Page 31 of Until Waverly

So, back to pacing, I went. Thinking about nothing and everything at the same time. Maybe my contrary thoughts were from the blows to the head courtesy of Mack and Hunter.

Movement from the left caught my attention. Cobi was heading our way like a man on a mission. Going by the look on his face, I needed to brace myself again. I wasn’t sure how many more punches to the gut I’d be able to handle today. I’d like to say my first thought was for my kid, but that would be a lie. It was Waverly.

Without Waverly, Alandria and I were doomed.

Worry overtook the sickness still swirling in my gut. Had something happened we didn’t know about?

Scanning the crowd, I didn’t see any other police officers making their way over to the families who had been sectioned off from the other lookie-loos. Cobi’s gaze flickered around the Redman/Banks clan, searching for someone. He zeroed in on Mack Sr. and made the shift to where Waverly’s father was standing. Not wanting to miss or get information secondhand, I intercepted Cobi by the time he got to the elder Mack.

“Mack,” Cobi addressed Waverly’s dad, and the family went silent as the tension in the area thickened.

“Cobi.” Mack Sr. wrapped his arm around Sarah Jane, pulling her closer to him. Protecting her.

Cobi didn’t fuck around or pause for dramatic effect. “Waverly was injured.”

Questions peppered Cobi, most of them from Sarah Jane and Macey. A few were from Mack and Ireland. Their anxious inquiries were suffocating and overwhelming to listen to, making my head spin.

I placed my index finger and thumb in my mouth and released an ear-splitting whistle.

Fuck.

That hurt.

Not smart on my part.

My ears rang, and my stomach churned. I feared the bit of water I’d drunk would make a reappearance. “How about y’all let Cobi finish what he was saying, then ask your questions?”

Cobi gave me a head bob of thanks. “As I was saying, Waverly got caught up with the perp during the takedown. From what I’ve been told, she has a serious concussion. She also has sustained a severe compound fracture of her lower right leg.”

And the hits kept on coming.

“When can we get in there?” Sarah Jane asked when Cobi went silent.

“Waverly has already been moved up to the Orthopedics floor. From what I’ve been told, she’ll be going into surgery within the half hour.” He glanced around our group, then back at Mack Sr. “When they open the hospital back up, they’re going to limit the number of people in. At least initially.”

Mack stepped forward, stopping any further comment from the families. “Cobi—”

Cobi held up his hand. The weary gleam in his eyes along with the exhaustion mapping across his face showed just how demanding the job had been. “I understand, Mack. I know. Please understand we’re working as fast as we can.” Cobi turned to Sarah Jane. “I promise you, Mrs. Redman, the moment we get the all clear, I’ll get you into there.”

Sarah Jane sniffled, wiping at the tear rolling down her cheek. “We’re thankful for you and all the emergency personal who are here handling this.”

Mack Sr. gave his wife another reassuring hug.

I went back to standing outside of the circle of family. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t blame any of them. None of them had known. Except for Sarah Jane, and she owed her loyalty to her daughter.

I got that. Hell, I even understood and appreciated her devotion.

My mom would’ve done the same thing. Hence why when Sarah Jane approached me later, I remembered all the manners my parents, and then later my siblings—particularly Ireland and Hunter—taught me.

“Ma’am.”

She held out her hand. In her palm were two oblong white pills. “You look like you could use these.” Her voice was hoarse. Most likely a combination of worry and being dog-tired. When I didn’t immediately take them, she moved her fingers. “I asked the EMS; they said you can take acetaminophen for the first twenty-four hours. They’re extra strength.”

I reached for the pills, and suddenly Mack Sr. was there with yet another bottle of water. If the situation wasn’t so dire, I’d ask him if he was the official water boy.

Instead, I took the bottle offered and the pills. I didn’t think the joke would fly very well, and I didn’t want to get hit again. My head was pounding as it was.

“Waverly has me listed as the emergency contact for Alandria. That’s how I found out about what was going on here last night,” Sarah Jane said. “I should have called sooner, but I figured in a few hours, this would all be settled. Never expected to be standing here twenty-eight hours later.”

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