Page 478 of Now and Forever

Chapter 180

“Sweetie, you have to eat something.” Patricia urges me to eat the lunch they brought in.

All three scrambled back here when they were informed about what happened with Drake. Hugh and my mom are at the connecting private lounge, but I stick next to Drake because I promised that I would stay close and because I don’t want to be anywhere else. My place is with him. It always has been. It was only a matter of time until he and I realized that.

“Do you mind just bringing the food in here with me? I don’t want to leave his side.” Patricia smiles sadly at me. Dark circles and frown lines that were not there a few days ago are now evident on her beautiful face.

“I will sit with my son and wait until you are done. Please, you’re pregnant. You can’t risk both of your lives as well.

With difficultly, I finally let go of Drake’s hand and get up from my chair. Patricia takes my seat. I hear her speaking softly to her son before I leave the room, exhausted.

“Hugh just stepped out to take care of some business. I have your prenatal vitamins and some other stuff that you need.” Mom gives me the much needed vitamins. I down one with a bottled orange juice.

When she presents me with a gourmet sandwich, I barely manage to swallow the tiny bites I make, but I do, for the baby. I don’t even care how the food tastes. Everything is automated. I just want to get it over with so that I can go back to Drake.

“How are you feeling?” my mother asks. I’m sure she is referring to the scary shock of my life earlier when Drake died for a few minutes.

I stare at the bottled juice that sits on the table before me. How am I feeling? I feel like I’ve been dragged to Hell and back. There are no words to describe how I am feeling. The man I love died for a few minutes. Where do I even begin with all of that?

After a few minutes of just staring into space while flashbacks run through my head, I finally look at my mom and see that she has tears in her eyes. “Thank you for being here. I love you.”

Mom comes over and gives me a tight hug, sniffing. “Be strong. Drake will recover. He’s young and he’s a stubborn man at that.”

I cry in her arms. My mother’s smell and comfort give me strength and new found bravery. If there is another person who understands what I’m going through, it’s my mom. Before my father died, she held it together even though the pain was written all over her face. I cry until I have no more tears left. When I come up for air, she urges me to wash my face before returning to sit next to Drake. “You’ll feel better when you freshen up, trust me.”

And it does help. Not a whole lot, but it helps me feel a little lighter inside.

??

It’s around three in the afternoon when the doctor comes into the room. He introduces himself as Dr. Readings. He’s a man in his late fifties with salt and pepper hair, kind eyes and a warm sympathetic smile.

He faces Patricia and Hugh before he speaks. “We found several blood clots in Drake. They’re traveling upwards and we want to operate quickly before it turns into a pulmonary embolism. If it reaches his lungs before we get to it, his chances of survival are slim.”

Is he serious? Hasn’t Drake gone through enough? Another surgery? What if that will cause an infection or another complication, what then?

Patricia body starts to shake and she sags in the chair. Watching how his wife looks like she has lost a battle, Hugh takes charge. “When can you schedule the operation? I want it done as soon as possible. I think we can all agree that my only son has gone through Hell for the last two days. Do what you have to do. I expect to have the best of the best on the operating team for my son. Do you have recommendations for doctors to be flown in?”

“I can actually recommend another doctor to operate with me. I am highly qualified, but I want another qualified doctor in there with me. I will give him a call right away and hopefully we can schedule it later this evening. I will get back to you shortly.” The doctor excuses himself before Patricia and Mom start crying again.

Another operation.

How the hell am I going to survive another one?

Fuck! When it rains, it really pours, hard, with no concession.

After an hour, the doctor confirms that the specialist is on board and should be here around six tonight. The emergency operation is scheduled for seven.

I feel like a crying zombie.

My eyes just keep weeping and there’s no stopping it. The well of tears doesn’t stop while I sit next to Drake’s sleeping body.

My head falls flat on the bed, exhausted. I’m pleasantly woken up with soft, gentle strokes on my cheek. My face feels crusty after crying.

“Hey . . . you’re crying again,” I hear Drake whisper sadly.

Still sleepy, I manage to lift my head and meet his silver eyes. “I can’t help it.”

Drake tries to give me a reassuring smile, but fails miserably. “They’re going to wheel me out in twenty minutes to prep me for the operation.”

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