Page 10 of Beautiful Dreamer

“Hey.” Devyn blinked at the quiet voice as someone raised herchin. It was Elizabeth and her soft green eyes offering her a reassuring smile.“We found her,” she said quietly, and wiped away Devyn’s tears. “We have her.”

Devyn nodded and squeezed Elizabeth’s hands. She tried to speak,but her voice wasn’t there. She swallowed in an attempt to find words. Shetried again, meeting Elizabeth’s gaze. “Thank you.” In response, Elizabeth’spalm found her cheek, and it was the most comforting touch she’d everencountered and it happened in the midst of the most impactful event of herlife. She felt her limbs return to her, and the blood slowly came back to herface. With gathered strength, she stood next to Elizabeth, ready to facewhatever lay ahead.

* * *

Devyn’s right leg bounced as if it had a mind of its own as theymade their way back to town. Night fell around them, little by little. Peoplewould be making dinner, calling their kids inside for the day, or wonderingwhat was on television. How odd to imagine regular activities in the midst oftheir crisis. She took comfort, however, in the knowledge that Jill wouldn’t beout there alone in the darkness tonight. They had her. It had taken more thanhalf an hour to free her from the crumpled metal. Devyn had only glimpsed Jillfrom afar. Pale and bruised and who knew what else? The ambulance had leftahead of them with its siren on, barreling toward the hospital at a high rateof speed. She stared up at the sky and prayed they’d gotten there in time.

Elizabeth made a right on Loveline Street, which would lead themto the hospital that serviced not only Dreamer’s Bay but the four otherneighboring small towns. While it wasn’t enormous, the facility was up to dateand staffed with a team of well-respected physicians. She knew because she’dspent her time on the plane researching the place just in case they needed it.

“I’ll drop you here and park the truck,” Elizabeth said. “Are youokay to go in on your own?”

Devyn nodded. “I’ll be fine. Thank you.” She exited the truck butglanced back. She’d been in town a day, yet it already felt like she andElizabeth had been through so much together. She blinked in amazement. How oddthe way trauma brought people together, acting as a shortcut for theirrelationship, which now felt so much older than just a few hours. Elizabeth hadbeen her person through all of this, and because of her and her search teams,they’d found Jill.

She made it to the hospital reception desk, placed her bag on topof the counter, and took a deep breath. This wasn’t the time to be nervous orjittery, this was a key moment where she needed to remain in control. “I’mDevyn Winters and I’m here for my sister, Jill. She was brought in within thehour.”

The woman nodded as if they’d been expecting her. “Emergency roomis down the hall. Check in with the nurses’ station and take a seat. They’llupdate you when they can.”

More waiting. Devyn wasn’t sure that was going to go well for her.

Ten minutes later, Elizabeth appeared with two cups of coffee andtook the seat beside her. She didn’t have to stay. She’d done her part, pitchedin, and now that Jill was in the hands of the medical professionals, Elizabethcould easily slip back to her own life with a job well done. Yet she seemed tobe settling in.

Devyn glanced at her phone to find messages from her staff,checking in on Jill. There were also messages from her assistants Sheldon andKaren. None from friends, because she didn’t really maintain any. She ignoredthe messages and stole another glance at Elizabeth, who hadn’t read a magazineor picked up an electronic device. Instead, she sat there, peacefully waiting.

“You don’t have to wait,” Devyn finally said.

“Oh.” Elizabeth seemed surprised. “Do you want me to leave? Idon’t want to make you uncomfortable and can—”

“I’m not uncomfortable, but it’s getting late.” Devyn looked tothe exit. “I imagine you have a life to get back to. People waiting on you. Ahusband.”

“Nope, and I’d like to see how she is,” Elizabeth said and seemedto return to her own thoughts. What an interesting human being she was. What Devyncould recall of Elizabeth from high school was scarce, but the memories mainlysurrounded clubs, fund-raisers, and maybe the student council? She wasn’t sure,but Elizabeth was probably on it. She’d been a go-getter, though. Not shy aboutanswering questions in class either, to the snickering of Devyn’s friends onthe cheerleading squad. An academic herself, she didn’t participate, but she didn’tput a stop to it either. Guilt gathered in her stomach, just a little too late.

At the one-hour mark, a blond male doctor in blue scrubs foundthem in the waiting room and took a seat in the empty chair across from them.“She’s hanging in there,” he said to both Devyn and Elizabeth. “You’re hersister?” Devyn nodded. “Nice to meet you. I’m Dr. Collette. I work inemergency.”

“Nice to meet you,” she said, obligatorily.

Dr. Collette continued with a frown. “Unfortunately, I can’t giveyou too many specifics just yet. We’re still assessing the extent of herinjuries from the accident and exposure. Once we do that, we’ll come up with aplan for treatment.”

She rubbed her wrist. “But she’s okay? That’s the part I need toknow.”

He nodded. “For now. It’s clear she has significant trauma to thatleft leg, and the rest of her is pretty banged up. Her vitals gave us a scarefor a while there, but with some fluids, she’s rebounding. We’ll know more in afew hours.”

“But she’s gonna pull through? Beyond everything else, she’s goingto live, right? That’s the part I need to understand.” Devyn held her breath asshe waited for his response.

He smiled hesitantly, and she noticed the lines under his eyesthat marred his otherwise good looks. Must have been a long day. “She’s stable,and that’s a very good thing.” It was noncommittal, but still encouraging. Shefelt the pain in her chest recede slightly. She would take that tiny bit ofencouragement and hold on to it with all she had. They’d build on it little bylittle until all was right with the world again.

Devyn thanked the doctor, whose name she’d forgotten to memorize,and then watched in surprise as Elizabeth stood and wrapped her arms around hisneck for a quick squeeze.

“You know him?” she asked, once they were alone.

Elizabeth gestured to the swinging door with her chin. “That’s Dr.Dan Collette. Married to my best friend, KC. He’s a great guy and an evenbetter doctor. Jill’s in the best hands now.”

“I remember KC.” Devyn sat up taller as the untouched memoriesfrom years ago drifted back. “She played volleyball, and we cheered for a fewof the games. She was good.”

Elizabeth nodded. “She still plays on the rec team. We’recurrently in the off-season.”

“Good for her.”

Their conversation trailed off and Devyn sipped the now coldcoffee as a fluorescent bulb flickered in the overhead light across the room.She’d missed the window for hot coffee. Didn’t matter.

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