Page 95 of Only You and Me

When we walk into the room a minute later, I lose my breath for a second at the sight of Trina. The lack of color in her skin and the fact that she’s still not conscious, the IV and blood dripping into her veins, and the tube coming out of her chest all scare the hell out of me.

Annie and our friend Janie are working on her, checking her vitals and her IVs, but they both look at me when I approach the bed. The somber looks on their faces tell me even more about the condition she’s in.

“We can give you about thirty seconds alone with her, but then we have to keep prepping her for surgery,” Annie says, apologetically.

When they walk out of the room, I take Trina’s good hand and I lean over her, kissing her forehead. “I love you, Trina. I always have. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted. Only you and me. You’ve gotta be okay, babe, because I want a chance to make all of your dreams come true. I want to give you everything you want. If you want ten kids, we’ll make it happen. Just don’t leave me. Okay? I’ll be waiting when you get out of surgery. There’s no way I’m leaving until I know you’re okay. I love you so much.”

I bend and give her another kiss, standing upright and releasing her hand just as Annie and Janie return.

“Thank you,” I tell them and step outside the room to find Reynolds waiting for an update. Before I tell him, though, I need to make sure he’ll keep what he heard earlier quiet. Trina wanted to tell all our friends about us when we’re all together and I don’t want to take that from her. “Listen, I know you heard what I said to the nurse earlier. But I’m asking you to keep that to yourself for now. Trina’s private and she’s not ready for people to know. Okay?”

“Of course,” Reynolds replies.

Before I can give him an update, I hear Fitz’s voice. “Ben? Any word on Trina? Is she awake?”

When I turn to look at him, Jack is there, too. This is going to be so hard for Fitz—both Emily and Trina injured. I grip a fistful of my hair and sigh as I prep myself to update them.

“She’s in rough shape, but they think she’s gonna be okay. Finn was right. She had a collapsed lung. The doctor says his assessment skills likely saved her from suffering a cardiac arrest. She’s got a tube in her chest. She has a broken wrist on the left side and they’re prepping her for surgery. Her spleen ruptured. A blood transfusion is going now and they’re about to take her up to the operating room.”

“Can I see her quick?” Fitz pleads.

“Yeah, go ahead. Janie and Annie are taking care of her, so I think they’ll let you.”

While Fitz is in with Trina, I get a quick update on Emily. She’s getting a CT scan of her head, but they hope it’s just a concussion, and she also broke her wrist. My veins throb with rage at the asshole who hurt these women we care about.

“Any word on the person who did this?” Jack asks.

“Not that I know of. Meadow Creek was setting up roadblocks and sealing off exits. My partner Rachel is waiting to hear from their lead officer.”

Just then, Fitz steps out of the room and joins us as Annie and Janie come out of the room with Trina. As I watch them wheel her further away from me, I know I’ll never be okay if I lose her a second time.

CHAPTER34

BEN

I’m pacing back and forth in the surgery waiting area for almost an hour when Fitz and Shayna show up. Emily is in the neurological intensive care unit for monitoring over the next forty-eight hours. She has a concussion and because she lost consciousness several times, the doctors want to keep her for a few days.

Fitz and Shayna sit down in two of the empty chairs near where I’m apparently trying to wear holes in the floor. I notice them intermittently looking at me, then glancing at each other, concern and confusion in their eyes.

“Did you know Emily and Fitz were doing it? Apparently, a lot,” Shayna blurts out.

“Jesus Christ, Shayna,” Fitz objects.

“What? I’m trying to distract him.” She tries to whisper, but she sucks at it, and I hear it all.

I’m grateful for the attempt to get my mind on something else, so I take a seat by them. “I did. Trina told me.”

Fitz groans and leans his head back on the chair.

“Now what’s going on with you and Trina?” Shayna asks.

“Nope. Not doing this.” I stand and start pacing again.

We pass the next several hours with Fitz and I taking turns pacing, all of us drinking shitty hospital coffee, and—at least on my end—praying for Trina and Emily to be okay.

When the doors to our right make a clicking sound, then swing open and someone in scrubs walks toward us, we all stand.

“Are you the family of?—”

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