Page 51 of Worthy Now
“I’ll happily supply the shovels,” Carter growls, matching Jude’s thunderous expression. “He’s going to wake up and drive us all crazy throughout his recovery. He’ll be a pain in the ass, bossing everyone around and complaining about everything under the sun. And once he has his strength back, he’s going to walk down that aisle, and marry the girl of his dreams.”
“And don’t forget to start on those grandbabies as soon as he feels up to it,” my mother chimes in, drawing a chuckle out of everyone.
After what feels like a small eternity, a gaunt-looking man in surgical scrubs steps into the waiting area and asks for Jake’s family. Anna and Jude are the first ones out of their seats, and everyone else follows as we stand in a half-circle and wait for a stranger to deliver the kind of news that can make or break a person.
“I’m Dr. Harrison. I performed surgery on Mr. Nelson today. He’s a tough nut. The bullet entered his lung, causing it to collapse. Fortunately, it didn’t hit any major vessels, and we were able to stop the bleeding and repair the damage. I’m not going to lie. It was touch and go for a while there. A couple of inches either way and we’d be looking at a much different outcome. Your brother is a lucky man,” he says, smiling at Anna and Jude before addressing the group. “He’s expected to make a full recovery, but he’ll be out for a while. He’s already in the ICU.”
Everyone releases a collective breath before we fall into each other, teary-eyed but grateful for the first time in hours as we thank our lucky stars for keeping him safe.
“Can we see him?” Anna asks, hitting Dr. Harrison with the full force of her pleading eyes.
“You can. But he needs his rest, so only two of you for now.”
Jude gives his sister a nudge before he nods my way.
“You girls go. I don’t mind waiting. He doesn’t want this ugly mug to be the first thing he sees when he opens those freakishly pretty eyes. But tell him if he doesn’t wake up soon, I’ll have to sneak back there and kick his wrinkly old ass.”
“You sure?” I double-check, unable to believe he’d step aside on my behalf.
“Go,” Carter urges. “We’ll make a coffee run and will most likely be back before he comes around. I don’t know about you guys, but I refuse to drink the sludge they’re serving up in the cafeteria. I don’t want to risk ending up in a hospital bed myself.”
With that settled, Anna takes my hand and drags me down the fluorescent corridor, following behind the surgeon who leads the way.
As soon as we step into the room and spot Jake’s still form, an anguished sound rises from my throat. He looks so pale. There’s a jumbled mess of tubes and cables connecting him to a concerning number of machines, while the incessant beeping sound matches the images flitting over the screens.
But once I get over the initial shock of it all, I can finally allow myself to take a full breath. He’s alive. Jake is still with us, and that’s all that matters. Just thinking about how close I came to losing him brings a new wave of tears to my eyes. Anna rounds the bed andgently picks up one of his limp hands, careful not to jostle his IV as she rubs soothing circles over the back.
“Hey, Big J,” she says softly. “I don’t know if you can hear me, but I want you to know that everyone is waiting for you to wake up. You gave us quite a scare. Don’t you dare do something like that ever again, you hear? You’re my hero. I don’t feel safe in a world where you don’t exist. I need my big brother to look out for me. So, do me a favor and come back to us.” She leans forward and presses a tender kiss to his forehead before she rests her cheek on his shoulder and weeps silently. My throat aches as I swallow around the lump caused by the emotional display before me, and I step closer, needing to touch him and assure myself he’s still here. I run my fingers through his hair and study his peaceful features.
“Hey, baby,” I take over when it’s obvious Anna’s too distraught to keep up the chatter. “Your sister’s right. I need you to wake up and start working on your recovery so we can get married and start the rest of our lives together. Apparently, my mother expects grandbabies ASAP, and you know how much I hate to disappoint her.” I exchange a weak smile with Anna, who glances up at me at the mention of potential future nieces and nephews. “The doctor says you were lucky. He also said you’re incredibly stubborn, and I’m so glad you are because I can’t imagine a future that doesn’t include you. Please, come back to me, baby. Your sister’s not theonly one who needs you. We all do. More than you could ever know.”
The next few hours are the longest of my life, as we sit in silence and wait for a sign that he’s regaining consciousness. When his eyelids finally begin to flutter, we both jerk upright. We hold our breath as we stare down at him, willing him to open his eyes. Anna gives an audible gasp when his fingers twitch against her hand, and suddenly, I find myself looking at a set of familiar cerulean irises. Jake blinks a few times, visibly struggling to clear the cobwebs from his mind before a faint smile settles on his dry lips.
“Hey,” he croaks in a raw voice, and Anna immediately offers him a cup of water.
“Hey, handsome. Welcome back. How are you feeling?” I ask, lifting his hand and placing a kiss on the fleshy part of his palm.
“Like I was shot at close range,” he rumbles, shaking his head like he can hardly believe that this is his life. “My very own psychotic stalker. Who would’ve thought? I mean, I always knew I was amazing, but I didn’t think I was that special.”
A manic laugh bubbles out of Anna before it turns into a heart-wrenching sob that has Jake’s eyebrows knit together in concern.
“Hey now, sweet girl,” he coos, gently pulling her toward him and bringing his forehead to hers while he rubs a big palm over herback. “It’s alright. I’m alright. I’m sorry I scared you, but I’ll be back on my feet in no time.” Anna gives a loud sniff and wipes her nose with the back of her hand. Her lower lip still trembles with emotion when she gives her brother a single nod.
“Is she gone?” he asks, rolling his face toward me and pinning me with a blazing look. Apparently, the time to make light of the situation has passed, and the fierce protector who didn’t hesitated to take a bullet for me makes an appearance.
“Yes. It was instant.”
“Good,” he says without a hint of remorse. I understand his lack of compassion. Jessica has been the bane of our existence for close to a decade, and I certainly won’t shed a tear over her. Do I feel regret over the loss of a human life? Sure. The whole thing is godawful and tragic. But if she hadn’t killed herself, I’d forever be looking over my shoulder, terrified she’d pop up out of nowhere to finish the job. I would’ve been forced to live out the rest of my life feeling unsafe.
“I briefly spoke to the police while you were in surgery, but made it clear I wouldn’t be giving an official statement until I knew you’d be okay. I’m sure they’ll be paying you a visit soon to get your side of the story.”
“Jesus, we’re going to be the talk of the town for years,” he muses, closing his eyes like the mere thought causes him greatdiscomfort. Dropping his head back into the pillows, he looks bone-weary when he tells me, “I’m sorry about the party. I know how much you were looking forward to tonight.”
I shoot him an incredulous look.Like I give a damn about the party.
“We can celebrate our engagement when you’re back on your feet. All that matters is that I still have someone to get married to. Things could’ve easily gone the other way.”
“You need to stop trying to die on us, big brother. I’m tired of sitting at your bedside, wringing my hands while I wait for you to wake up. This is the second time you’ve put me through this, and I really don’t care for it.”
