Page 90 of The Archer Brothers

That wasn’t enough to keep Nate down and he burnt his hand trying to save Ryley and her mom. His efforts were futile because the motherfucker who insists on trying to harm my family committed this act in front of a military base and so many sailors saw what had happened and were there before Nate.Theysaved my family. They also saved Nate before Carole’s car exploded for a second time. The triage nurse that treated his hand told him that he wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them.

I may be pissed at my brother. I may have hatred toward him, but I’m not ready to lose him.

I’ve been asked multiple times to move, but I refuse. I want to see the doctor first when he comes through the double doors. Jensen is standing next to me, helping me put up a solid “don’t fuck with us” wall. Our women are back there and we need to know what’s going on.

I never wanted to think that a job I love and trust would be behind whatever fuckery is going on, but the more evidence that we uncover the deeper the bullshit becomes. I have no doubt that today’s accident is a result of that phone I found in River’s house. He’s here, waiting with the rest of my family, but Frannie isn’t. I haven’t asked him where she’s at because I don’t care. In fact, when I see her, I may strangle her until she tells me what I want to know. Hell, for all I know River could be in on this, but my gut is telling me otherwise. No one spends six years in a damn jungle by choice. As our fire team leader, he did everything possible to keep us safe and to get us home. But someone didn’t want us home and we have to find out why.

If Frannie is involved, I feel sorry for River. I don’t know what’s worse: Finding out your girl moved on with your brother, or finding out your wife knew you were alive the whole time and played along with it. Both are pretty shitty, but his situation would be just plain fucked up.

“What’s taking so long?” I groan, tapping my fist against the wall. I’ve never really been in a hospital until today, but I can see why people hate them. Everything is white and plastic. The chairs are uncomfortable, hard and uninviting. It’s the same way I feel when I go to the therapist’s office, but I’d take Doc Hudson over this place any day. When I look around, I see death. It’s something I’ve experienced and standing here now, you see how it’s affecting people. The nurses don’t smile when you look at them even though they’re supposed to be here to reassure loved ones. The doctors walk with their heads down to avoid eye contact with people because they can’t mask the pain and agony they feel when they’ve lost a patient. The white walls and floral prints can’t brighten a place like this.

“Precautionary measures, I’m sure,” Jensen says as calmly as possible. How he can keep a cool head right now is beyond me. His wife and daughter are back there and we know nothing. We’re being kept in the dark. All someone needs to do is tell us if they’re okay.

Nate was in the ambulance with Ryley while Cara rode with Carole. Both of them were unconscious, battered and bleeding from the wounds on their heads, but they were alive according to Nate and Cara. I fought to go back there, to watch the doctors as they did what they had to do, just to make sure they’re on my team and not working for whoever tried to kill them.

“They need to come out soon or I’m going back there.” I rub my hand over the top of my head, moving my hat back and forth. My other hand holds a bear, some stupid bear that I bought for her today which I thought she’d like. Why I’m holding it now, I don’t know, but something told me to bring it in when I got to the hospital.

“They’ve only been back there for forty minutes.”

“How do you know?” I ask, looking at the man who should be my father-in-law.

“I’m timing them. I’m giving them twenty minutes to give us an update before I let my son-in-law loose.”

I try not to laugh, but it’s funny. He’s my voice of reason right now because he knows that these double doors aren’t enough to keep me away.

“Any word?” Nate asks, as he joins us. His left hand is bandaged in white gauze.

“Nothing yet. Are you okay?” I ask, signaling down to his hand. He holds it up and nods.

“Just a burn, nothing I can’t handle. I’m just sorry I didn’t get there fast enough.”

“You did fine. You were there for her when she needed you.” I don’t know why I’m giving him the affirmation he’s looking for, but he did what he could. He has to know this wasn’t his fault and he couldn’t have prevented it. Some sick bastard is on the loose right now.

“There are people in the waiting room. Everyone is here except for Mom, she’s staying with EJ,” I say, but hold back on telling him that I think Frannie is involved. I don’t have the proof, but everything in my mind is telling me she’s guilty.

“Let me know as soon as you hear anything.”

I nod and Jensen assures Nate that we’ll fill him in. I won’t, though, because as soon as the doctor comes out I’m going in.

“I can’t lose her,” I say to anyone who is within earshot to hear me.

“It was a car accident, Evan. They’re both fine.”

I shake my head and hold up the bear so I can look at him. He’s cheesy, but Ryley will love him. “It’s not that, Jensen. I can’t lose her, period. This isn’t some high school infatuation that I never grew out of, or the fact that she should’ve been waiting for me when I came home. She’s who I see when I dream at night and who I want to see when I wake-up. When I think about what makes me tick, it’s Ryley. She’s the reason I am who I am today because without her I’m less than half a man.”

Jensen sighs. “I get it, Evan, because that’s how I feel about Carole.”

“If she chooses me, I’m going to marry your daughter the first chance I get.”

“About time,” he mumbles, causing me to laugh. If he only knew that I would’ve married her the second I came back from my so-called “snatch and grab mission”.

I quickly stop laughing when the doctor walks out. He looks somber as he takes off his paper cap. He holds it in his hand and the expression on his face is grim. Jensen steps forward first, followed by me.

“Your wife and daughter are fine. Your wife suffered a compound fracture to her femur and a broken arm. She’s needs to have pins put in both her leg and arm. The ortho surgeon is with her now and will be taking her up to surgery in a few minutes. She’ll be confined to a wheelchair and physical therapy will be required, but other than that she’ll make a full recovery. Your daughter has fared much better than your wife. Aside from breaking her wrist, she’s fine. They’re very lucky that they were saved before the car was fully engulfed in flames. They have no burns, whatsoever.”

I let out a huge sigh of relief that both of them are okay. I don’t know how our family would cope with losing either of them. Broken bones we can deal with, those are easy. Death is not.

“How did my wife break her arm?” Jensen asks. I know he’s concerned, but I want to shake him and tell him he can ask questions later. I just want to get in there. I’m trying to be patient, but my patience expired a long time ago.

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