Page 16 of Pumped

A strong hand claps my shoulder and gives it a squeeze. When I glance at Martin, it looks like his hand on my shoulder is as much to hold himself up as it is to give me reassurance.

“Wha—what happened?” I ask, sounding strangled.

Martin’s throat works and he shakes his head. Owen answers the question instead.

“Multi-car accident. Jeremy had massive internal bleeding and died en route. Eden made it into surgery, but then her heart stopped. There’s no brain activity.”

I understand all the words Owen says, but I don’t know what they mean all strung together. “But they got her heart going again, right? I can see it on the monitor. It’s beating.”

“There’s no brain activity,” Owen repeats like it’s obvious what he’s trying to say.

“I don’t fucking know what that means,” I stage whisper to him through gritted teeth.

“It means her brain was deprived of oxygen for too long,” Martin explains. “I’m sorry, Everest.”

“No, but—” I stab my fingers through my hair. “It has oxygen now, doesn’t it? She can still wake up, can’t she?”

Owen’s arms are folded over his chest, glower firmly in place.

Martin’s hand drops from my shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

A loud gasp comes from the door. “Oh my god.” Then my mom rushes to the bed, followed closely by my dad.

“No, no, Eden, honey. Oh god, no.” Tears stream down Mom’s face and Dad embraces her from behind.

“Nana!” Ivy says from where’s she still sitting on the opposite side of the bed. “Make her wake up, Nana.”

“Oh, Ivy.” Mom reaches across and brushes her hand over Ivy’s shiny blond hair. “Oh, Ivy.”

I can’t. I can’t be here. I can’t watch this scene unfolding in front of me. The air is too thick for me to breathe. The walls are closing in. I scramble to get out, to get air, to get as far away from this nightmare as I can.

I find a stairwell at the end of the hallway and rush down the steps before bursting out onto the loading dock at the back of the hospital. I stumble a few steps before bending over and bracing my hands on my knees.

It smells like rotting corpses and dog piss back here. But I’d rather breathe this air than suffocate in that room.

I don’t understand. None of it makes sense. They’re young. Happy. They have a little girl. How can they be dead? They stillhave so much life to live. They have to watch Ivy grow up. Maybe have a second kid. They have plans to grow old together and cruise around the world when they retire. They have people who depend on them, people who need them.

They can’t be gone.

They can’t be.

They can’t.

CHAPTER

SIX

OWEN

The next week is the longest and shortest week of my life. Every second is excruciating to live through. Every minute rushes past in a blur. I barely sleep. I definitely don’t eat. I’ve taken bereavement leave from the animal hospital, but I’m expected back on Monday.

An organ donor card was found among Eden’s things, and when the doctor brought up the topic, Everest fucking flipped out. He accused the doctor of killing his sister to harvest her organs, then accused his parents of being complicit when they considered the doctor’s proposal. In the end, Nell and Graham overruled him, and Eden managed to save several lives before she gave up her own.

Then it’s been a non-stop whirlwind of getting the bodies released from the hospital and transferred to the funeral home. Putting an obituary notice in the newspaper and notifying Eden’s and Jeremy’s employers. Planning the funeral itself and reaching out to all their friends with an invitation.

I’ve been spearheading all of it. Because I’m not cruel enough to make my parents or Eden’s parents do the work needed to bury their own children.

They’ve been focused on Ivy instead. Explaining the situation to her, comforting her, answering questions and giving reassurances. All things considered, Ivy’s been dealing with everything as well as you can expect a six-year-old to.

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