Page 21 of Your Love (Merrimack Mavericks Hockey #3)
Chapter 21
“Be Like That”
Landry - Age 19, 1989
“ T hat’s it, Paisley,” I shout over the sounds of bleating goats and clucking chickens as my sister helps me feed the animals on the farm. Earl and Patty left for Texas this morning. Kerri hasn’t woken up yet, but her condition is stable, and the doctors say this is normal since she has swelling in her brain.
My cousin Trevor, his brown hair matted with sweat from a long day of work on the farm, directs us with steady hands and a confident voice. He’s become really important to Earl, but he’ll be leaving in a few short weeks to attend the firefighter academy, leaving Earl to find a replacement. I’m worried about how that is going to work out, but my mind continues to focus on thoughts of Kerri, my priority above all else.
I want to be by her side, holding her close and offering comfort. It’s killing me that I can’t be with her when she wakes up, and she will likely feel scared and confused. Her parents and grandparents are there for her now, but it does little to quell my anxiety. I need to be there to hold her hand and brush away any tears.
“I’m going to go muck the stalls,” I say to Paisley. “Are you okay staying with the goats?”
“Yes,” she says quietly.
A grin spreads across my face, but I quickly school my features into a more subdued expression. I’ve learned from experience that if we make a big deal out of every word she speaks, my sister will clam up and refuse to say anything at all. She’s stubborn like that. So, instead, I just let a warm feeling fill my chest and go about my chores.
After finishing with the animals, I grab the mail from the mailbox at the end of the dirt road and drop it on the table by the door as the phone begins to ring.
I have no intention of picking it up since it’s not mine, but then I hear Earl’s voice booming through the answering machine. “Landry? Are you there, Kid? Pick up if you are.”
I sprint to the phone and pick it up with my heart galloping in my chest. “Earl, I’m here. I’m here,” I say. “Is Kerri awake? What’s going on?”
“Hi, Landry. I’m glad I caught you. Kerri woke up for a few minutes earlier.”
I exhale a deep breath as the thousand-pound weight that’s been settled on my chest begins to lift.
“Is she okay? Is she in any pain?”
“She doesn’t seem to be in much pain; at least, it doesn’t look like it. She was pretty out of it from the medication, but she smiled before she went back to sleep, so that’s a good sign.”
I’d give anything to feel the warmth of that smile right now. “What are her injuries?”
Earl clears his throat. I think it hurts him to think about it. “She has a broken arm, broken collarbone, and a severe concussion.” He sighs. “Along with lots of cuts and bruises.”
I wince at the words. I’d rather be going through this pain myself, and I know he would, too. But it could have been so much worse. “How long are you guys going to stay?” I ask. Earl reads the subtext of my question, which is, “When are you going to be home so that I can go see her?”
He chuckles, and the sound loosens the vice around my chest even more. “We’re going to head back tomorrow. Now that I’ve seen Kerri Ann, I feel good about coming home.”
I quickly work out the logistics, making a list in my of things that need to get done before I leave for Texas. “That will work. I’ll plan on heading out tomorrow. Hopefully, she will be more awake.”
“Sounds like a good idea,” he says.
Suddenly I realize I’ve never met Kerri’s parents. They’ve only heard my panicked voice on their answering machine. “Earl, can I ask you a question?”
“Of course,” he says. “What’s on your mind?”
“Do Kerri’s parents know about me? I don’t want to show up and be the strange guy who barges in and upsets everything.”
“They know who you are, Landry,” he says. “Kerri has told them about you, and we’ve been telling them about you. They’re excited to meet you.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. “Okay. Well, then I’ll get my stuff together and plan on heading tomorrow.”
“Sounds good. We can all be thankful that the situation turned out the way it did,” he says before hanging up.
I place the phone back on the cradle and turn to Paisley. “Good news, Pais! Kerri is going to be okay.” I wrap her in a hug, but the sound of her sniffling against my ear causes me to pull back and study her sad face. “It’s going to be fine. I’m going to visit tomorrow. Maybe you could make a drawing for her? She would love that.”
“I go?” Paisley asks sweetly.
My heart cracks at her sweet voice. “Oh, honey, I’m sorry you can’t go. I don’t know how long I’m going to be gone, and I’ll be spending most of my time in the hospital. But I promise to keep you updated on everything that’s going on, and I’ll bring Kerri home as soon as I can.”
The next day is loaded with things to do to get ready for my impromptu trip. My flight leaves this afternoon, so I’ve been packing, calling the airline to book my ticket, and begging my parents to pay for it. I’ll be doing chores around here until I’m twenty-five.
The last thing left to do is call Coach Dupree. I’ve been putting it off, not because I’m scared to tell him—he’s a reasonable man, and he will understand. But he’s also running a junior hockey program and can’t have star players disappear for weeks on end. I hate letting people down, and I feel like that’s exactly what I’m doing right now, though I don’t have a choice.
As it turns out, he’s really understanding about my situation and assured me that my spot will be waiting for me when I return. However, he also reminds me that this is a competitive league, and I can’t be gone all summer.
I assure him I have no plans to be gone all summer, and as soon as Kerri is out of the hospital and on her feet, I’ll come home.
Mom and Pais drop me off at the airport a few hours later. I haven’t been on a flight this long in my life, even though it’s only a few hours. It’s difficult to fit in these tiny seats at my size and my parents are awesome, but they aren’t millionaires. It’s not like I could afford first class, so I’m currently stuffed into a coach seat like a sardine and vibrating with energy.
My stomach writhes with apprehension at the thought of seeing Kerri lying in a hospital bed. My instinct to protect those I care about makes it difficult for me to witness people I care about in pain. The mere idea of it feels like someone is tearing my heart out of my chest, which is likely why I tend to keep people at arm’s length. But I know I have to be strong for her, no matter how hard it may be.
I still haven’t been given any details about the accident itself. All I know is that Kerri was driving her friend’s car for some reason, and another vehicle ran a red light and struck them on the passenger side. Her friend, Paige, is currently in the ICU with internal injuries from the impact.
The entire situation is nothing short of devastating. On top of everything else, the perpetrator fled the scene and has yet to be identified. It’s likely just an unfortunate hit-and-run incident, but there’s something about it that sets off alarms in my mind whenever I think about it.
As soon as I land in the sweltering Texas summer heat, I ask the cab driver to take me to the hospital. I only have my duffel with me, and the last thing I care about is checking into the hotel before I go to the hospital. Now that I’m in the same city as Kerri, all I can think about is seeing her.
I step out of the cab as the humidity wraps around me like a heavy, heated blanket. I look at the massive structure that is the hospital Kerri is in and can’t believe this place houses sick people. It’s enormous. Our hospital in Merrimack only has one story and less than one hundred beds. This place looks to be four stories and spans several city blocks.
Kerri always says, “Everything is bigger in Texas.” I smile at the thought, toss my duffel over my shoulder, take a deep breath, and walk through the double doors. Locating the information desk is easy, and the sweet older lady in the pink candy striper dress gives me directions.
On my way, I pass a gift shop and do a double take. Amongst the “get well” cards and new baby balloons, there are a few stuffed animals. One is a baby chick. It reminds me of Lou, and I know Kerri will love it, so I double back and buy it before continuing my trek to her room.
I navigate a myriad of hallways and nurses’ stations before I find the unit. A cold sweat breaks out over my body as I approach her room. I’m so nervous to see her, but I can’t wait another second, so I turn the door handle as the sound of light laughter echoes through the room. My heart lifts, and I hide the stuffed chicken behind my back, take a deep breath, and walk through the door.
The first two people I see are Kerri’s parents. They’re standing next to her bed and turn toward the sound of my footsteps. They must recognize me from the description that either Kerri or her grandparents gave to them, and they offer me kind smiles. I return their smile, and my gaze fixes on Kerri. She’s lying in bed with wires hanging off her, and it hurts my heart to see her this way, but what’s more concerning is the way she’s looking at me.
Her face is filled with a quizzical expression—a complete absence of recognition. Tentatively, I take a step towards her and reveal the chicken hidden behind my back. But instead of joy or surprise, Kerri releases a blood-curdling scream that immobilizes me.
“No! Get away from me! Get away from me!” She tries to scramble up the bed and winces at the pain. “I’m not going to let you hurt me again,” she screams. Her words ring out in the room, sharp and pained.
Her parents rush over to soothe her. “Kerri, this is Landry,” her mother says calmly. “Don’t you recognize him?”
I remain rooted in place, struggling to make sense of what’s happening. How could she not remember me?
“No, no. I know who he is,” she cries out, gripping her mother’s arm tightly. “He’ll hurt me, just like he did before. Make him leave!”
My heart drops at her words, and my eyes fill with tears as I try to keep my face neutral. Her father steps forward and places a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Why don’t you give us some space while we figure out what’s going on?”
I nod numbly and turn to leave the room, dropping the stuffed animal on the chair. The door closes behind me, but I can still hear Kerri’s panicked voice echoing through the hallway. I don’t understand what’s going on, but that woman isn’t my Wildflower, and she’s absolutely terrified of me.