Page 77 of Wait For It

I briefly became aware of Fynn radioing for a doctor as I carefully lowered Ari to the floor, turning her onto her side like I’d been shown in case she began vomiting.

My arms ached with the need to surround her, to squeeze her small body until the tremors stopped, and she came back. But restraining her would have only increased her risk of broken bones. No matter how much I wanted to, I was powerless to stop it.

Fynn pushed the chairs away from us and instructed me to cradle Ari’s head in my lap to prevent another injury before calmly directing someone over the radio to call for an ambulance.

No class in the world could have prepared me for the utter helplessness I’d feel watching Ari’s body spasm and contract uncontrollably. My heart slammed against my ribs, beating down the bars of its cage to get to her.

To protect her.

Using gentle movements, I brushed her hair back with the tips of my fingers before resorting to something I hadn’t done since I was a boy—prayer.

Most seizures will end within five minutes.

I had no real concept of time, but it seemed like it should have been over by now. Just as I began to question where the hell the doctor was, the door opened, flooding the small room with people.

“Time of onset?” Someone shouted.

I shook my head, maintaining my hold on Ari.

I didn’t know.

“Seven minutes ago,” Fynn stated from somewhere nearby, his voice steady despite the situation unfolding in his office.

With the answer, the medical team sprang into action. Ari’s dress was lifted, and her panties yanked down before they injected something directly into her body.

I closed my eyes and continued stroking her hair, silently pleading with her to wake up. We should have been drinking coffee while making plans on how to see each other once I was released. When I told Ari about the offers, she would have cracked some joke about me thinking I was a big deal or cheekily asked for an autograph.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

After stabilizing her, the medical team pulled her from my arms, placing her on a waiting gurney in the hallway.

Then she was gone, and I was left holding nothing.

“I—” I dragged my hands through my hair. “Is she—”

Fynn helped me up, supporting my weight as he led me toward a chair. “She’s going to be okay. Unfortunately, with brain injuries, there’s always an increased risk of seizures.”

“But where are they taking her?” A couple of people walked past the open doorway, discussing some inane topic as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred. It was as if the world had been on mute during Ari’s seizure. The sudden volume was too much.

“She’ll be taken to Methodist—it’s the closest hospital. I expect they’ll monitor her overnight, make sure there is no swelling or new bleeds before releasing her back to us.”

“But she was fine—I saw her last night, and she was fine.” I sounded like a broken record, but I couldn’t make sense of it. Less than twenty-four hours ago, Ari had been talking and smiling. “How did this happen?”

Fynn dropped into the chair Ari had just been sitting in. I mashed my lips together, reliving the terror all over again.

He leaned in, letting his forearms rest on his thighs. “First of all, it’s nothing you did. It could have been any number of things—a change in her medication, lack of sleep, or even stress. We’ll know more once they’ve had a chance to run some tests. In the meantime, I’m here if you just need someone to talk to—”

“No, man. I’m good. Thank you.” My words lacked conviction, but Fynn didn’t push. He just handed me my crutches and a business card with his cell phone number in case I changed my mind.

My eyes drifted over the staff photos lining the walls on the long walk back to my room, but I couldn’t have told you a single name.

Stress.

I’d done it again, taken what I wanted, damn the consequences. But this time was much worse. This time, I’d gone too far by pushing myself on Ari like a caveman.

Are you good?

No, I was beginning to think I might have been the most self-centered bastard who ever lived. I’d gotten caught up in the idea of Ari and how she made me feel, never once stopping to consider the impact her injury might have on her ability to have a relationship.

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