Page 79 of Heal Me

There’s a pause before she replies. “Gunnar? No.” Clearly surprised that I’m asking, she now sounds worried. “Jocelin, is something wrong?”

I take a deep breath and pull my fingers through my tangled mess of morning hair. “Probably not. He’s not here, and he’s not answering his phone. With the mood he was in yesterday, I’m just panicking a bit. I’m sure he’s fine. But yes, he told me the good news. Bjorn is going to be okay. Right?”

“Yes. We’re all so relieved. He’s not awake yet, but the doctor said he could wake up at any time.”

From the bottom of my soul, I want to be happy for them. Iamhappy for them. I’m just more worried about Gunnar. Going back downstairs, this time at a normal pace, I put on the kettle and lean against the counter, looking around for any clue as to where Gunnar might be. “That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for all of you.” That’s when I notice the motorcycle keys are gone from the bowl in the kitchen. Hope bursting in my chest, I hurry into the living room and look in the closet. His helmet is missing, and I sigh with relief. “Thank god.”

“I know, right?”

It takes me a minute to realize she thinks I’m responding to the news about Bjorn. And yes, thank god for that, too. “I think Gunnar went for a ride. His helmet and keys are gone. Maybe he went to Tom’s.”

“Oh good. Then I wouldn’t worry. When he’s very stressed he goes for a solo ride. He says it helps clear his head. He’ll turn up soon. Anyway, sweetie, Gary and I just got to the hospital and we’re going to grab a cup of coffee at the cafe and wait for Bjorn to wake up. We’ll be in the same family lounge as before. Erik and Jules should be here in about an hour. So when Gunnar finally shows, just come meet us here.”

“Okay. We will. Thanks, Astrid. And if you hear from him before I do, will you have him call me, please?”

“Absolutely. And don’t worry. He always turns up.”

I hang up and call Tom next. “Hello?” I’m surprised at the gruffness in his voice, and only then do I glance at the clock. Damn. If I woke him, that means Gunnar isn’t there either.

“Hey, Tom. It’s Jocelin. Sorry, I suppose I woke you. I hadn’t noticed the time.”

Tom is instantly awake, his voice full of concern. “Everything okay? How’s Gunnar?”

“I was hoping he was with you, andyoucould tellmehow he is.” I run a hand through my hair again. “We got good news about Bjorn in the middle of the night. He told me to go back to sleep, so I did. But maybe he was too keyed up. When I woke up this morning, he wasn’t here.” I close my eyes and let my head fall back. “I should have stayed up.”

Tom swears under his breath. “Is he at the hospital?”

“No. I just spoke with Astrid. He’s not there. And his bike keys and helmet are missing.”

Tom’s hum rumbles through the phone. “Well, that’s not as bad as it might sound. In the past, he’s gone for day trips to clear his mind. He was struggling with focusing yesterday, and a ride is one of the coping techniques that seemed to work in the past. I’m betting now that he knows Bjorn is going to be okay, he’s gone for a ride to work things out. Don’t panic. I’m sure you’ll hear from him soon. But keep me posted. If he hasn’t contacted you by lunchtime, call me back.”

Just knowing Tom isn’t worried eases most of my concern. “Okay. I will. Thanks for letting me know.”

“You’re welcome. And let me know if anything changes with Bjorn.”

“Okay. I’ll speak with you soon.” We disconnect, and I make a cup of tea and sit at the kitchen table, staring at my phone, wishing it would ring. With a sigh I force myself to my feet. I should get dressed and stop moping. And if he hasn’t called by the time I’m done, I’ll try him again.

With a plan in place, I feel a little better. I take my time showering and dressing just to give Gunnar every opportunity to call, but when I can’t put it off any longer, I try him again. There’s still no answer, and I can’t sit here and worry, so I take Gunnar’s car keys and drive myself to the hospital to wait with Astrid. Surely he’ll call one of us soon.

On my way out of the garage, I stop at the guard booth. “Good morning, Brian. Were you working this morning when Gunnar left?”

“Good morning, Mr. Allard. Yes.”

“Call me Jocelin. Please. What time was that? Did you notice?”

Brian scratches his chin, brow furrowed. “I didn’t note the exact time, but it was somewhere around four. I watch a show on the gaming network every Wednesday night, and the stream ends around that time each week.”

I nod, comforted with at least some concrete information. “Thanks, Brian. I appreciate your help. Have a good day.”

“You too, Mr. Allard.”

I roll up the window and merge into the morning traffic. Even with the congested streets, less than fifteen minutes later, I’m steering the Mustang into the hospital parking garage. I look for Gunnar’s bike as I drive through the levels, but it’s not here. At least not that I can see. I try calling him again, but it goes straight to voicemail. Thoroughly annoyed, I shove my phone into my coat pocket and walk into the hospital.

We sit in the waiting room for hours, with Astrid and Erik coming in and out to keep us posted on the lack of change in Bjorn’s condition. Somewhere around noon, my stomach growls so loudly that Gary laughs and pats my shoulder. “Need some food there, Jocelin?”

“Yeah. I skipped breakfast. I’m thinking about running to the deli down the street. Do you want anything?”

The excitement on his face is almost comical. “That sounds really great. I’ve had enough of the food here to last me for the rest of my life. Mind if I check with the others to see if they want something?”

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