Page 40 of The CEO

Of course, I didn’t want to make it worse for Pria. I only wished none of this had happened. “Will she be released afterward?”

The nurse flipped open the chart in her hand and scanned through the information. “That will depend on what the CT scan shows and what the doctor on call determines.”

Leaning down, I pressed a light kiss to the top of Pria’s head. It was hard to find a place that didn’t look like my touch would cause her pain. “I’ll be waiting for you in the waiting room.”

“You don’t need to do that, King.”

“I do so don’t argue with me.” I gave her hand a final squeeze before I set out to find the waiting room. It wasn’t hard, but it wasn’t where I wanted to be. No one had directed me to any other waiting room, so I was stuck out with everyone who was waiting their turn to be seen.

Trying to block out the people around me and the memories of the many times Murphy had been rushed to the emergency room, I sent off an email to my secretary letting her know tocancel my hotel reservations, flights, and meetings for the week. The email took me no time at all and before I knew it my mind had slipped into the past.

My once beautifulsister was failing. She was a sliver of her past self. Her lungs were giving out and I couldn’t remember the last time she ate solid food. I held her hand as I sat by the side of her bed with my head resting next to her arm. She’d been admitted thirty-six hours ago, and had been in and out of sleep unlike me, who couldn’t sleep no matter how hard I tried. And I wanted to sleep. I wanted to wake up from this nightmare and have my healthy sister back because I knew… I knew this was the end. No matter what medicines she was given or experimental treatments, nothing worked, and we had to watch her waste away into the fragile girl who lay before me.

A light squeeze to my hand had me looking up to see Murphy’s eyes open and alert. “Hey, your majesty. What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at work or on a date?”

Murphy thought it was funny my friends in grade school started to call me King. In turn, she liked to pretend I was some royal asshole. I was an asshole, but never to her. Not one day in all of her existence had I ever said or done anything that wasn’t loving. She didn’t deserve to be sick and I hated her disease for slowly taking her away from me.

“By your side is the only place I ever want to be, Murph.” I felt tears sting the backs of my eyes, but I fought them back. I didn’t want to upset her. I didn’t want her to lose hope.

A shaky smile spread across her face. “You’re going to have to take care of my dogs.” I groaned playfully. “I know they can be a handful, but I love them.”

I knew she did. Murphy spoiled those dogs worse than any grandparent spoiled their grandkid.

“I’m sorry, Kingston.” It was so quiet I almost missed it. I was shocked to find tears brimming in her eyes when I looked up.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. You’re the best sister anyone could ask for.” I choked out each word since they wanted to come out as a sob, but I swore to myself I would be strong for her. She’d been so strong all her life. Even then as she wasted away in a hospital bed.

“I’ll love you forever and ever, big brother.” Her smile turned watery. Simultaneously, a tear slipped down both our cheeks.

“As I’ll love you forever and ever for all eternity.”

After that Murphy insisted that I go and check on her dogs. She didn’t want them to be alone since she hadn’t been able to spend much time with them lately. On my way back to the hospital, my mother called me in hysterics, and I knew without her saying a word my sister was gone.

“Mr. Avery.”The nurse from earlier stood before me with the same kind smile on her face. “I’m finished with Ms. Wang. She’d like you to join her again. If you’ll follow me, I’ll escort you back to her room.”

I stood quickly. Murphy was still on my mind and I didn’t want to be there. The memory of the last time I’d been in a hospital was still fresh, and it made me think of all the things that could have happened to Pria. Of how much worse it could have been. I followed behind the nurse as she expertly made her way back to Pria’s room. She patted me on the arm once we got there.

“Hang in there, young man.”

I thought it was strange for her to be telling me that, but I didn’t care. It was unusual to have all these feelings bubbling around. It was as if a well of emotions had erupted inside of me when I read Pria was in the hospital. My heart stopped and then started beating double time when I realized how important she was to me.

When I walked in, Pria’s closed eyes fluttered open when she heard me. I made my way over to the bed and clasped her hand in mine. She looked so tiny in her hospital bed. All I wanted to do was get her out of there and take her home.

“Hey, are you okay?” Pria asked softly.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?” I smiled thinly down at her.

Her tiny hand brushed against my cheek and her finger came away with moisture. I hadn’t realized that a tear had escaped until then.

“What’s going on with you today? I’ve got to say you’re giving me whiplash and that’s not good in my condition.”

She probably thought I was a basket case with the way I’d acted. First, wanting to spend my lunch between her legs to raging at her when she got home only now for me to be crying.

“I’m sorry about today. About everything. I was an asshole, which isn’t news, but if it wasn’t for me leaving, you wouldn’t be here.” I laced my fingers through hers and tried to smile, but I knew I wasn’t successful. Guilt was going to be on the menu for a long time to come. Every time I looked at her it reminded me that if I’d bothered to stay to talk to her, Pria wouldn’t have been trying to escape all things,me.

“You can’t know that.” She shrugged and winced. “I’m fine. They’ve given me some good drugs, so don’t feel guilty. We could have talked, and I could have stormed out and the same thing could have happened.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better. I seem to be the common denominator for the reason why you’re leaving and getting hurt.” I sat down in the chair beside the bed, keeping her hand in mine the entire time. “Let me feel guilty. It’s my penance.”

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