Page 57 of Her Paramedic
“As well as expected,” Slate responded.
They spoke for a few more minutes before ending the call, and Talia decided to stick to her original plan and not leave until that evening. As odd as it sounded, being in his space made her feel like she was helping him somehow.
Talia walked through her front door later that evening. She left her bag and purse in the entryway and took the takeout she’d picked up into the kitchen. After plating her food and pouring a glass of wine, she went into her living room. She pulled her phone from her back pocket and texted Slate before calling her sister.
“Hey, Tal,” Kaydence greeted after the second ring.
“Hey. Have you spoken to Journee?”
“No, but I talked to Axel, and he said she’s hanging in there. It’s worse than he thought it would be from when we got the call.”
“Yeah, Slate said the same thing. I tried calling her, and I texted her so she knows I’m here if she needs anything. I know she’s processing, and I don’t want to smother her, but I don’t want her to feel alone.”
Journee and Kaydence had been friends for a decade and a half, and she viewed the other woman and her siblings as sisters. Talia hated she was going through this.
“Same,” Kaydence responded. “I called and sent her a few messages. You know how Journee is. She’s used to taking care of everything, and she’ll internalize for a bit, but she’ll reach out when she’s ready. Right now, the best thing we can do is give her space to process what’s happened. I know I would be a mess if Axel were in that position.”
Talia had thought the same thing. She could only imagine what Journee was going through, and while she often internalized things and tried to handle them herself, Talia knew she would reach out to them when she’d had time to process everything.
“You’re right. Besides, she isn’t alone. Killian’s parents and sister are there, Axel and Slate are, and Ace will be there too. I know they’re all dealing, but those three will look after her,” Talia stated.
“Yeah, they will.” She listened to Kaydence shift on the other end. “How was your weekend? I mean, before…” she trailed off.
“It was good.” She’d spent it with her boyfriend which she always enjoyed. “And yours?”
“Axel and I added some more houses to our list. I’m going to send them to Nova sometime next week.”
She and her sister spoke for a while longer, and when they hung up, Talia took her empty dishes into the kitchen to wash them. She returned to her living room to see that she had received another text from Slate. They’d messaged a few times while she’d been on the phone with Kaydence.
Slate:You packed my bracelet.
Talia:I thought it might be helpful.
She put it in his suitcase when she’d been packing for him. Talia had a feeling he would tell her to stay, and she knew he wouldn’t call her at all hours, even if she told him to, that she didn’t mind because she wanted to be there for him. She figuredthe bracelet would make it easier for him to reach out, and then she could call him to check in.
Slate:Thank you, baby.
Talia:You don’t need to thank me.
Talia glanced at the time. It was a quarter to nine, which meant it was almost eleven where he was.
Talia:I’ll be up for a while. Call me if you need to. I mean it. Keep me updated.
Slate:I will, gorgeous.
Talia placed her phone on the table after ensuring her ringer was on and turning it up. She turned on the television and flipped through the channels to find something to watch. Her first appointment tomorrow morning wasn’t until ten, and it was a simple wash and style. Even if that hadn’t been the case, Talia didn’t mind staying up if he needed her.
17
Slate thanked the cashier as he took his order and left the food truck. Four days had passed since he’d gotten the call about his cousin. His vitals were good; he was healing fine, but he was still in a coma. Journee hadn’t left the room since arriving. Not even when he’d tried to coax her into taking a short walk to get some air. Slate also knew she wasn’t eating much. He couldn’t say that he blamed her. It was a stressful situation, but it didn’t mean she could neglect herself. He thought getting her something that wasn’t hospital food would help with that.
Several food trucks were parked in the far lot of the hospital, but he knew she wouldn’t visit one because it required her to leave the room. He met Ace at the hospital’s entrance and took the smoothie the other man had gotten Journee from a different truck.
The elevator ride was quick, and one of the nurses at the station waved at Ace as they passed, and Slate refrained from shaking his head. It was the same nurse they’d lied to when Ace arrived the morning after Slate. She’d looked skeptical when they told her Ace was their brother too, and Slate wondered if she would be so closed-minded as to ask the question evident in her eyes. He assumed that since Ziggy was Killian’s sister and she was biracial, the nurse eventually chalked it up to Ace being a stepbrother.
He’d seen the nurse come into the room a few times over the last several days to check in, and he was sure they all knewwhy she was there. Or at least he, Axel, and Ace did. Journee paid little attention to the regular checks unless they were giving an update. The nurse’s intentions were made even easier to see since she wasn’t one of his cousin’s nurses.
He and Ace entered the hospital room to find Journee reading a book and Axel hovering nearby. Slate handed her the smoothie and held out the bag for her. She eyed it for a moment before shaking her head.
