Page 49 of The Choices I've Made
A week ago, he’d been coming home to say good-bye to his father, and instead, he’d almost lost his own life.
What had it been like for the two of them on that boat in the middle of the ocean?
I couldn’t imagine.
I’d been so wrapped up in the shock of it all that had happened and the constant need to keep everything and everyone together that I hadn’t really let it sink in since that night.
I could have lost them both.
“Are you okay?” I asked as the car lurched forward, moving from land to sea.
He followed directions, taking a parking spot toward the middle, and cars fell in line on either side of us.
“I’m fine,” he replied, cutting off the engine.
The roar of the ferry combined with the many cars that hadn’t yet powered down left a loud ringing in my ear. Something I never got used to.
Living on the island since birth had given me a special childhood.
A secluded one.
The roaring sound of traffic and city noise was foreign to me, and it always felt strange, leaving the island for the hustle and bustle of the mainland.
Slowly, the cars around us quieted, and people began to exit toward the outer rails for a better view. I sat silent, watching Jake stare at the dusty truck in front of us.
“What was it like?” I asked softly. “The explosion?”
He turned, his eyes thoughtful. “It was horrific,” he said plainly. “I thought I was over it. I’ve dealt with dire situations like that before, but this time, it was different.”
“Because of Dean?”
He nodded. “It was too close to home. Usually, I can take a step back, creating that much-needed barrier between patient and doctor so that I can do my job. But sitting there, next to Dean, as he bled out, my hands shook, and my vision blurred.”
“You saved him, Jake,” I reminded him.
“Yes, but it wasn’t enough.”
“You did the best you could,” I said, wanting to reach out to him but knowing I had to keep a safe distance.
For both of us.
“He’ll never be the same again. If I’d gotten to him earlier…done something different, maybe it would have helped.”
“You sound like someone else we both knew.”
His eyes searched mine. “My father?”
I simply nodded as his face turned from mine.
“I’ll never be like him. Never.” The door handle clicked, and just like that, he was gone once more.
I watched as he disappeared through the surrounding vehicles, wondering when, or if, he’d be able to face all those demons from his past.
And what that would mean for me when he did.
