Page 102 of Broken

“Leave him alone, Jenna,” Dad spoke up. “He was just defending his girl. I would’ve decked any guy that forced a kiss on you, too.”

Mom blushed, going speechless, a small smile adorning her lips, and I watched Bridgette’s eyes lower in a moment of pain. The love of her life gone.

Was I about to lose mine?

“We really should get this checked out, honey.” Mom reached for my shirt again, and I winced when she brushed against the long, deep bruise. “That’s it. I barely touched you. We’re getting you checked.”

My teeth clenched, and I grated, “I’m fine.”

“Tucker!”

“Mom!”

“Bro, just do it. It looks pretty bad.”

“No!” I finally shouted. Did they really not get it? “I’m not leaving here until we know about Izzy!”And the baby…

I looked around at everyone wildly, determined.Let themtrygetting me to leave this waiting room before then. My physical pain wasnothingcompared to what I was feeling inside. To what Izzy was having to endure.To what my daughter…

My throat tightened, my mind too afraid to finish the thought.

“Tucker, I know you’re worried–”

“No, Jenna. It’s fine. He can wait until Izzy’s out of surgery,” Dad cut in, meeting my gaze with that rare Charles Pierceyou’ll-do-as-your-toldstare. “But you’re getting looked at before we leave.”

I nodded, grudgingly agreeing before sitting back down. My thoughts were in a whirlwind again, going to the depths of the worst without the distraction of conversation again, but it was only a few minutes before a doctor appeared at the waiting room entrance.

Everyone looked up expectantly, and my stomach started flip-flopping violently when he stepped into the room, an all too serious look on his weathered face.

“Isabel Donovan’s family?” he asked, and we all nodded.

“I’m her mother.” Bridgette moved shakily to her feet.

The doctor looked around, surprised but also like he was needing confirmation. “Everyone here is for Isabel?”

“Yes.” Mom stood, taking Bridgette’s hand and squeezing in support.

Everyone took her cue, Annie rushing to her mom’s side as the rest of us stood. I felt unsteady, and it was suddenly much harder to breathe. Like the very meaning for my life now hung on what the doctor had to say.

Jet and Dad each gripped one of my shoulders, grounding me.

We waited.

Compassion well in place, the doctor started. “As you know, she had quite a few injuries, but overall, the surgery went well. We cast her broken ankle and her arm, and we managed to stop the internal bleeding. There was some on her liver, and we did go ahead and remove her spleen while we were in there since it was damaged, too. All of that should heal just fine, but we’ll still need to monitor her head injury for the next few days to watch for swelling.

“She’ll need to be sedated for a while until we’re sure it’s safe, but we have every reason to believe that Isabel will make a full recovery.”

Relief flooded throughout the room, everyone hugging, but my sense of relief was way too brief, not missing what the doctor failed to mention. What no one seemed to want to ask about yet.

The one thing I knew Izzy would care about when she woke.

“Wha…What about the baby?” I managed to croak.

The tension in the room grew so heavy it felt like a weight was pushing me to the ground, my knees now shaking under the pressure of what I might hear.

The doctor’s face was suddenly grave. “I’m sorry,” was all he said before I sank to the floor on my knees as the weight of my grief overtook me, the pressure too strong for my body to support.

I felt as though my heart had just been ripped from my chest. My lungs burned from lack of oxygen, but I couldn’t breathe.

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