Page 61 of Grayson

Everything after that was nothing more than a blur. She parked, she guided me inside on unsteady legs and the moment I saw him I broke all over again.

He stood, his steps quick as he moved toward me, and then I was in his arms. Holding me tightly, giving me the strength to stand, allowing me to fall apart.

The minutes felt like hours, the emergency room door sliding open and shut echoing over the busy waiting area. People hurrying in and out, voices all around me but all I could do was stare at the one door separating me from finding my sister.

“What happened?” I look up to see Griffin, Gray’s father, rush in. His hair is in array, he’s wearing the pair of flannel pajama pants Tori insisted we buy him a couple weeks ago. I remember the moment she saw them, hanging on the end rack in Target. Patrick, from SpongeBob, and my eyes swell with tears all over again.

I can hear the guys sharing the news. Words swarm around me, mentions of two cars colliding and how one had been flipped on its side. Both Grayson and I both sit side by side, holding onto one another like we are one.

When Griffin notices us, he joins us, following closely behind is Viv, Gray’s Aunt Sheri, and even Uncle Issac and then Rose.

I’d thought when we lost my parents Tori and I had lost our family but as I sit here looking around at the worried faces that surround me I realize something. These people, a room full of firefighters, still in their gear, worried faces and hushed whispers, they are our family.

“I’m looking for the family of Tori Simmons.” Grayson is up out of his chair, still with my hand in his.

“That’s us,” he says and suddenly there is a swarm of men moving toward her. The woman’s eyes widen for a second as she scans over all of us.

“You’re all family?”

“We are.” Uncle Issac is the first to speak. “She’s my niece,” he states, crowding the woman. “All these men are her brothers, she is our family and we need to know how she’s doing.”

My emotions are so out of control. I watched this man that only a couple weeks ago wanting to lock my little sister in a closet and forget where he placed the key. Scarlett was at his side, Sheri the opposite her and all three of them look as though they are holding their breath.

“I’m Skye Simmons,” I tell her, gaining her full attention. “And they’re right, everyone here is Tori’s family.”

She holds my stare, offers me a smile of acceptance before she carefully explains the situation.

“Tori suffered a broken femur during the crash.” I grip Grayson’s hand harder and he quickly wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me in closer to his body. “We’ve surgically repaired the break and she’s still under heavy sedation. During the surgery, as we were prepping her lung collapsed so she does have a tube.” I feel like I’m going to be sick.

“Her left wrist is also broken, and she has several lacerations to the left side of her body, I’m sure from broken glass, and so on. She’s lucky she was wearing her seatbelt or things could have been so much worse.”

I nod, though my head still feels like it’s spinning.

“She will require physical therapy and the healing process will take time. But we’re confident she will make a full recovery.”

A rush of relief hits me and the strength in my legs gives out. If it wasn’t for Grayson holding me up, I’m sure I would have crumbled to the floor.

“Can we see her?” he asks and his voice is hoarse. Looking up at him I find tears pooling in his eyes. The way he loves my sister, the way he loves me, shows the kind of man he is. Though he tried for years to run from it, tried to hide that side of himself, I’ve been given the gift of not only seeing, but feeling it too.

“Just three of you.” She looks around the large group. “She’s asleep, and probably will be for the remainder of the night. Even after that she’ll be on heavy pains meds that will continue to make her drowsy. But she’s going to be okay,” the doctor offers once again before leading Grayson, myself, and his father through the doors that lead us to the bed my sister is asleep in.

41

Grayson Hawk

“Hey, kid.” I enter the hospital room to find Tori flipping through the channels on the television. “Brought you something.”

Holding up the gift bag I set it on the bed at her side and she lifts a brow.

“Everyone at the station chipped in, Uncle Issac and Aunt Sheri, Viv, Scarlett, even Rose.”

“The whole gang,” she says a smile tugging at her lips. Tori is still her same sarcastic self, but not when it comes to the guys. She woke up to all eight of us hovering over her the day after her accident and I still remember the look on her face. “Don’t you clowns have anything better to do than stand over my bed staring?” Those were the first words she spoke, before rolling her eyes. After that each one of the guys lectured her about safety, though she wasn’t the one driving. She was with Rachel’s older sister coming back from the mall. They were not at fault, the other driver was, as he was under the influence of alcohol.

I thank God every day she is okay. Banged up, but okay, because losing her, I know Skye wouldn’t have recovered and I’ll admit it would have destroyed me too.

She lowers the controller to the bed, reaching up to tip the bag sideways with her good hand.

Her leg is suspended upward, hanging securely in a sling, her wrist casted. The bandages on her forehead and chin have been removed, but the bruising to her face has since deepened in color. Her left eye has a broken blood vessel, causing it to be more than ninety percent blood where it should be white.

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