Page 33 of Where Secrets Lie

Before the paramedics could respond, Hez stiffened and started grunting.

“He’s seizing again,” the female paramedic announced. Another crew member nodded and helped her keep Hez secure.

Savannah wanted to cover her eyes and not watch him twitch and groan again, but if watching and praying for him while he went through it was the only way she could be with him, she’d do it. It seemed to go on forever, and by the time it was over, her jaw hurt from clenching. They reached the hospital, and she hopped down and went to stand out of the way while they got him out of the ambulance and into the ER.

“Wait here,” the nurse told her. “We’re taking him straight in for a CT scan. I’ll come get you when he’s in a room.”

Savannah nodded and found a seat by the window. The receptionist handed her a form to fill out his medical history. Her eyes blurred as she answered the questions, and when she was finished, she couldn’t remember exactly what she put in the boxes. Hopefully it was accurate.

The time ticked by painfully slowly, and an hour after they took him back, the nurse finally came out. Savannah leaped to her feet to go with her, but she shook her head. “He’s in surgery, Mrs. Webster.”

Savannah’s stomach bottomed out. “Surgery?”

“He’s undergoing an emergency craniotomy to relieve the pressure on the brain. The doctor will speak to you when it’s over.”

“What’s happened?”

“The doctor will explain it all.”

“He’s going to be okay, isn’t he?”

The nurse hesitated. “Dr. Moore is doing everything he can, and he’s an excellent surgeon so your husband is in good hands.”

Savannah recognized the woman’s cautious tone, and her vision blurred. Hez might die. Had he been shot? What had caused the seizures? The lack of information added to her fear. She got a cup of coffee from the coffee station, but it was so burnt that it was nearly undrinkable. She forced it down anyway to have something in her hands.

All she could do was pray and hope.

Chapter 19

Savannah glanced at her watch for the third time in fifteen minutes. It had been over four hours, but it felt like four days. The sky outside was dark now, and the soft sounds of janitors cleaning the area filtered through her head. Jess and Simon had brought Savannah’s purse and stayed a few minutes, but they’d left as Simon became more worried and agitated. Jess had texted her twice since, but Savannah had no updates.

All she had was growing fear after she looked up online what a craniotomy entailed. Hez was back there right now having a piece of bone removed from his skull. She still didn’t know what had happened even though she’d sent a panicked text to Nora.

A man in his fifties wearing scrubs stepped into the room. “Mrs. Webster?”

She shot to her feet and rushed to him. “I’m Mrs. Webster,” she said by instinct. “How is he?”

“Holding his own. He was struck in exactly the wrong place, at the site of an already existing hematoma. It caused more bleeding in his brain, and we had to drain it. He’s stable in recovery, and we’ll watch him overnight to make sure the bleeding doesn’t start again.”

“What about the seizures?”

“He had another one just before the surgery, but so far there’s been no recurrence.”

She closed her eyes and exhaled. “Thank God. And thank you, Dr. Moore. Can I see him?”

His smile was warm but tired. “Yes, once he’s in the ICU. That won’t be for another hour or two. A nurse will let you know. There’s time for you to grab some dinner from the cafeteria. We have your phone number and will call you.”

The last thing she wanted was to eat, but she nodded and thanked him again before she returned to her seat. More waiting. It was going to be a long night. Her eyes burned, and her heart ached at the memory of the distance between them when they last spoke. And most of it stemmed from her fear of trusting what he’d told her. What was wrong with her? She didn’t want to carry that fear all her life, but she didn’t know how to let go of it. She buried her face into her hands and sighed.

“There you are.”

She looked up at the sound of Nora’s voice. Tears stung her eyes at the sympathy on her friend’s face, and she stumbled to her feet to fall into Nora’s embrace. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Have you been alone this whole time?”

Savannah shook her head. “Jess and Simon were here for a few minutes.”

Nora released her and held up a blue thermos. “I brought you some herbal tea. Caffeine is the last thing you need when you’re already stressed. Have you eaten?”

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