Page 94 of Only You and Me

“Ben, are you listening to me?” I turn to see Rachel, a somber expression on her face. “I said I made the calls, and we’ve got the road closed in both directions. They’re turning the backed-up traffic around so we have a clear path for emergency vehicles. A dark SUV with heavy damage was spotted speeding toward Meadow Creek. Meadow Creek is shutting down all exits for several miles and setting up roadblocks.”

“Shit. Thanks, Rach. I’m sorry I’ve been useless. I just… I can’t…” I give up trying to talk—it’s in vain right now. As I run my hand through my hair and look back at the vehicle, I notice Fitz and Jack have arrived and are setting up two stretchers near the driver’s side of the vehicle.

It feels like forever, watching the crew try to get Trina’s door open as the medics work from the rear of the car. At one point, Jack steps away from the noise of the vehicle, nearer to Rachel and I, and when I hear him on the phone with the Emergency Department alerting them to have trauma surgeons on standby for a critically injured female with suspected internal bleeding, my chest caves inward as my shoulders curl forward.

This can’t be happening. I just got her back.

When the sound of screeching metal as it pulls away from Trina’s car fills the air, relief floods me and I’m able to breathe a minuscule amount better. Several of my fellow police officers help the firefighters move the heavy pieces of metal out of the way and my stomach roils as I catch a glimpse of how pale Trina is, how lifeless she looks. Without thinking, I surge forward on instinct to get to her. Rachel is able to stop me this time.

“Let them work, Ben.”

Reynolds moves in front of my line of vision, and I can’t see her any longer. I don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse. When there’s suddenly a flurry of activity, some shouting for something over at the vehicle, dread fills my chest. But, within a few moments, things become less frantic again. A few minutes later, I watch as firefighters pull the woman I’ve loved for over a decade from the wreckage of her vehicle.

“I’m going with her,” I tell Rachel.

She nods. “Of course. I’ve got the scene. I’ll send you updates on her sister as I get them.”

The crew taking Trina to the hospital agree to let me ride up front with them in the ambulance. When we pull up to the ER after several long minutes, I jump out of the ambulance but stand off to the side for a minute to give Reynolds and Finn time to get Trina inside. I need to be strong for her and to do that, I need to pull myself together. When I’m ready, I practically run inside.

I’ve been here on too many of these types of emergencies, so I know exactly where they’ll have taken her, and I make my way to the trauma rooms. I know I’m right when I come upon Reynolds speaking to a nurse outside the room, where I assume Fitz is inside giving a hand off report to the physician and nurses at the bedside.

“Do you know if someone notified her family about the accident?” the nurse asks.

Reynolds shakes his head. “No. Her sister was also in the accident with her?—”

“What about parents? We can call them,” the nurse says, after cutting him off.

“No.” My voice is commanding. But that’s the last thing Trina would want and if preventing her parents from showing up here is the only thing I can do for her right now, I’m doing it.

The nurse looks at me, unimpressed. “And who are you?”

“I’m her husband.” I narrow my eyes at her. “Can I see her?”

Reynolds’s eyes nearly bulge out of his head, but he has the good grace not to say anything.

“Not yet,” the nurse says. “Let the trauma team finish examining her. I’ll take you to the family conference room and they’ll be in to talk to you in a few minutes.”

“I know where it is,” I tell her and walk away, toward the room. My phone dings and I look down to see a few missed texts from Rachel telling me Emily is on the way to the hospital. She might have a concussion and maybe some fractures, but, overall, she seemed more stable than Trina when she left the scene in an ambulance.

Though it feels like an eternity, I suspect it’s only fifteen or twenty minutes before there’s a knock on the door and two women walk into the room. One is a nurse I recognize, the other, I don’t know. I stand.

Please God, don’t let them be here with bad news.

“Is she okay?” I blurt out, unable to contain it.

“I’m Dr. Hinckley. I’m told you’re Ms. Flynn’s husband.” I nod. “Please, have a seat.”

I don’t want to, but I do. My hands shake as I wait for her to tell me something.

“Your wife is seriously injured, Mr…”

“Donley. Ben Donley.”

“Mr. Donley. Her spleen ruptured, and she’s losing blood from it. We are prepping her for emergency surgery. She has a collapsed lung—in her case it’s something we call a tension pneumothorax—and we’ve put a tube in her chest to help with that. Honestly, the paramedic who picked up on that at the scene and treated it may very well have prevented her from going into cardiac arrest. She’s lucky he caught it. She also has a broken wrist. In addition, she’s getting blood right now, but the best thing we can do for her is get her up to the operating room. If we find nothing else, I’m optimistic she’ll be okay, but she certainly isn’t out of the woods yet. Do you have questions?”

“Can I see her?” There’s a pleading in my voice, but I don’t care. I’ll do anything to see my wife.

“I’ll take you,” the nurse says.

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