Page 32 of Control

“I will. I know he’ll want you to be here when he wakes up.”

I pressed my hand to my chest, willing the ache to stop. “I want to be there too.”

I hung up with her before jumping hastily off the bed. I was in a sleep shirt and a pair of panties, so I grabbed the nearest sweatpants I could find and shoved my legs through them. I threw on a chunky sweater over my shirt to hide the fact that I was going braless. Grabbing my bag and keys, I ran out the door to wait for the car.

Forty-five minutes later, I finally reached the hospital. Amelia was free of any apparent scratches or bruises but was in a state of emotional wreck. She was still traumatized as she fiddled with her fingers and shook her legs to release her anxiety through movement. Shyam sat next to her, his face tense with strain as he firmly gripped her arm, probably to ease his own panic at almost losing his wife.

Another man sat on the other side of Amelia. He was big and very muscular, like he was in the military. Though, his face wasn’t as intimidating as his body was. In fact, he seemed to be the calmest person of the three as he sipped on a small paper cup of coffee.

I took a seat in the corner of the waiting room to give them their space as we waited for any news. Although no one spoke, I didn’t want to intrude on the emotions that surrounded Jai’s loved ones.

After what felt like an eternity, the doctor suddenly walked through the double doors dressed in navy-blue scrubs and a matching cap. He was rather young for having completed all the years of schooling that were required for surgeons. I imagined he was in his late twenties or early thirties. Skin dark and smooth peppered with stubble on his chin only added to his attractiveness. His stature was one of confidence, making me feel relieved that he had tended to Jai.

“Mr. Sethi? I’m Dr. Williams.” I heard a distinct accent when he addressed us, but I couldn’t quite place it.Somewhere from the Caribbean?

Shyam stood up with the rest of us following his lead. “How is he?” he asked impatiently.

Dr. Williams met Shyam at eye-level since he was just as tall. “Other than a couple of scratches that will heal on their own and bruised ribs, he’ll be fine.”

I let out an exhale so large that it felt like I had been holding that breath in since Amelia’s phone call hours ago.

The doctor continued, “He was lucky to make it out of that crash alive.”

“What took you so long to update us?” Shyam demanded gruffly.

“Shyam.” Amelia shushed him. “Will he need any extra procedures or physical therapy to recover?” she asked in a grateful tone to compensate for her husband’s outburst.

The doctor’s eyes flashed from Shyam to Amelia. “We wanted to monitor him to be sure that he didn’t suffer any internal injuries. Until I was sure, I didn’t feel comfortable giving you false reassurance. As for treatment, he’ll need to rest for a few weeks. He can use ice packs to bring down the swelling and I’ll send him home with some medication for the pain. He might experience some discomfort when he breathes, so he should refrain from any strenuous activities until the bruising dissipates.”

“When can he come home?” Amelia asked.

“If he remains stable through the night, I am comfortable discharging him tomorrow afternoon.”

“Can we see him?” the man next to Amelia asked. His voice was soothing yet deep, like a gentle giant.

The doctor shook his head. “He is currently under from the medication I gave him. Now may not be a good time to visit with him, since he needs to rest.”

“You’re letting us see him,” Shyam ordered. I jumped a little from his forceful tone.

Turning to face Shyam head on, Dr. Williams looked less than pleased at the order. “Sir, if you don’t like my rules, you can leave my hospital.” I was in disbelief hearing anyone talk to Shyam that way. He was so intimidating, yet not enough for this doctor to fear him. I glanced at Shyam, who looked like a caged animal ready to attack the moment someone opened the gate.

The doctor continued, “I’m not comfortable with—”

“Please, Doctor.” Amelia stepped in front of Shyam, handling the situation in her sweetest voice.

Dr. Williams looked at her, considering her request. “Five minutes and then you leave.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” Amelia clutched his hand gratefully. Shyam growled, looking like he was about to rip the doctor to shreds. She released the man’s hand and glared at her husband to behave, which seemed to quiet him down for the time being.

“Follow me.” Dr. Williams walked to the double doors to lead the way. Everyone followed behind him, except me.

Realizing I was missing from the group, Amelia looked back to me. “Aren’t you coming, Claire?”

“No, it’s okay,” I said, shaking my head. “His family should be with him.” I wanted so desperately to run down the hall and find him, but I wasn’t anyone of significance to him, at least not compared to his family. I was just a woman he wanted to hook up with. It wasn’t my place to join them at such a private time.

She took my hand and led me alongside her. “You’re coming. We need you there, too.”

We walked down the empty hallway until the doctor stopped in front of the room. We filed in silently, letting only the beeping from the machines fill the air with sound. The room was mostly dark, with one side lamp dimly illuminating Jai’s figure on the bed.

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