Page 39 of Jace

Chaos erupts in the background, loud crashes and yelling.

“We’ll meet you there,” Zac assures me. “We are all on the way.” The call ends, and I’m left with fears as I try to catch up.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Jace

“Her neurological exam was good, there is some heavy bruising and the laceration to her forehead did require several stitches. We will keep her here a couple days and monitor the swelling. There is also the bruising from the seatbelt and the burns on her neck and chest, but those should all heal with time. She is disoriented and will be in and out of consciousness from the ongoing medication. But right now the best thing for her is rest.”

“Can we see her?” Dax asks looking so defeated. The guy was barely hanging on, like his lifeline had been severed and he could barely breath.

“A small visit would be fine, but we’d like to keep it two at a time.”

“Aurora Reid’s family,” another doctor entered the room and before any of us can speak a man in a suit and a petite woman wearing far too much makeup stand. “Here.”

I look around the room seeing confusion on everyone’s face, but Craigs.

“And here,” he says loudly, gaining the full attention of everyone in the room.

“Craig,” the man in the suits says with a flare of his nostrils. “We are her parents.”

“Being a parent requires more than one call a year, when you need to put on a show. When was the last time the three of you sat down for a conversation? So you know anything about her?”

“Excuse me,” the doctor tried to interrupt but the couple I’ve never seen once continues to defend their actions or tried too. To be honest I couldn’t care less.

“She’s my wife,” I say loud enough to overshadow the voices echoing around the waiting area and the shouting quickly stops.

“She’s not married,” the man I now know is her father states, but he doesn’t look too sure. In fact, he glances at his wife, and all she does is shrug.

“Like Craig said, when was the last time you all had a conversation? I’ve been with her for more than a year and I’ve never once met either of you.” Maybe we weren’t together-together during that year, but I know her. “Right now, none of this matters. I just want to know how my wife is.”

Craig smiles, offering me a nod of approval.

“After several scans we found that Mrs. Reid had a dislocated shoulder, and a broken wrist. We have reset both and had to put a percutaneous pin in that we’ll remove after the bone heals. There is lots of bruising to the right side of her face, and she required stitches to her right eyebrow.”

There was still look of concern on his face as he looked over my shoulder and then slowly brought his attention back to me.

“At the scene, your wife woke and began to panic. After several attempts to calm her, the efforts were unsuccessful and she slipped, catching her side on a piece of metal sticking out from the rubble. She lost a lot of blood, and at one point her heart stopped.” I wasn’t even aware I was unstable until I felt someone holding me up from behind.

“Hold it together man,” Oliver said at my side.

“Is she…” I couldn’t even say the words.

“She’s got several weeks recovery ahead of her, but she will be fine.”

I nod, feeling like all the weight I’ve been feeling for hours has now been lifted. “Can I see her?”

“She isn’t awake yet, but I think sitting next to her bed won’t hurt,” the doctor says as he places his hand on my shoulder and begins leading me toward the double doors.

“Wait.” Her father steps forward. “We are her parents.” He looks over me from head to toe, I am sure taking in all my tattoos and piercings. “We don’t even know if this man is who he says he is.”

“Her emergency contact is a man named Craig Dawson who she has listed as her father.” The nurse steps up with an iPad, holding it out to the doctor.

Craig leans in smiles and shifts his attention back to the doctor. “That’s me but this man is the exact person she will want sitting at her side when she wakes up.” He places his hands on my shoulders and gives them a squeeze. “Give me updates on our girl,” he tells me, and right then I gain an entirely new form of respect for the guy. When Daxton got Bree, we all gained Craig. He has quickly became a big part of all our lives. He is the father figure we’ve all needed our entire lives. He keeps us in line, and he cares for all of us like we’ve always been his family.

Following the doctor, I glance back to see Aurora’s parents leaving the hospital.

When we reach her room, the nurse opens the door, and I step inside. “If you need anything, please just hit the nurse’s button on the side of her bed. She may come in and out of sleep, due to the anesthesia and thespian medication.” She offers me a smile, and says, “I’m assuming you are Jace?”

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