Page 109 of Unspoken Words
“Damn it.” I slammed my palms on the counter then stood back, raising my hands in apology before resting them on my head and gripping my hair. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. I just—I just need to see my son.”
“Hey,” Ellie said, her voice soothing. She placed her hand on my shoulder and peered into my eyes. “Is everything okay?” She was breathless and red-cheeked, and she looked absolutely gorgeous.
I calmed down, instantly.
Before I could answer, the curtain to cubicle eight opened and a nurse exited. I craned my neck to see Max lying on a bed, his arm in a sling, elevated and resting on a pillow. A white blanket covered his tiny, fragile body, and my heart shattered.
“Maxey,” I called out, rushing over to him.
His groggy eyes lifted. “Daddy.”
“Thank God you made it before the X-ray. What took you so long?” Lilah snapped. “He’s been asking for y—” She shifted her gaze to just over my shoulder, her eyes widening. “Ellie?”
“Hello, Lilah,” Ellie said from behind, voice clipped.
I looked back, finding Ellie clutching her handbag, her red cheeks from moments ago now ghost-like. My gut tightened, and four years of guilt burned within.
“Wh—Wh—” Lilah blinked a couple of times.
“How is he?” I asked, wanting to bring all focus back to Max.
“He’s uh … ” Lilah blinked some more then managed to concentrate. “He’s had a mild sedative. They suspect a closed fracture. There was no open wound. We’re just waiting to be taken to X-ray.” Her dark eyes drifted back to Ellie and held there. “What’s she doing here?” she whispered.
I ignored her question and sat on Max’s bed. His head was warm under my touch, his skin slightly damp. “Hey, buddy. What happened?”
“I fell off da slide.”
“You fell? How’d you fall?”
“He didn’t fall. He was pushed,” Lilah stated.
I turned to face her. “Pushed?”
“Yeah, by that little arsehole, Billy. The one who keeps throwing toys at him.”
“Is that true?” I asked Max. This was the first time I’d heard of this Billy kid and his bullying.
He nodded and cried out a little, his face crumpling in pain.
“Where is the damn doctor?” Lilah snapped. “This is ridiculous. We’ve been waiting for an X-ray for nearly half an hour.”
Max cried out again, and my whole body tensed. “Calm down, Lilah. You losing your shit isn’t helping.”
“How can Inotlose my shit? Our son was attacked. And if that’s not bad enough, we’ve been shoved in this curtain-covered dungeon while these idiot doctors and nurses prance around like a bunch of ballerinas.”
Max started crying in earnest, something he always did when Lilah was on one of her tirades.
“This is bullshit! I’m finding a doctor.” She pushed past Ellie, their shoulders brushing, Ellie stumbling just slightly. “Sorry,” she offered, her apology half-arsed.
My gut tightened again, my head spinning. Being in this hospital was no less torturous than if I were in Hell. My son was in pain, Ellie and Lilah were face to face, and death and sickness hovered from all corners, suffocating and crushing.
“Breathe,” Ellie said, her hand coming to rest on my shoulder again. She gave it a light squeeze and then stepped back, her touch as selfless and reassuring as an angel’s.
“Thanks,” I choked out and then did as she said, sucking in a large breath and exhaling. I repeated the motion, calming just enough to be strong for my son. “It’s okay, buddy.” I stroked his head. “It’ll all be over soon.”
He sobbed and it no less broke my heart.
“Daddy’s here. How ‘bout we sing our sore tummy song? Maybe that will help.”
