Page 5 of Heart Strain

3

Holden

Ican’t believe how Jameson’s own family treated him. It would be bad enough on any day, but on a day where he obviously needs someone on his side, it’s horrific. I can’t imagine being so unsympathetic to someone.

“Are you okay?” falls from my lips before I can stop it. It’s a stupid question. He’s not okay, I’m not okay, we’re not okay. But it’s all I got because I don’t know how else to tell him I’m right here with him.

He glances at me and some emotion I can’t read flits across his face before he nods and shrugs at the same time.

I blow out a breath. “Yeah, sorry. Stupid question.”

His lips lift in one corner, just a tad. “It’s fine.”

I cringe a little as I ask, “Are they always like that?”

“Uh… yeah. They are.”

Before my mouth can open up with anymore stupid, a doctor comes out and says, “Mr. Weston’s family?”

Jameson and I both stand as I say, “We’re here.”

The doctor walks over and his face is so stoic I can’t tell if I’m about to get good news or bad. I feel the panic rising in me, and without thought, I reach over and grab Jameson’s hand. He takes it without missing a beat, and squeezes my fingers tight, reminding me that I’m not alone. Not really. He’s here, so no matter what happens, I’ll have a shoulder to cry on.

“Mr. Weston made it through the surgery, but there were some complications,” he says, and I squeeze Jameson’s hand even tighter. “There’s no easy way to say this… we’ve placed him in a medically induced coma.”

“Wh-what?” I can’t breathe.

“He’s in a medically induced coma. There was too much swelling, so we decided to keep him asleep so his body can heal properly… hopefully.”

“Wh-what does that mean?” I ask.

The doctor frowns at me, finally showing emotion even though I wish he wasn’t. “There’s a good chance that when we take him off the meds, he won’t wake up at all.”

I shake my head. “No. No, he has to wake up.”

“I know this can be difficult, but—”

“No,” I say a little louder. “He has to wake up. He’s going to wake up.”

Jameson rubs the back of my hand with his free hand and says, “You’re right, but let’s see what else the doctor has to say, okay?”

I nod, but I feel like the air is being crushed from my lungs and the walls are caving in. I see the doctor’s lips moving, but I can’t make out his words. I take a couple of haggard breaths, but it’s only making it worse. Air can’t get into my lungs, and it’s making me panic even more.

I’m being pushed down into a chair, and I feel hands on my shoulders, rubbing my upper arms, and finally, I hear, “It’s going to be okay, Holden.” Jameson is in front of me, staring at me with worried eyes.

“C-can I see him?” I manage to whisper around my closed-up throat.

Jameson stares at me for several seconds before looking over his shoulder. “Can we go back now?”

“A nurse will come out to get you shortly. They’re setting him up in a room in the ICU now. We ask that only two family members come back at a time,” the doctor says.

“It’s just us,” Jameson says before looking back at me again. “I’m going to get you some water. I’ll be right back.”

“No!” I say a little too loudly, grabbing his forearm so he can’t escape. I clear my throat and lower my voice. “No. Please… please don’t go.”

He searches my eyes, then nods. “Okay.” He sits in the chair beside me, then grabs my hand again.

After a minute, I whisper, “Thank you.”

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