Page 44 of Instant Heat
"I'm going too," Thatcher and I said at the same time.
The EMT's gaze flitted between us before he stated,"There's just space for one of you."
I looked at Thatcher, begging him with me eyes to let me be the one to accompany Rae to the hospital. I didn't want to leave her side. I couldn't.
I held me breath as he shifted his focus to our connected hands, brows pinching.
"I'll meet you there." His voice was quiet.
A sigh of relief blew over me lips."Thank you."
I saw Thatcher work down a swallow, his eyes glistening."No." He shook his head."Thank you for getting her out." With that, he spun around and stalked off.
I held onto Rae as the EMT pushed the gurney into the back of the ambulance. We'd barely pulled away from the scene when she reached up and indicated for the mask to be removed. The EMT hesitated but ultimately decided it was okay.
"You… saved… me…" Her voice was soft and raspy.
Inside me chest, me heart squeezed, and I gripped her hand tighter."It may look it, but you,acushla, are the one who saved me."
***
"How is she doing?"
Lifting me head from where I was cradling it in me hands, I looked in the direction of the voice. With exhaustion written all over his features, Thatcher stood in the doorway of Rae's hospital room. His gaze fixed on his sister's sleeping form. After she'd been assessed and treated, the doctor gave her something for the pain, which had knocked her out almost immediately.
"Considering—" Me voice sounded hoarse and raspy. I cleared me throat before I tried again."Considering everything that's happened; she's doing good." She was incredibly lucky that the wound on her arm and shoulder was the worst of it.
Turning me attention back to the woman asleep on the bed, I brushed me fingers over hers. Me gut wrenched when, yet again, I thought about how close I came to losing her.
"No thanks to me," Thatcher mumbled as I heard him shuffle closer. The instant he reached the bed, he placed a hand on Rae's ankle."I don't know what I would have done if she—"
"You can't go there," I cut him off."She's safe; that's all that matters."
Out of the corner of me eye, I saw him shake his head."Sometimes I just act without thinking. Without weighing the consequences."
Pushing to me feet, I walked over to Thatcher and placed me hand on his arm. Squeezing once, I repeated,"She's safe, man. That's all that matters."
He took his eyes off the woman we both cared about to give me a sideways glance."You disobeyed orders, too." When I removed me hand from his arm to tuck it into me pocket, he added,"She means a lot to you."
"Aye, she does."
His gaze skittered back to Rae before he aimed a serious stare me way."Thank you." He nodded once and then spun around to stalk out of the room. Once he was gone, I collapsed into the chair beside Rae's bed.
Hanging me head, I let out a long, slow breath. Even though I'd told Thatcher not to dwell on it, I couldn't stop thinking about the day's events. About how your entire life can change in the blink of an eye.
About how close I came to losing Rae.
About how Adam lost Angie.
I realized then that it didn't matter how many times we claimed to understand someone else's pain, we really didn't know shite about it unless we've walked the same path they have.
It also dawned on me that Adam might never recover from this. Because I knew in me heart if something had happened to Rae me life would've been over.
"Gri… Griff."
The sound of her groggy voice caused me head to snap up. When I found those blue eyes of hers trained on me, I jumped up. One hand brushed the hair from her face while the other pressed the call button."Shh, don't talk."
Lifting her arm, she touched her trembling fingers to me cheek."You… You're… here."
