Page 75 of The Art of Loving Lacy
“We can do that,” she said.
“Thank you.”
Torn between being relieved that Dane was okay and worrying about Rob, Lacy took the children to a small table in the corner of the room, where there were toys and coloring books strewn about. She set Katie on the chair beside her, and Charlie sat down with his arms crossed. Lacy looked back at the doors to the patient area, thinking about Rob.Please let him be okay.Katie clutched her bear and reached for a coloring book with her free hand.
“Did my dad get bitten by a shark?” Charlie asked.
“No, honey, no. He didn’t get bitten by a shark.”But he could have been.
“When can we see him?” he asked.
“I’m not sure, honey. They’ll tell us when you can.” Lacy wished Danica were there, or Kaylie, or someone who could help. She considered her options.Mom? What if Sheila already called someone?
“Ms. Snow?” Lacy spun around.
“Yes, I’m Lacy Snow.”
The male nurse from earlier pulled her to the side and said quietly, “Mr. Braden has asked to be released, so you’ll see him in just a few minutes. He asked me to let you know.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much,” she said.Released. He really is okay.
Lacy turned her attention back to the children.
“Lace?”
“Dane!” She spun around and flew into Dane’s arms. “I was so worried. Are you okay? Treat didn’t tell me much,” she said.
Dane looked at the kids. “Hi, guys. I’m just going to talk to Lacy over here for a minute.”
Lacy’s stomach plunged. “What happened? Dane, what happened to Rob?”
Dane’s eyes filled with tears. He shook his head. “I…I shouldn’t have let him dive.”
“Dane, look at me. What happened?”
“We were free diving, and he got hit in the head. Hard. He was knocked unconscious.”
“Unconscious? He was or he is unconscious?” Lacy looked at the emergency room doors again.He’s back there. Sheila’s back there. Alone.
“Was. He’s breathing. He wasn’t breathing. He didn’t have a pulse. I helped him. He’s breathing now, but he still hasn’t regained consciousness,” Dane explained.
She searched Dane’s eyes. They were flat, like he was lost or dazed. “But you’re okay?” She ran her hands up and down his arms.
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“Sheila’s alone. She needs someone. Dane, I have to go back there,” Lacy said. “Please, can you get them to let me back there? She’s gotta be so scared.”
“I can. Treat’s a big supporter of the hospital. They put two and two together when they signed me in and said they were calling him. I told him to call you. They’ll let you go in the back with Sheila.” He looked at the kids. “I’m sorry, Lace.”
“Sorry? It sounds like you helped him. This isn’t your fault,” she said. “This is…”A risk of your job.She couldn’t say it aloud. His job was a heck of a lot more dangerous than walking across the street. “Can you watch the kids? Are you okay enough to?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said. “I’ll go talk to the nurse and have them bring you back.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
LACY COULDN’T REMEMBER the last time she’d been in a hospital room. She stood in the doorway of Rob’s room. The antiseptic smell permeated her senses as she took in Rob, lying with his head back, a thick white tube down his throat and an EKG monitor strapped across his chest with wires running to a machine by his bedside. Another monitor was attached to his index finger, and an IV line snaked from his arm. Sheila sat on the opposite side of the bed, holding his hand, tears streaming down her cheeks. Lacy took a step inside the room, feeling sick to her stomach.
“Sheila,” she whispered.
