Page 38 of Restless
Later, it came to him that Megan hadn’t consciously factored in his change of heart. He simply did what a father is supposed to do. Megan was imbedded in his very soul. She always saw the good in him and believed him the best daddy in the world. Deep down, she undoubtedly aided his decision regarding their girl. He prayed for the chance to tell her about his epiphany.
A curious thing happened between Doc Will’s devastating news and Christopher’s forgiveness of Rebel.
Jo took another turn. This one for the better. She was a micro preemie and not out of the woods, but while Doc Will was delivering her news, the baby’s breathing and vital signs stabilized. She was fighting to live.
Both Jo and Megan remained in intensive care, however. He wanted Jo to survive. She was another little girl for him to love and protect. But it was Megan…Megan…he couldn’t bear to lose.
He hated to leave her side. He hated to sleep. Keeping watch over her allowed him to be there if she needed him. If only to hold her hand or remind her she meant the world to him.
Usually, he waited until she slept before he visited the nursery. Today, she’d wanted him to see Jo, then report back to her before she fell asleep. It meant skipping the precious moments she was awake, but if it made her happy, he obliged.
His eyes drooped, then flew open and narrowed. He was certain Megan moved. Yet, she seemed positioned in the same spot, so maybe he’d imagined it.
He yawned, though he refused to sleep. Along with gallons of coffee, he took several cold showers a day to stay awake.
If Megan needed him, hehadto be available.
Hunger pangs cramped his stomach. He tried to remember when he’d last eaten. Time escaped him, however. The hallway crawled with his brothers. They knew better than to disturb him, though. Unless he asked for a meal or coffee or anything, they left him to his own devices.
He hated hospital food, so it was never an option to eat the shit if he wasn’t a patient. Even then, he preferred starvation.
His ringing phone annoyed him. Megan shifted, and his annoyance turned to fury. It was almost ten ofuckingclock at night.
Maybe, Mort? He’d called Christopher earlier and—
“Christopher?”
The phone stopped.
“It’s okay, baby. Go back to sleep.” He jerked the phone off the rolling cart next to him, intending to mute the volume. It started ringing again. She jerked, her brow wrinkling.
Brooks Redding’s name flashed on the screen.
“Is that CJ?” she mumbled. “Are the kids okay?”
“You better have a good fuckin’ reason for disturbin’ Megan, motherfucker,” he answered, staggering to his feet. “This Brooks, baby. I’m going right in the hallway. Don’t go nowhere.”
She smiled. “I’ll be right here, waiting for you.”
The words didn’t comfort him. If he wasn’t watching her, she might be there when he returned but not in the condition he expected.
He leaned over and kissed her, his pulse thumping at the base of his neck. “I love you, Megan. Don’t go nowhere.”
“I love you more, Christopher.”
“Don’t go nowhere,” he repeated.
“I wouldn’t dare leave you,” she swore, and closed her eyes again.
For a moment, he stared at her, forgetting about Brooks. She looked so still. If not for the steady rise and fall of her chest and the consistency of her vital signs on the machine hooked to her, Christopher would panic.
“Outlaw?”
He didn’t realize he still held the phone to his ear, until he heard Brooks call his name. He turned, intending to leave, except he couldn’t force himself to do so right now. He would, as he always did, to check on Jo.
Sighing, he returned to his seat, scrubbed a hand over his face, and said, “talk to me.”
Brooks cleared his throat. “A situation arose a little while ago. Johnnie called me and thought it best I talk to you.”
