Page 55 of Goose

Goose sits me down in the chair with him and just wraps his arms around me as I cry. He never says a word as I wipe tears and snot across his shirt. Goose just holds me and whispers that he will always be here and everything would be okay.

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AFEW HOURS PASS BY, and everybody is now in the waiting room. Joker and Goose take turns holding me as I sit in silence. I have no more tears left in my body to cry.

I just feel so numb. Everything in me is just empty. I have nothing left to give. How could somebody deal with so much shit in their life? I reached my end and just want to crawl up in bed and never wake up.

Staring at the doors, I pray Doctor Tickner comes out and has some good news. I can’t take any more bad news in my life.

A few minutes later, he comes out in his scrubs, his head hanging low. I walk over to him, Goose and Joker right behind me.

“Zane is resting comfortably right now. We put him in a medically induced coma to heal. Unfortunately, we aren’t sure if there will be any lasting damage from lack of oxygen to his brain. He coded twice on the table. We’ll monitor him throughout the night and have a nurse on him twenty-four seven.”

I turn to Goose. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I bury my face into his chest. He takes over for me, knowing I’m done.

“What can we do, Doc?”

“Rest. Go home and rest. There’s no point in sitting around here right now. We’ll call you if anything changes. Big or small.”

Goose nods and pulls me toward the chairs as Doc goes back down the hallway.

“Sit here, babe. I’ll be right back. I just wanna check on Lilah before we leave, okay?”

I nod and turn to Joker, who sits beside me. He wraps me into his arms as Goose walks down the hall.

“It’s gonna be okay,angelita.”

I just sit there, numb, as Joker continues to stroke my hair until Goose comes back. I feel horrible that I don’t even have the energy to see my friend.

The men whisper, then lift me up from the chair. Goose takes my hand in his and brings me out to my car.

“Come on, babe. Let’s go home and get some rest. I’ll take care of you, always.”

I just nod as he buckles me up and then goes around the car to get in the driver’s seat. He starts the car and drives out of the Medical Center.

I just stare out the dark window as we pass buildings that thin out into fields and trees. My heart hurts so bad tonight, and there’s nothing that can make the pain go away.

We pull onto the dirt road that leads to the Crawford’s homes. Goose drives up his driveway and parks.

He hops out and comes around to help me out. I cry more and he scoops me up to carry me inside.

Tears fall as he brings me up the stairs and into his home. Without turning any lights on, he carries me up to his bedroom.

Goose strips me down and pulls one of his shirts on over my head. He takes his clothes off as well before climbing into bed with just his boxers on.

He pulls me to him, and I curl up to his chest. Goose carefully strokes my hair as I cry in his arms for the millionth time today.

“Shhh. It’s gonna be okay, angel.”

I huff and pull away to look up at Goose.

“You can’t promise that. You can’t play God, Sawyer.”

He pulls me back to him and kisses my forehead.

“I know. But Zane is in good hands, Bambi. Doc wouldn’t let anything happen to him.”

I shrug my shoulders and run my hand down his scruffy cheek.

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