Page 106 of In Hiding

Once inside the vehicle, Damien motioned toward the police station. “I take it Wilson gave you a grilling?” He started the engine. “He likes to think he’s a badass, but deep down, he’s decent.”

“Sergeant Wilson is alright, for a cop,” William chimed in.

Erik twisted in his seat. “I hear you’ve had a few run-ins with him yourself?”

The boy rolled his eyes. “It was nothing.”

Damien chuckled and got them moving. The hospital was less than ten minutes away and as they zig-zagged through the dark, empty streets, Erik tried to take in as many details as he could about the small town. It was no use. The motion of the car, the darkness and the pre-occupation with his family’s welfare blocked his mind to most of it.

At the hospital, Damien directed them to the emergency ward. They found Sarah curled up on a plastic chair under a blanket. She wore a heavy veil of fatigue but seeing them brought her to her feet.

“Mama.”

William ran into her arms and as they held each other, Erik wrapped them both in the kind of bear hug he hoped conveyed just how much he loved them. A young nurse looked on with a wistful smile but all he could think about was his family. His only remaining family. The significance of that humbled him and he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, he wasn’t going anywhere any time soon.

~

William watched the hands on the clock tick in a slow circle. Minutes merged into hours but no matter how hard he tried, sleep wouldn’t come. Two chairs away, Uncle Erik snored. Mama, on the seat beside her brother, slept with her head resting on his chest. She rose and fell with every breath his uncle took but her peaceful smile was good to see.

He wished he could sleep.

His mind refused to shut up.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Jake lying on the floor covered in blood. He lost so much blood in such a short time. Uncle Erik had tried to stop the bleeding but the blood wouldn’t stop. Torn between wanting to stay and save Jake, and running after Mama to protect her from Ryan, he’d prayed his uncle knew how to keep Jake alive until they got to hospital. William stared down at his hands. In his mind, he could see them covered in red.

First it was Mama’s blood.

Then Jake’s.

Then his father’s.

He gritted his teeth until his jaw ached. Don’t think like that. It was hard not to. Just like it was hard not to replay the moment his father tipped over the wire barrier. He hadn’t meant to push him so hard but he could hear Mama’s heavy breathing behind him and he could feel the blood rushing through his mind. William knew that if he didn’t do something, his father would kill them both.

What he really needed to see was a body. Only then would he know for sure he and Mama were free.

Movement at the nurse’s station made him look up. He saw the doctor, Stevie, standing at a computer and typing on the keyboard. She looked as tired as he felt, maybe even more, but when she turned and saw him watching, she smiled. It was a pretty smile, one that made him think of summer sunshine.

If she was here, then who was operating on Jake?

William stood, his body stiff from sitting for so long. As he went past Mama, he paused to lift the blanket over her shoulder, then continued to the counter. Stevie waited for him to come close.

“How’s your arm?”

He shrugged. The cut hadn’t needed stitches but it stung. “I’m okay. Is Jake alright?”

She leaned over the counter and put a hand on his shoulder. “He’s in recovery.”

“Will he live?”

For a long moment, she looked at him. The close attention made him feel warm. “He lost a lot of blood, William, but he was lucky. The bullet missed the vital organs. Jake is going to need a long time to heal.”

He glanced over at Mama and smiled. Maybe she and Jake could be happy. “He can stay with us.”

“Would you like to see him?”

“Yes, please.”

She chuckled and walked around the counter to stand by his side. “You’ve been through a lot lately. How are you holding up?”

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