the elevator to take them up to Trish’s wing.

Nikki’s feet felt like someone had thrown cement in her shoes. The others followed closely when she made it off the elevator and walked over to the nurses’ station.

“Hi, I’m here to see Trisha Murphy. They called to say she’s awake,” she managed to say.

“And you are?” the woman asked, looking through the files on her desk. Nikki had never seen this woman before when she visited Trish, which would explain why she didn’t know her.

“My name is Nikki Murphy. I’m her sister.”

“Okay. Just a moment, let me get the doctor for you.” The nurse reached for the telephone and spoke into the receiver before hanging up and turning to Nikki.

“He’ll be here in a few minutes. In the meantime, you and the others may have a seat,” the woman informed her.

Nikki couldn’t sit. Instead, she paced the waiting area impatiently.

“Dad?”

Nikki looked up to see Sarah, Paul’s daughter, walk toward him.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Paul greeted her with a hug and a kiss against her temple.

“I was making my rounds when one of the nurses told me they saw you come up here. Is everything okay?” Sarah asked when they separated.

“It’s Trish. They said she’s awake,” Paul replied.

“Oh, that’s great news,” Sarah responded.

“We haven’t been in to see her yet, though. We’re waiting on the doctor.”

Sarah nodded in understanding before inclining her head to look behind him. Paul looked behind him too before turning back to her with a subtle nod.

Nikki watched Sarah walk over to her niece, who could only be described as shivering as she held herself against the wall.

“Hey, Amy,” Sarah spoke softly as she came to stand before her.

Amy gave her a weak smile, a myriad of emotions swimming in her eyes.

“Oh, come here.” Sarah drew her into her arms, and after a few tense seconds, Amy’s arms came up to hug her back.

Nikki felt warmed by their interaction, and a smile made its way to her face as the scene before her chased away the nerves dancing to a strange beat in her stomach.

Her eyes sought out Paul. He was already staring back at her with a knowing glint.

His head inclined, acknowledging some unspoken confirmation about the two young women. Just then, Trish’s doctor walked in.

“Ms. Murphy, how are you?” he greeted Nikki as he came to a stop before her with a bright smile.

“Honestly? I’m nervous,” she confessed, clasping her hands before her.

“That’s to be expected, but you needn’t worry.

Trish’s vitals have improved a great deal since she woke up.

She is conscious of who she is, so that’s a good sign that there is little to no permanent neural disruptions.

I must caution you however that she is still a bit out of it, so don’t mention anything about the accident because we don’t want to overwhelm her.

That could delay her progress significantly. ”

“Thank you so much, Dr. Smith,” Nikki replied, grateful for his explanation of her sister’s current state. “Can I see her now?”

“Yes, of course, but only one or two at a time,” the man advised her.

Nikki turned to Amy and held out her hand for her to take it. Amy’s eyes widened in surprise, and her mouth opened and closed as she tried to speak, but in the end, she jerked her head from side to side.

Nikki walked over to her niece and gently entwined their fingers. “You don’t have to be afraid, Amy. I’m sure you are the first person Trish would want to see.”

Amy’s chest rose and fell rapidly as her eyes shuttered. She swallowed, slackening the tension in her jaw as her eyes slowly opened. Her head hesitantly nodded, and that was all the agreement Nikki needed. She gently pulled her niece toward the room Trish was in.

After a slight pause, Nikki pushed the door open and entered the room.

The beep of the machines and the tubes running from Trish’s arms and her nose were there like before, but as Nikki slowly approached the bed, she noted that her sister no longer wore an oxygen mask, and the ventilator was pushed to one side of the room.

Trish’s chest rose and fell freely, and this brought a relieved smile to Nikki’s lips.

Her hands went up to cover her mouth, and she looked down at her sister before turning to look at Amy, who remained by the door.

Nikki turned back to Trish and took the remaining steps until she stood above her.

Nikki reached down and took her sister’s hand in hers and leaned forward until she was a few inches from her face. “Trish, it’s me, Nikki,” she whispered softly.

Trish’s eyes flew open almost instantly, and tears pooled in their depths when they finally focused on Nikki, who had tears of joy and relief flowing down her cheeks as well.

“Nikki,” Trish spoke, her voice coming out weak and brittle as she continued to stare up at her as if unable to believe her eyes.

“Hey, Sis.” Nikki gave her a watery smile.

“Nikki,” Trish repeated, a smile finally turning up the corners of her mouth. She tried to raise her arms but could only move them a few inches above the bed.

Nikki gathered her in her arms, holding her carefully so as not to disturb the needles in her arms. Tears flowed freely down her face as she sobbed with both joy and remorse. “Oh my God, Trish, I thought I lost you,” she wept. “I don’t know what I would have done if I lost you.”

Trish managed to raise one of her hands, and she patted Nikki’s head reassuringly. “I’m here,” she forced out.

After a good minute, Nikki disentangled herself from her sister and sat in the chair before bed.

She reached out to lovingly run her palm down Trish’s cheek.

“I’m really sorry we grew apart. All those years…

I should have done something, more than I did…

” Noticing the look of distress on her sister’s face, she quickly changed the subject.

“We can talk about all that another time when you’re much stronger.

There’s someone here you’ve been dying to meet. ” She smiled brightly.

As if suddenly realizing they weren’t alone, Trish’s eyes darted toward the door where Amy stood looking over at her with already wet eyes.

Trish’s hand went to her mouth as she stared in shock at her daughter.

More tears flowed down her cheeks, a guttural sound forcing its way through her lips.

She lifted her hand as far as she could, beckoning for Amy to come closer.

Slowly, Amy walked over to the bed and grasped the hand her mother held out to her. Nikki slid out of the chair and walked to one corner of the room with a smile on her lips.

“A-A-Amy?” Trish asked, even as the tears blurred her vision.

“Yeah…it’s me. Your daughter,” Amy confirmed for her. This only caused Trish to sob bitterly as she tugged on Amy’s hand, pulling her down to her chest. Amy’s hands went around her mother, and without warning, she too started to sob uncontrollably.

“I’m so-so sorry,” Trish whispered against her hair, her voice filled with pain and regret.

“I know,” Amy responded, not moving out of her mother’s embrace.

“I love you so much,” Trish spoke with much feeling. Amy didn’t respond to her mother’s declaration this time, and slowly, they separated.

Nikki stood watching their interaction with a satisfied grin on her face.

She finally had her sister back in her life, and although it looked to be a long road to recovery, based on what Dr. Smith had told her, she was just happy Trish was still here in the land of the living.

They had so much lost time to make up for.

She had so much that she had to make up for.

She also knew that both she and Trish had a lot of making up to do with Amy.

This time, however, she was prepared to fight for the family she’d always wanted.

“I’m going to culinary school this fall, and I’ve already decided to stay here. So you just need to get better so we can work on our relationship,” Amy was saying, scratching her arm nervously.

Trish nodded her head with a smile on her lips. Amy returned her smile, and Trish reached up to run her hand over her cheek. Amy reached up and placed her hand over Trish’s, keeping it in place against her cheek.

Nikki smiled happily before her mind strayed. It amazed her how much accidents had the capability to repair broken families. Although she wasn’t happy that the accident happened in the first place, it did far more than she had been willing to do to mend her relationship with Trish over the years.

Perhaps the accident had been a blessing in disguise.