Page 79 of When You Saved Me

On a deep inhale, the doctor continued. “She had a pretty significant contusion on her forehead. It looks like she was struck by something during the accident.”

“The windshield of her car was shattered in the middle.” My voice sounded far away, like I was already starting to retreat inward. I focused on Sarah’s hand at my back to keep me grounded.

“That makes sense then. It was likely a shard of glass that struck her on impact. Was there anything else that happened once you got to her? Any other signs of head injury?” the doctor asked me.

“The car was on fire when I pulled her out. Before I had a chance to get her to my truck, the fire reached the gas tank and exploded. We both fell a few feet backward.”

He nodded, his dark eyes darting back and forth as he gazed at the floor like he was thinking.

“What is it?” I asked. This whole hanging on by a thread thing wasn’t working for me. The woman of my dreams was in that room, and I needed to know what the fuck was going on.

He looked back at me and with a steady voice that severed my nerves, he said, “While her CT scan was clean, she hasn’t regained consciousness yet.”

Time stopped. The world caved in on me. The weight of his words was unbearable. I just stared at him. “She’s not awake yet?”

“I’m afraid not.”

Some distant part of me felt Sarah wrap her arms around me. I stopped breathing. I couldn’t see through the haze of tears. Couldn’t think through the swarm of fear in my mind.

“What does that mean?” I felt my lips move but barely heard the words that came from my own mouth.

“It means we wait and hope her brain heals.”

The fate of my life shifted in an instant. The light my woman brought into this world was snuffed out like the blow of breath to a candle’s flame.

Darkness descended and I knew I was never going to be the same ever again.

Chapter 28

Deacon

“Sir.”

There was a jostling of my right arm that woke me from a deep sleep. Blinking my eyes slowly, I looked up at the person whose hand was still over my forearm.

A woman in blue scrubs, but not the same woman from last night.

“Sir, why don’t you go home and get some better rest?”

Sitting up straight, I felt the ache in my back from being hunched over the edge of Charlie’s hospital bed all night. Her hand still rested in mine, but when I looked at her beautiful face, her eyes were still closed.

My heart sank. She wasn’t awake yet.

“Have there been any changes?” My voice was froggy from sleep. I ran my hand over my face and wiped at my eyes, trying to get them to focus better.

The nurse’s face was solemn. “Not yet. But I promiseyou, she’s in good hands. Dr. Schneider has been checking on her case every hour.”

“Okay. That’s good.”

“Why don’t you go home for a little while. Get a shower, rest a little. If anything changes, I’ll make sure to call you right away.”

I sat there. My body turning to stone. The thought of leaving her all alone in this hospital bed made my stomach coil. What if she woke up and I wasn’t here? What if she thought I’d left her? What if…

“No.” I shook my head. “I can’t leave her.”

The nurse knelt beside me and patted my arm. “In order to take care of the ones we love; we need to take care of ourselves. I don’t mean to offend, but you look worse for wear. It’ll do you both some good if you go home for a little while and take care of yourself.”

Love.

---