Page 188 of Not Over You

“Hunter—thank god, you answered.”

She’s out of breath. Alarm bells start clanging in my head. “What’s wrong?”

“Marcus is in emergency surgery.”

The pit of my stomach lands on my shoes. I swallow down an icy knife of fear. “I’m leaving now. What’s going on?”

“School’s out today, so he was riding his bike with friends. He got hurt. A broken leg... nerves or something. I didn’t get to see him. They took him right from the accident to the Operating Room at Regional as soon as I gave them permission to treat him.”

“I’ll be there as quick as I can. It will take a few hours. Please, have the doctor call me as soon as possible.”

Her voice breaks. She sniffs. “I will. I’m in the waiting room.”

“Sheila, everything will be fine. He’s young, he’s strong. He’s in good hands.”

I just pray it’s true.

“Call your friends, don’t wait alone.”

“Okay. Thank you, that’s a good idea.”

My heart pounds too hard as I run up the stairs toward the boss’s office. Three minutes later, I’m in my truck on the freeway.

I’m dizzy with worry as I hit the upper limit of safe speed.

Marcus is going to be fine. Fine.

The silence is deafening in the truck as city after city passes by my windows. I keep checking my phone to make sure it has a signal.

I finally give in to my incessant thoughts and call Sheila. “Any word?”

“Not yet.”

“Are you doing okay?”

“I’ve had too much coffee.”

“Did your friends come?”

“Yes, Marla and Wilma are here with me.”

“Good. I’m getting close. Just an hour left.”

“Hunter, you’re speeding, young man.”

“I gotta go.”

She laughs. “You’re as bad as Marcus.”

“Call me.”

“Promise,” she says and disconnects.

I’m thirty minutes out from Regional Hospital when my phone rings. It’s the right area code for the hospital. “Hunter Roman.”

“Mr. Roman, this is Doctor Daniels. I’m calling with an update on Marcus.”

The phone is shaking in my grip. “Yes, go ahead.”

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