Page 88 of Muse (Fighting Fate)

That had been two fucking hours ago. The fact that it was taking so long scared the absolute fucking shit out of me. I had no fucking idea what they could possibly be operating on. I tried to brace myself for the worst but it was too fucking painful. She had to be okay. She just had to.

The doors beyond the triage desk opened and a doctor wearing scrubs appeared. His eyes widened when he saw the waiting room and he paused, eyes scanning the seats. Lillian and Aiden jumped to their feet and I joined them in rushing over to him, Kaeli fast on my heels.

“Mrs. Campbell?” he said wearily.

“Yes?” Lillian answered, her voice wavering on the small word.

The doctor’s eyes flashed back to the expectant waiting room. “Can I speak to you in private?”

His words were like knives being thrust straight into my gut. If she was okay, he’d have told us in the waiting room, wouldn’t he?

Lillian looked back at the three of us, determination blaring in each of our eyes. “Yes, but these three need to be with me.” I was so fucking thankful she said that, I wanted to cry.

He threw a brief glance our way and nodded. “If you could come this way…”

We followed behind him at a fast pace. I was fucking glad he seemed to be in a hurry, because I was seriously going to lose my shit if I didn’t find out what was going on this second.

He took us into a private consultation room and closed the door behind us. No one bothered to sit. He turned to face Lillian, choosing to speak to her directly.

“Mrs. Campbell,” he said seriously. “My name is Dr. Sanders. I’m the attending neurosurgeon here at Mercy. I was called in to help the emergency staff stabilize your daughter’s condition when she arrived.” He shifted and lowered the chart he was holding to look at her more intently.

“Mrs. Campbell, Mia has sustained a very serious head injury which has resulted in some minor swelling around her brain. The fact that she hasn’t regained consciousness since the fall is a real concern to me. There has been some signs of responsiveness, which is a positive thing, but I won’t really know what I’m dealing with until the swelling goes down.”

My brain started shutting down with his words. I just couldn’t seem to get my thoughts in any semblance of order. I tried to focus as he continued, but a fear like I’d never known had gripped me from the inside and was refusing to let go.

“My biggest concern at the moment is the buildup of pressure the swelling is causing. If it becomes too much, we run a risk of oxygen being restricted to the brain. The CT scans proved there isn’t any excess fluids around her brain, so I’m hopeful the swelling will start to go down soon, but as a precaution, I’ve had to insert a device called an intracranial pressure monitor to keep an eye on the pressure inside her skull. If it shows it’s becoming too much, I may have to operate to relieve it.”

His lips turned down as he watched Lillian digest his words.

“I’m afraid all we can do at this stage is wait to see which way it goes. Until that time, I’ve decided to keep her in an induced coma to help her brain rest and give her the best chance at healing.”

I sunk down onto a chair, dropping my head into my hands. A coma. How could she be in a fucking coma? The word just sounded so fucking ominous.

Lillian tried to clear her throat, but her voice was still thick with emotion. “How long will it take for the swelling to go down?”

“It can be anywhere from twenty-four to seventy-two hours. We’ll also be monitoring her with CT scans and MRI’s during that time, but Mrs. Campbell, you should know, although Mia’s responses were positive, her heartbeat still hasn’t regulated, which can indicate some form of brain damage. We’re hoping there’ll be a significant improvement with her responsiveness over the next twelve hours.”

“Can we see her?” she said, her voice almost a whisper.

The doctor looked uncomfortable. “Only immediate family.”

I closed my eyes against the pain. I needed to see her.

Lillian nodded. “I understand, but we’re all she has doctor. Mia’s a very private person, and besides her twin here, these two people are her lifeline. I would appreciate it if they were allowed to see her too.”

The cracks spread even further hearing Lillian’s words. She had it backwards though. Mia was my lifeline. Without her, I had no life.

The doctor nodded. “I’ll see what I can do. There’s only one visitor allowed at a time though, so if you’d like to see her now, I can take you up.”

Lillian nodded. “Yes, please.”

Aiden and Kaeli both returned to their seats when we got back to the waiting room, Kaeli immediately whispering in a low voice to her mom, and Aiden dropping his head into his hands. Dean and Matt sat beside him, a quiet presence of solidarity.

I knew I should join them, but I just couldn’t. I didn’t want to fucking sit calmly and wait, and I certainly didn’t want to fucking talk to anyone. Instead, I resumed pacing the floor like a caged tiger, a slow desperation building inside me.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to keep the tears at bay.

“Jace?”

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