Page 95 of My Secret to Protect

‘Still in surgery, they haven’t told us anything.’ My dad starts to tell Mrs. C what we know, but I tune him out.

‘There was so much blood.’ The words come out of me without intention, and I drop my head, cradling it with my hands as I try to steady my breath and remember the sight of Nolan’s lifeless body on the ground. She put him down. My incredible girl shot him, hitting the mark even with a bullet in her gut because despite what that rotting piece of shit thought, Bree Campbell is not just some princess in a high castle waiting to be saved. He never knew her at all. She’s strong, and I need her to be strong right now.

More footsteps have me glancing up to see the rest of Bree’s family running our way. Doug’s furious eyes fixed on me.

‘You son of a bitch,’ he yells, pointing at me. ‘What the fuck did you get her wrapped up in?’

‘Doug,’ Cara tries to call him back, and I wait, just sit and wait for the impact. I won’t fight him. But I don’t need to. My dad stands in front of where I sit in the hard blue seats of the waiting area.

‘Take a step back, son.’

‘I’m not your…’

‘Mikey?’ Lynnie says my dad’s name so softly, and he inhales, blowing it out shakily as he turns to her.

‘Lynnie, long time.’

‘Where’s my baby?’ Emotion pours out of her with the question, and my dad steps toward her, pulling her into his arms and pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.

‘They’re still working on her, honey. We got her here as fast as we could.’

‘She should never have fucking been there. She shouldn’t have been mixed up in any of this,’ Doug rants as Zoe moves to stand in front of me, and I lift my gaze to hers, so like her twin’s, it guts me.

‘I need to know what happened, Arlo,’ she says firmly. ‘Tell me what happened, please.’

‘So much blood, Zo,’ I say, holding her sad, scared eyes with mine, and Mrs. C stands.

‘He’ll tell us the whole story, but you all need to sit down and understand that Arlo is as terrified as the rest of us right now.’

‘Grandma, all due…’

‘Don’t say respect while you’re cutting off my words, Douglas Campbell. Sit the hell down and listen.’

To my surprise, given his amped-up state, he does, and she continues.

‘I need you to hear me right now because until I know that Bree is going to be okay, this is all you are getting. Arlo isn’t the reason Bree is in this hospital. He didn’t bring his shit to her door.Ibroughthershit tohis.I’mthe reason he’s here. You’ll get the full story when he or I or Bree is ready to tell it, but for now, I need to sit and watch those doors and wait for a doctor to come and tell me they saved my baby’s life.’

I drop my head once more as quiet descends, and everybody sits and waits.

They make small talk. Merv, asking who has the kids—Missy stayed home so she and Nick could take Bowie and Lottie for the night while Leo’s parents took Lucas. Cara asking repeatedly, if anyone needs anything, the answer never being yes because a can of soda won’t solve any fucking thing right now. I just need to know she’s okay. That she’s alive, but there was so much blood.

I’venoideahowmuch time has passed by the time the doors that lead to the operating rooms open and a surgeon in deep purple scrubs approaches.

‘Family of Breanne Campbell.’ We all stand as Lynnie rushes forward, and the doctor takes us all in, her attention stalling on my dad and me. ‘You’re all family?’

‘We are,’ Mrs. C says, taking my hand, and once more, I’m more grateful for this woman than I can express.

‘Okay, Breanne sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen, as you know. She lost a lot of blood.’ She glances at me, or more specifically, my shirt, before continuing. ‘The blood loss was the major cause for concern, and we, unfortunately,’ I suck in a sharp inhale as I brace, ‘had to remove one of her fallopian tubes due to irreparable damage.’

‘Doc, is she alive or not?’ my dad cuts in harshly, sensing my need for clarity.

‘For now.’ She nods solemnly. ‘The first twenty-four hours are crucial. I can’t give you my assurances right now, but as things stand, she made it through surgery and a transfusion, and while we’re keeping her sedated and supporting her breathing, she is alive. We just need to get through these next twenty-four hours.’ I drop to the seat behind me, my breath coming faster as it hits me that I could lose her for good this time after blowing my shot at the past twenty years with her. ‘She’s fit, she’s strong, and we’ll do everything we can.’

I see in my peripheral vision as Doug shakes the doctor’s hand, and I lean forward, dropping my head into my hands once more until knees hit the floor in front of me, and I look up to come face to face with Zoe.

‘You need to take a shower and change your clothes. Eat something, rest a while.’ I start to protest, but she continues, raising her hand up to my cheek. ‘She’s going to need you, honey. Take care of you so you can take care of her.’

Living Is Subjective

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