Page 78 of Broken Roads
Sebastian holds up one hand, stopping her. "Don't crowd him. He needs space and air."
The authority in his voice halts everyone in their tracks. Everyone except Hailey, who moves directly to my side, and places her hand on my shoulder. The weight of it anchors me and stops the room from spinning.
"What happened?" she asks.
I can't answer. Can't form words around the terror squeezing my chest.
"Possible heart attack," Sebastian answers for me, still focused on our father. "I'd need an ECG to confirm."
Ruthie sinks into a chair, one hand pressed to her mouth. Sawyer and Beckett hover in the doorway, faces grim and uncertain.
Dad's eyes find mine, cloudy with pain but unmistakably aware. His lips move, trying to form words.
"Don't try to talk," I manage, finding my voice at last. "Just stay still. Ambulance is coming."
With a shaky hand, he reaches for me. I take it, surprised by how fragile his fingers feel. Those hands that taught me to rope cattle, fix fences, birth calves, reduced to trembling twigs.
Sebastian is still in motion, checking Dad's pupils, monitoring his breathing. "Has he had chest pain before this? Shortness of breath? Dizziness?"
"No," I snap, then reconsider. "I don't know. Maybe. He's been tired lately."
"And you didn't think that was worth mentioning to his doctor?"
Something hot and ugly rears up inside me. "This is your fault," I hiss, low enough that Dad can't hear. "He was fine until you showed up."
Sebastian's head jerks up, his eyes meeting mine with genuine shock. "How the fuck is this my fault?"
"Everything was fine until you walked back in here," I continue, voice shaking with rage. "Twenty years of nothing, then you appear and five minutes later he's on the floor."
"Are you serious right now?" Sebastian's voice rises slightly. "You think I caused this?"
"I think you showing up unannounced and then picking a fight—"
"You picked the fight, not me."
"Both of you shut it." Ruthie's voice cracks like thunder. "Bradford is lying there fighting for his life, and you two are still at each other's throats? What is wrong with you?"
Shame floods through me, hot and nauseating. She's right. Dad is what matters right now, not our ancient grievances.
Sebastian returns his attention to Dad, his face shuttered again behind professional detachment.
"He'll be okay," Hailey whispers, her fingers threading through mine. "He's strong."
I nod, not trusting myself to speak. The weight of her against my side is the only thing keeping me from completely coming apart.
If something happens to him... if he doesn't make it... The thought is too terrible to complete. Dad has always been the heartbeat of Walker Ranch, the gravitational center around which we all orbit. Losing him would be like losing the sun.
And if he dies because I couldn't control my temper around Sebastian, I'll never forgive myself. Or my brother.
The distant wail of a siren cuts through the terrible silence. Sebastian glances up at the sound.
"They're here," he says. "I'll go flag them down."
As he stands, our eyes meet. For one split second, we're not enemies or strangers, just two terrified sons watching their father struggle to breathe. Then the moment passes, and Sebastian strides toward the door.
"I need you to move back," he tells Ruthie and the ranch hands. "Give them room to work when they come in."
Everyone obeys without question, recognizing the authority in his voice. I remain kneeling beside Dad, unwilling to let go of his hand.
