Chapter Twenty-Six
Lark’s Loose Ends
Looking around the hospital waiting room, I attempt to get comfortable in my chair in hopes of falling asleep. After spending the last eight hours sitting in this place, I’ve come to the realization that there is no way to get any rest. Finally giving up, I sit up and look around to see Paisley curled up on her side, her blankets on the floor.
When she found out Crystal was in critical condition and they were going to perform a cesarean to deliver the baby, she refused to leave the hospital. I threw a damn fit, begging and pleading for her to go home. She stood her ground, saying she wouldn’t leave the hospital until she got some news on the baby.
After twenty minutes of arguing, I finally relented, seeing that nothing I said was going to make her change her mind. I sent Ripley to the store to get an air mattress and a pump, not caring that it would take up half the walking space in the waiting room. Her mother went with him to pick up Paisley some clothes. At the same time, her father ran to an all-night pharmacy to fill her pain medication.
Once they were back, I aired up the mattress while Sonia took her into the bathroom and helped her get cleaned up the best she could. It took a while to help her put on the pajamas her mom bought. Then, she swallowed down a few pills and crashed on the air mattress. It took her all of ten minutes to fall asleep.
“She should be home sleeping in a real bed,” I grumble to myself. “She is beat up from head to foot. No doubt she is in a hell of a lot of pain.”
“She probably is in a bit of pain,” Ripley replies from his spot to my left. “But I doubt you and I together could drag her ass out of here.”
I nod, knowing he's right. “That’s true.”
Looking at her now, dead to the world, I consider taking her home and putting her to bed. I quickly change my mind when I notice Trip bouncing in his chair. I look over to him, meeting his eyes. They are filled with fear. Not the same kind that I felt earlier, but something pretty damn close.
“You doing okay, brother?” I ask, trying to keep my voice down.
“Not really.” He shrugs, looking like he is about to fall over. “I feel like I’m walking through fire and have no idea how to get out of it.”
“Shit,” I mumble, not knowing what else to say.
Coming so close to losing Paisley, I never even thought of the baby. Hell, I didn’t even ask. If she wouldn’t have started in about Crystal as soon as I slid the ring on her finger, I don’t think I would have ever considered asking about her condition.
“Everything is going to be all right, brother,” I reply, doing my best to talk him off the edge he is walking on. “The doctor will be out here anytime now to let us know that your daughter is here and that she is perfectly healthy.”
“I hope you're right,” he says, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. “I just don’t get it. I don’t get why she did this shit.”
“I don’t get it either, doubt she even understands why she did it,” I say, sharing my thoughts with him.
I hate this shit, hate that he is going through this. I hate that I had a hand in all of it. Had I not fucked Crystal, she wouldn’t have been so obsessed with hurting Paisley. Then again, she seemed to make that her mission before I ever came along. Still, if I hadn’t entered the equation, I think things would have gone a hell of a lot better.
“I think that woman had something dark and twisted deep down inside of her. She knew what she was doing and just didn’t care about the consequences,” Ripley finally pipes in, adding his own bit of wisdom. “I don’t think there was a fucking thing any of us could have done to keep this shit from happening.”
“You’re probably right,” Trip mumbles, pulling off his cap and tossing it on the table beside his chair.
Before I add anything, the double doors open again and a doctor walks through. “Is anyone here for Crystal Nelson?”
Trip jumps from his seat, Ripley going with him. I look down at Paisley to see her sleeping and move my eyes to her dad. He nods, letting me know he will watch over her. Like their daughter, both of her parents stayed at the hospital. Sonia stayed, but I expected that. What surprised me is that Trace did, too.
Placing a quick kiss on Paisley’s head, I rush after Trip and Ripley, catching up to them just as the doctor starts to speak. “Are any of you a member of the family?”
“I’m Crystal Nelson’s fiancé. We are supposed to get married in two weeks,” Trip lies without missing a beat. “I’m also the father of her baby.”
“The baby is fine. She suffered no trauma from the accident and should be able to go home within the next few days,” he says with a slight smile on his face. “You should be able to see her in about an hour.”
“Holy fuck.” Trip lets out a long breath I’m sure he has been holding for hours. “Thank you, God. Thank you, thank you.”
“What about Crystal?” I ask, knowing Paisley will want to know and refuse to go home until she finds out. “How is she doing?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t give out that information to anyone but family,” he says, his face an expressionless mask.
When we start to argue, he puts up his hand. “I wish I could tell you, but it’s hospital policy that I cannot give you that information.”
Fuck, Crystal has no family. At least, no family that even cares enough to show up at the hospital. Paisley’s mom called her mother, but the woman was too drunk to even understand what she was saying. Her dad lives in another state, and when we finally dug up his number, he made it clear that he didn’t care if she lived or died. According to Paisley, there was no one else to even contact.
“Hold on a minute,” I order, trying to think of a way around this bureaucratic bullshit. “Let me go get her sister.”
I turn around and head back to Sonia, whispering what is going on in her ear. I make sure she understands the role she will be playing and let her know that Trip has claimed to be Crystal’s fiancé. She stands up immediately and follows me back to the doctor. Once there, she grabs Trip’s hand.
“I’m Sonia Nelson, Crystal’s sister,” she states, the lie rolling easily off her tongue. “Is she doing all right?”
The doctor’s eyes scan over us, letting one and all know that he knows she is lying, but he gives her the information anyway. “I’m sorry to tell you, but your sister suffered a massive head injury. We did all we could, but we couldn’t save her.”
Complete silence fills the room as his words work their way through our sleep-deprived brains. I feel a touch of remorse for a life lost, but nothing more. She created this and brought death to her door. As much as I hate that Trip’s daughter will grow up without her mother, I honestly believe she will be better off.
“Before you leave, a counselor will be out here to discuss arrangements and such with you,” the doctor says before taking a step back. “I truly am sorry for your loss.”
As soon as he walks away, I look over to Trip. His face is ravaged with grief. Without him saying a word, I know it's not for Crystal but for his daughter. He is going to have a long road ahead of him, but he will have us by his side every step of the way.
“I’m sorry, brother,” I say, just as Ripley says the same thing.
“I’m all right,” he growls, obviously anything but all right. “I just need some time alone to get my shit together.”
With that, he walks away, heading toward the door. Realizing that there is nothing I can say or do to make him feel better, I decide to leave him alone for a few minutes to come to terms with everything. I turn around, finding Paisley awake and sitting up on the air mattress, her eyes filled with tears. I walk over to her, my pace steady, and crouch down by her side.
“None of this is your fault, cheri,” I say, not wanting her to bear the guilt that I know is plaguing her.
“My brain knows that. I just have to give my heart a little time to catch up,” she says, leaning forward and placing her head on my shoulder. “I just wish I could have helped her, stopped her before it got this far.”
“You are going to help her,” I say, forcing a smile onto my lips. “You’re going to help raise her baby.”