Page 57 of Highway To Destiny

“Yes, we do. That’s how I was able to contact you,” she replied.

“I’m…I’m not sure of his last name, but his best friend’s name is Eli. He lives in Crescent City, California,” I said, hoping she could find it in Mason’s cell phone.

She was silent for a few moments and then returned. “Yes, there’s an Eli Banfield listed with an Eli’s Bar and Grill associated with it. I see both a mobile number and a work number.”

I didn’t understand why I was his emergency contact and not Eli since he was his best friend, but I wasn’t about to dwell on that now. “That’s him,” I blurted out. “He probably knows where Mason keeps important papers.” I paused, then said, “I’m down in Oregon, but please, I need to see him.”

I could tell she sensed my worry and concern. “We’ll do our best to contact Mr. Banfield to get any specifics, but you are allowed to visit him here in the hospital. He is unconscious right now. For how long, we don’t know. He’ll be sent to the intensive care unit soon.”

My head spun with everything I needed to do. Once I got the hospital information from Emily and ended the call, I looked up a couple of things on my phone, then quickly dressed and ran down the hall to Spencer’s room. I didn’t knock. I hated to wake him, but this was an emergency, and I needed to get to Seattle as soon as I could.

“Spencer, wake up!” I barked as I approached his bed. He mumbled, and I shook him.

“Wha…what?” he protested.

“Spence, Mason has been in some sort of accident, and he’s in a Seattle hospital. I need to go see him.” Hearing that, he awoke with a start, and I could see his adrenaline take over.

“Uh…fuck, an accident? Shit…are you doing okay?” he asked with concern as he sat up. He tried to comprehend the alarming news like I was trying to do.

“I’m going to pack a duffel and get to the bus station. I checked, and there’s a bus leaving in about an hour. It’ll take me all day to get up there.”

Spencer’s eyes finally focused. “Do you want company? I can call us a rideshare.” I appreciated his loyalty and would probably like having his support, but I felt I’d figure things out easier on my own. I had Mom to contact, and Emily had given me Eli’s mobile number. I’d never experienced this type of thing before, and I was trying not to panic.

“No, I’ll be fine. I just didn’t want to leave without letting you know,” was all I got out before Spencer threw his arms around me in a big hug. It made my throat tighten, and I squeezed him back hard. I told him I’d call him later when I knew more, and he walked me to the door, his arm around my shoulder.

Once I’d packed some essentials, I got a rideshare to the bus station. It started to rain as soon as the driver pulled up, so I rushed in, purchased a one-way ticket, and sat in the waiting area until the boarding call. The bus wouldn’t arrive in downtown Seattle until around five o’clock, and it killed me not to be by Mason’s side already. My adrenaline had almost worn off, and my emotions soon rose to the surface—my eyes filled with tears, and I began to shake slightly.

Why didn’t I tell Mason I loved him? He needs to hear those exact words, and I’d be damned if I wasn’t going to tell him first thing when I saw him.

I centered myself as best I could when I dialed Mom’s number. She answered right away, and I told her what had happened and that I was at the bus station on my way to Seattle. She was a rock on the phone and helped calm me down. As with Spencer, she wanted regular updates once I got there.

My next call was to Eli. I dialed his mobile number, and after a few rings, he answered hesitantly. He didn’t have my number, so I figured his resistance to answering was because it was an out-of-state number.

“Hi, Eli…it’s Connor,” I said, keeping my composure.

“Oh, Hi, Connor,” he replied. He sounded out of breath and in a rush.

“Did I catch you at a bad time? I can call back in a bit.”

“No, no. I was just in my storage area at home looking for Mason’s legal documents.”

“So, the hospital in Seattle called you?” I asked

“Yes, they said they called you first as his emergency contact. That surprised me since I thought I was his emergency number.” I could tell he was a bit put out, but he had no malice in his voice.

“Might be something for us to discuss with him later.” I hesitated, not hearing a response from him. It wasn’t the time to hash that out. “I’m about to board a bus for Seattle, but it will take me most of the day to get there. This is all so sudden, but are you headed up to Seattle too?”

“I planned to, but I can’t leave without finding all his legal papers. At least he had a directive and a will. I need to find the signed power of attorney, but I don’t see it here. I’ll keep looking.” When Eli spoke, I knew he was reeling from the news as well. “I told the hospital I’d scan and send the power of attorney electronically if they needed it right away, and they can contact me should they need any decisions made before I get there.”

“Did they give you any indication as to what happened? They didn’t tell me.” I wanted to know if he had any more details than I’d been told.

“Apparently, boxes of heavy freight gave way from a defective pallet that collapsed. They’re still investigating. At least there were two other guys there who saw what happened.”

“Holy shit. This is fucking unreal.” My tears finally fell, and I placed a hand on my forehead. My voice was weak and shaky.

“Hey, hey! You know he’s one tough fucker, and he’ll be okay,” he said, trying to sound convincing. I didn’t think he believed his own words.

“Eli…I love him so much. I don’t know how to be strong here,” I whimpered.

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