Page 4 of Forever Love

Make It Through This

Vince

MystomachtwistsasI lead Maia through the hospital, trying to find where Meredith and Hank said they were. As we weave through the hallways, my anxiety spikes. My biggest triggers have been hit tonight. Car accident. Losing someone I love. Still, I’m doing everything I can to push it away. There will be a time for me to break, but not right now. Maia needs me.

We finally find the emergency surgery area. There’s no one at the small nurses’ station by the entrance and no one in the waiting area.

“She said they might be down near the operating rooms,” Maia says as we look around.

“I think they’re this way,” I point down the hall, but Maia doesn’t move. Tears well in her eyes again and her body slumps. “Wait here. I’ll go find them.” Her eyes widen as she looks at me. Reading her mind, I say, “I’m sure. I’ll find out what’s happening.”

“Thank you,” she whispers.

With a deep inhale, I nod and force myself down the hall. Farther into the hospital is not where I want to be going. Not at all. But I’ll do it. As I’m about to turn a corner, I hear hushed voices and cries and I steel myself for what might come next.

Slowing my pace, I round the corner and see Meredith and Hank standing in the middle of the hallway. Hank is holding Meredith as she cries.

Please don’t let him be dead.

Hank catches me out of the corner of his eye and whispers something to Meredith. She spins around and they both walk toward me.

“Hi. Maia’s here, too. Nick’s on his way, but I’m the one—”

She throws her arms around me, still crying. I give her a tight hug, trying to calm my panic.

Is he dead?

As she pulls away, I look between the two of them. “What’s going on? Is he—”

“He’s in surgery,” Hank says. “The crash was severe. We don’t know for sure, but we think he was drinking and driving.” The words come painfully from Hank’s lips. “They didn’t know the extent of his injuries, but he had some internal bleeding that was severe enough they needed to get him into surgery right away. They’re hoping to finish up soon, but it hasn’t gone smoothly.”

My stomach turns. I reach behind me, bracing one hand against the wall.

“They almost lost him,” Meredith says through tears. “He lost a lot of blood and went into hypovolemic shock. He’s needed several transfusions, and there’s no telling what’s going to happen next.”

Pressure slams against my chest, threatening to break through, but I reinforce my walls.Not now.

“Okay.” That sounds like the lamest word in the English language right now, but what else do you say to getting information like that?

“We should know more soon,” Hank says.

“Okay, I’ll tell Maia. We’ll be in the waiting room. Let us know if you need us or there’s a change.”

“We will, Vince. Thanks for coming,” Hank says.

“Of course.” I give a nod and walk back down the hall. Once I’m around the corner, I pause, leaning against the wall and gasping for breaths.

They almost lost him.

The way Meredith said it made it seem like they still could.

I close my eyes tightly and count backward from twenty, focusing on the texture of the wall against my palm. As I count, I try to picture things that make me happy. When Maia’s face floats through my mind, my eyes flash open.

I need to get back to her.

Filled with determination, I take a deep breath and make my way back down the hall.

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