Page 52 of Unbroken

I was standing at Hazel’s left side, closest to the window, gripping the bed railing and trying to provide as much comfort as I could. Luke almost knocked down a nurse when he came through the door, but he quickly apologized and was at his wife’s side in the next second.

“Luke” was all Hazel said before tears slipped down her cheeks. God, she was fucking tough.

“Hey, Angel,” Luke said softly, bending over the bed and taking her hand while placing a soft kiss on her damp forehead.

“I thought you were going to miss it. This baby is coming so fast,” Hazel sobbed. Luke dropped his forehead to hers and took a deep breath.

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world, Angel. Take some deep breaths for me. Just like we learned in class.”

Hazel groaned and leaned forward, her knuckles going white where she mercilessly gripped Luke’s hand. “You know what they don’t tell you in those classes? How much this fucking hurts! They tell you it hurts, but they don’t explain how much itreallyhurts.”

“She hasn’t gotten the epidural yet,” I chimed in. Hazel broke off in another guttural moan. I felt like it was something Luke should have known.

He looked up like it was the first time he’d noticed me standing there. “Oh, okay. Yeah,” he said and glanced back down at his wife, brushing her hair out of her face. “You drove her here?”

I nodded, and the moments between my confirmation and when he spoke felt like they went on forever. He stood tall and narrowed his eyes. I wasn’t easily intimidated, not even by Luke, who was, by all accounts, a scary motherfucker. But he did make me a little nervous then.

So, when he finally spoke, I wanted to cry. “Thank you for getting her here.”

I inclined my head, and we both turned our attention back to the screaming woman lying in the bed between us. “Okay, honey,” one of the nurses said, clapping her hands together. “The anesthesiologist is on her way. Let’s get you into position.”

Hazel shook her head and whimpered. “I can’t do this. I can’t do this,” she mumbled.

“Yes, you can, Angel. You can do anything,” Luke said.

“I’m going to—” I motioned toward the door. With her eyes shut and all her focus on each breath, Hazel didn’t hear me. But Luke did. He straightened and nodded but muttered another “thank you” as I walked out.

At the threshold, I rushed down the hall and into the labor and delivery waiting area. I should have expected it, but I wasn’t prepared for the waiting room full of our friends. They all stood at once and rushed me.

I took a reflexive step back.

“Is she okay? What’s going on?” Amanda asked.

“They’re doing the epidural,” I managed to say. “I’m sureLuke will be out here to come grab you. I just need to use the restroom.” I pointed past them toward the elevator bank and started walking. Someone said my name, or maybe more than one person did, but I couldn’t hear them. All of it was turning into static, and the sides of my vision were going blurry.

I continued past the elevators and turned left for no reason. There were doors that undoubtedly led somewhere else, but I didn’t pay attention to them. All I cared about was that the hallway was empty, so no one would hear me cry.

TWENTY-FOUR

Devon

The six ofus shared a look as Blakely disappeared around the corner on the other side of the elevator bank.

She’d rushed out of Hazel’s room like she was being chased, and she’d given a concise update in a shaky, distant voice that matched the faraway look in her eyes. Like she was looking beyond us to a different time or place.

Rather than fight my instinctive response, I turned without a word and retraced her steps. Past the elevators, I took a left and heard the muffled crying at the end of the hallway before I noticed her curled up on the floor against the wall.

Her knees were pressed to her chest, and her face was buried against her arms that were folded on top of them. A few quick strides, and I was stooping in front of her before the next sob broke free.

My steps weren’t quiet, but I wasn’t positive she’d heard me, and I didn’t want to startle her. I slowly reached out and brushed her knee. She didn’t jump, she didn’t move, and I couldn’t stand to hear her crying like that.

Muffled sobs and choked inhalations that sounded like a part of her soul was shattering.

I shifted until I was sitting on the hard, tiled ground next to her and could wrap my arm around her shoulders. I pulled her closer until she was crying into my chest instead. I held her in my arms and let her sob. If she was going to cry, she wasn’t going to do it alone. But every tear shredded the flimsy remains of my heart.

Without knowing the cause of her distress, I was helpless. I rubbed soothingly against her arm and held her tighter each time the tears began anew.

I don’t know how long we sat there, but by the time she sniffled and began to raise her head, my shirt was soaked and my ass was numb.

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