Page 71 of Freak
Though she’d taken a seat at the edge, not sure where she fit among the others, she felt a connection deeper than simple familiarity. She felt a kind of kinship.
She wasn’t alone.
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~oOo~
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Two hours later, sheand many of the others filled another waiting room, this one on a higher floor, in the surgical wing.
When a nurse had come into the ER waiting area and called for the family of Melvin Lind, Abigail had leapt to her feet and then stilled, watching Double A, Isaac, Dom, and several other patches stand as well and head toward the door the nurse held open. But Double A had waved her over to join them. So she’d heard from the doctor, just like the others, that Mel had lost a worrying amount of blood but they finally had him stable enough for surgery. One bullet had grazed his neck, which was a major cause of the blood loss, but the bullet that had gone into his abdomen and not passed through was the bigger concern.
Isaac had asked for a prognosis. The doctor had dodged the question.
In the surgical waiting room, Cory Elstad and Adrienne Ness had taken up the seats on either side of Abigail and each clasped one of her hands. Though it felt almost unnatural to be comforted by anyone, it was a good kind of oddness, like a gift too dear to wish for.
“Are you sure you don’t want something?” Cory asked. “Coffee? Or tea? The stuff in the machine up here is swill, but there’s a little coffee cart by the gift shop. Open around the clock.”
Abigail didn’t want the added jitters coffee would give her, nor the need to pee too much tea would activate. She’d already had a cup of the swill, forced on her by Thumper, and two bottles of water, when Lilli distributed a case of them. She’d wet herself right here on this chair before she’d risk missing word of Mel’s surgery, but she’d rather do neither.
“Thank you, no. I’m fine. But you should get yourself some. I’m fine here on my own.”
“We know you are,” Adrienne said, giving her hand a squeeze. “But you’re not on your own, Abigail. You have us now.”
Despite her deep worry and fear, Abigail had not yet cried. She rarely did, and she was too focused now for tears to get hold. But Adrienne’s kind words, the kindness of all these people she’dalmostknown for so long, made her eyes go hot and blurry and the back of her throat itch.
Adrienne saw it happen. She reached over and tipped Abigail’s head to her shoulder, folding her into a hug.
Then Abigail wept.
Chapter Twenty-One
When awareness cameto Mel, it slid in sidelong, one sense at a time.
First, sound: A rhythmic harmony of electronic notes slipped into his ears, towing low murmurs and other sounds of busyness nearby.
