Page 45 of Parrish

“Wrong fucking answer,” I sneer, applying more pressure to his neck. “Your father said you followed them in the ambulance.”

“No, I rode with Danny. I didn’t want him to be alone.”

Loosening my grip on him, I glance over my shoulder at my son who is crying in the nurse’s arms. Realizing I’m scaring him half to death and that he doesn’t need any more trauma, I release Nico altogether.

“What do you mean? They didn’t take them here together?”

Rubbing his neck just as he did last night, he straightens his posture and shakes his head.

“They were still working on her when we left. All I know is they took her here in another ambulance. No one will tell me anything. I tried. I swear I tried, Uncle Jack, but I’m not next of kin.”

At those last words, I recall the doctor asking who was the next of kin for Junior. They wouldn’t pronounce him dead in the street and took him to hospital. After identifying me and Connie as his parents, they told us he was dead. My mind starts to race and all I imagine is a doctor telling me my wife is gone.

“No,” I wail, brushing past Nico. I brace my hands on the nurses’ station and hang my head.

She’s gone, Parrish.

Dead like your precious bird.

I swipe my hand across the counter and send a stack of charts flying. Rubbing my temples, I grind my teeth. The ringing in my ears continues, mimicking the chirping of a bird and I involuntarily spin around, rearing my fist back. My knuckles collide with the wall before I bang my head against it and release an anguished cry.

Before I can do anymore harm, I feel myself being pulled back by a pair of strong arms. Blinking, I try to focus and stare into Wolf’s light eyes. His lips move and I’m sure he’s hollering at me by the bulging vein protruding from his forehead, but I don’t hear a single word. Blackie steps in front of him and grabs a hold of my shoulders.

“Jack, for fuck’s sake you gotta calm down,” he says, shaking me as if he’ll miraculously break through the crazy. “Rein it in before someone in this fucking hospital calls child services on you and that boy of yours winds up in the system without his mother or his father.

A sliver of clarity seeps through and I absorb Blackie’s words. Reina would never condone me behaving this way in front of our son and the thought of someone possibly taking Danny from me makes my skin crawl.

“You gotta hold it together for them,” Blackie says in an even tone. “Now, I promise you we will find out what the fuck happened here, but I need you to stop causing a scene.”

Drawing in a deep breath, I nod my head. My shoulders slump and I look behind me at Danny. Crooking my finger, I beckon for him to come to me. He scrambles out of Pipes' arms and runs for me, wrapping his arms around my legs as he cries.

“I want Mommy.”

Not trusting my voice, I quietly run my fingers over his head and lift my gaze to Blackie. He gives me a curt nod before walking off. I don’t ask him where he’s going. Instead, I look towards Wolf and watch as he eyes his son who is kneeling next to my son, handing him a bag of chips.

“Sorry, bud, I think the ice cream is in a bedpan,” he mutters. “I saved the Doritos and the Skittles.”

Danny doesn’t take the bait and clings tightly to me. I continue to run my fingers over his head as my eyes dart around the triage unit, watching as my brothers help the nurses pick up the charts I threw.

“Are you the family of Reina Parrish?”

My head snaps around, diverting my attention to the doctor who has asked the question. I quickly pry Danny’s arms from around me and place his hand in Nico’s. Getting my drift, the kid I choked twice in a twenty-four span, takes my son to the vending machine. Once they’re out of ear range, I look back at the doctor.

“I’m her husband,” I say hoarsely.

The lump in my throat returns and I hold my breath as he delivers me a solemn expression.

“I’m sorry I don’t have much to report as your wife is still in surgery but seeing as we got a call that there was a disturbance in the hospital, we decided to update you with what we know. Your wife was brought in with multiple injuries.”

The only thing that sticks with me is that Reina is in surgery.

She’s not dead.

She’s still with me.

Still fighting.

As he continues to list her injuries, I take in every other word forging a mental image of the scene.

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