Chapter 31

 

Devon,

Sorry it’s been a few days since I wrote. We’ve been working around the clock, but I’m finally confident we have all the kinks out. Nate and I agree that we’ve got a great team of guys (and girls) who have been crucial on this project. As of now, we’re heading back to base tomorrow.

You don’t know how much I miss you. In the future, no snowstorm is going to keep me away. Maybe we should get you a new car that’s safer to drive in the snow? Actually, that’s a great idea—we’ll talk about it next week.

I was able to switch some shifts around, so I’ll have four days off when you come for Spring Break. It’s not the whole week like I wanted, but I promise to plan something special. Even if it’s not beach weather, pack your bathing suit.

I miss you, baby, and every time I close my eyes, images of you in my dog tags fill my mind. Thank you for giving me that.

I love you with all my heart,

Bryce

I re-read the email and type a quick reply, hoping he’ll get it before he goes to bed.

Bryce,

Great news about the project! But I never doubted it would be perfect, with Nate and you on the lead. Have I ever told you how proud I am of you? In my eyes, you’re Superman.

Our parents are still scheduled to fly in next Friday. Quinn’s coming with me, and I’ll be there the minute you walk off the ship. Not even a snowstorm will keep me away.

I love you, Bryce, and I know you worry about me when you’re away but don’t. Concentrate on being awesome and know I’m okay. Each and every time you walk on and off that ship, I will always be waiting for you.

I love you with all my heart,

Devon

PS- you are NOT buying me a new car!

I watch the waves of falling snow out the window and pray we can leave next Friday morning for Norfolk as planned. It’s been four weeks since the exhibit opening, and because of the weather, we weren’t able to see each other before his ship went underway again.

The one weekend it cleared up, I couldn’t go to Norfolk because it was the weekend Dean proposed. I helped him plan an elaborate proposal with the help of Shana and Professor Grant. We got permission to close the exhibit portion of the Fine Arts Building to visitors for one hour.

Dean’s plan had a critical timing element, so I was responsible for keeping everyone busy while he took care of the details. Mid-afternoon that Saturday, Michelle and Paul and Dean’s parents asked Dean to drive them back to their hotel so they could get ready for dinner and our trip to the exhibit that night. I made up a story about having to meet Crystal for class notes and asked Quinn to ride with me, claiming the weather scared me.

Quinn was clueless as I drove up to the building and we went inside to meet Crystal. She looked around, confused, when we got inside, and the lights were dim everywhere except her wall. Dean walked out from a dark corner and surprised her. He crossed the room with a look of pure determination on his face. When he reached her, he wrapped one arm around her waist and leaned down for a deep kiss. As much as I wanted to get closer, I slunk back into a dark hallway, trying to give him his privacy. He led her in front of her wall and took her face in his hands.

I couldn’t hear what he said, but I knew when Quinn started shaking that he asked her. He dropped to one knee, took her hand, and slipped a ring on her finger.

Of course, she broke the intimacy of the moment by screaming, “Hell, fuck yes!” I cried through laughter at her spontaneous and obscene answer.

The side door flew open, and Michelle and Mrs. Todd came running out followed by the dads. They got to her first and practically tackled her. Poor Dean was actually forced from his perch down to the ground. I couldn’t help but laugh harder. Quinn’s eyes found mine, and she broke away and rushed over, throwing her arms around my shoulders.

Then the back door cracked open, and Shana stuck her head through. Once she saw the celebration, she came in carrying bottles of champagne, Professor Grant following with a smile on his face. For the rest of the hour, we celebrated, until the lights came back on and the doors opened to others.

The next few weeks dragged since the storms were so bad and we were stuck indoors. Most of our classes posted our assignments online.

I shut down my computer and rub my temples, trying to fight a headache. For the last few days, I’ve had a constant throb near my eyes and an uneasy feeling in my gut. I’ve told myself it’s because of all the snow and not hearing from Bryce, but now that I’ve gotten an email, it should go away.

Quinn walks in and plops on the sofa. “I have cabin fever,” she whines. “Has it ever been this bad?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Well, what should we do tonight? We’ve exhausted our television shows, and wedding planning is getting on my nerves.”

“I think I need to lie down. My head is starting to pound.”

She gives me a sideways glance and squints her eyes. “When did it start?”

“I’ve been a little on edge this week. Nothing I can pinpoint, just a bit jumpy and this aching in my head.”

“Have you talked to your parents? Nate? Bryce? Sheila and Dave?”

“Yes, everyone is fine.”

“I don’t like it when your head hurts. It’s like an omen. Didn’t you have a bad headache before our graduation?”

“I can’t believe you remember that.”

“The night before you went out with Kevin and supposedly had sex?”

“What? Do you keep a calendar of these things?”

“No, but headaches are like your weirdness.” She waves her finger in a circle then points at me. “Did it hurt the night of the game in Nashville?”

“A little, but that’s because we’d been cheering in the twenty degree weather for hours. Everything either hurt or was frozen that night.”

“Come on. Let’s get you some knock out medicine and watch a movie. We’ll stay in my room tonight.”

I roll my eyes but go to change then trudge to her bedroom and crawl into her bed. She hands me an Excedrin PM and starts a chick flick she’s been wanting to see. My eyes close before the intro credits are over.

I don’t know how long I sleep, but when the cold cloth presses against my head, I am in a daze. My head swims with grogginess, and I reach up to wipe my face.

“Wake up, Devon. You need to wake up!” Quinn’s voice breaks through my haze enough for me to crack my eyes. The bright light in the room blinds me, so I try to roll over and cover my head.

“Devon, this is important. Please, please, wake up.” Her voice now pleads with me, and I turn into her.

“What?” I croak.

“You have to sit up and look at me.”

When my eyes finally open fully and focus on her face, I jump and scramble back, banging her headboard. The look on her face is absolute terror.

“What’s wrong?”

She reaches for me, and her intensity causes my heart to race.

“Your mom called. There’s been an accident.”

I try to clear my mind and focus on her words. “An accident? Is she okay?”

“Devon, she’s fine. The accident was on the ship.”

“The ship?”

She nods slowly. “Dev, it’s Nate. He’s been hurt.”

“Hurt!” I scream. “Is he okay?”

Her eyes fill with tears, and dread slams into my chest. “Karen said they don’t know much. There was an explosion on the ship, and Nate was on shift. It’s touch and go, critical.”

“Oh my God!”

“Come on. We need to get packed, and I’m driving us to Norfolk. No matter what, we’ll be there.”

I nod in silence, scared to speak. Her words replay in my head—Nate’s hurt.

She runs around her room in a flash, packing a bag and giving me a minute to absorb the news. I can tell she’s scared, too, but is trying to hold it together for me.

“Dev, it’s four a.m. We’re leaving at daybreak. The first sliver of light, we’re on the road. That gives you a few hours. Do you want me to pack for you?”

I nod again in silence, unable to speak.

She leaves, and I hear her on the phone.

Suddenly, images and memories of my brother fill my head. So strong, so smart, so kind and loving. My mind then goes into overdrive.

Someone needs to call Jamie.

Bryce is no doubt a wreck.

My mother is freaking out.

Dad is probably barely holding it together.

I find my phone on Quinn’s nightstand and dial home. The minute my mom’s tear-strained voice comes on the line, I lose it.

“Mama,” I rasp.

“Oh baby, oh baby, oh baby,” she cries.

There’s a rustling, and my dad comes on and clears his throat. “Dev, baby?”

“Yeah, Daddy. I’m okay. Are you okay?”

“Oh, Devon.” His own voice cracks, and I hear his shallow breathing.

My heart hurts at his pain, and I want to hug him so badly that I wrap my arms around my knees. “Daddy, Nate is strong. He’s going to be okay.”

There’s another shuffling, and my dad inhales deeply. “Baby, we just got the call. It wasn’t Nate who was hurt. It was a mistake.”

Relief washes over me, and I whimper. “Thank God.”

His silence turns my blood cold. “Daddy?”

“Devon, it was Bryce in the explosion…”

There’s an ear-piercing, heart-wrenching scream that shakes me to my absolute core. I realize it is me when Quinn rushes in with fear all over her face. That’s the last vision I have.

Jerk, smooth, jerk, smooth…

I open my eyes and focus on the patch of unfamiliar grey leather. There’s a warm blanket over me, and when I look down, I’m in my favorite black sweat suit. My body protests when I turn and hit the back of a seat, and I finally start to have clarity.

I’m in a moving vehicle. Soft voices flow through the car, and I recognize Quinn’s worried tone. Slowly, I sit up and shake my head a few times when I find myself in the back of an SUV with Quinn sitting in the middle seat.

Her head turns toward me, and I immediately remember everything.

Bryce was in an accident.

Nate is okay.

There was a mistake…

“What’s going on?” I glance around and see Crystal watching me carefully. Then I notice Morgan driving. “Where are we?”

“Drink this.” Quinn shoves a bottle of water at me. “You scared the shit out of me.”

I take it and swallow in little sips, my stomach protesting.

“Do you remember anything after the call with your dad?”

I shake my head.

“You blacked out when I was on the phone with Crystal. Morgan was visiting, and they heard your scream. He was coming over to check your tires and looking at snow chains. I had you in my arms when they arrived. He insisted on driving us to Norfolk.”

“How long did I black out?” I ask, completely confused.

Both women look at me with horrified expressions, and I meet Morgan’s eyes in the rearview mirror, flaring with worry.

“What?”

“Dev, you woke up, took a shower, and packed a bag. For the five minutes I left you alone, you also packed another bag for Bryce. Then you made coffee, sent a few emails, and called Bryce’s parents.”

“Oh no!” I cover my face. “Sheila and Dave have to be worried sick.”

Everyone’s face in the car swings to me, and I slink back.

“You don’t remember?” Quinn says quietly.

“No,” I admit.

She nods in understanding. “You told them Bryce was a fighter and he’s going to be okay.”

“He is,” I say absolutely, and Quinn’s face falls.

“You also said he wasn’t going to leave you a widow at the age of twenty. Then you hung up, walked to the truck, and went back to sleep for the last two hours.”

Suddenly, the car gets hot, and I can’t breathe. I start to hyperventilate, trying to remember the sound of Sheila’s voice or the conversation. Nothing comes to my mind. I lean over and put my head between my legs while Quinn climbs beside me, rubbing my back with soothing circles.

“This can’t be happening,” I chant over and over. “He has to be okay.”

“Shhh…” Crystal climbs over the console and comes to me.

We don’t talk as we drive, and I’m confused when Morgan pulls off at a rest stop. He says nothing as he parks and gets out, not minding the snow. Crystal leans me back, gives Quinn a look, and they slowly move away.

Morgan opens the door and extends one arm to me, not saying anything. I go to him, and in a second, I’m in his arms, stumbling to a covered area. Once we get there, he wraps me in a hug, his big body covering mine.

“Let it out,” he says softly.

I start to cry, really cry. Sobs wrack my body, and I cling to him as hard as I can. “He has to be okay,” I say. “He’s the strong one. He would know what to do. I don’t know what to do…”

“Yeah, you do. His family, your family, Bryce—they’re all going to need you to be strong. Brace for the worst and hope for the best. He’s hurt, and from what I hear, it’s serious. He needs you to be strong.”

“That’s not how we work!” I yell and hit Morgan’s chest. “He’s strong. I’m quirky, joking, fun. He’s the fighter, I’m the lover!”

He lifts my chin gently until I’m forced to look at him. I’m instantly calmed by the deep brown sympathy in his eyes.

“You love him?”

“More than anything.”

“Then find the strength and help him. Let it out here with me. Beat me, scream, question everything in the universe, but when we get to those hospital doors, you are solid. You understand?”

His words put everything into perspective. Bryce needs a strong woman, and that’s me.

I nod and step back, wiping my face. “How far away are we?”

“One hour with the weather conditions.”

“Okay, I can do this. Do we have any other news?”

“Quinn has all the information.”

He puts his arm around me to shield me from the snow and walks us back to the truck. I climb in and sit back between the girls.

Morgan is back on the interstate before I take a deep breath to clear my head. “Tell me what you know.”

“First off, Bryce’s parents and your parents are on a flight to Norfolk. According to the story your mom was told, last night around midnight, there was a small explosion in an engine room. Bryce was alone and the only one injured,” Quinn fills me in.

“Why did they think it was Nate?”

“Maybe Nate was on shift? Without actually seeing who was in the room, they assumed it was him. It was reported to the ship doctors that Nate Harris was involved in an accident and sustained significant and possibly critical injuries.”

“They didn’t fucking confirm?” I yell.

“This is a colossal mistake. Someone is in major trouble. They knew the identity mistake pretty quickly, but lines of communication were jumbled.”

“Jumbled? Did they use the term jumbled? A fucking Naval Officer is involved in an accident, and they screw up who it is? And they have the audacity to inform the wrong family? How is that even possible?”

“Devon.” She turns me to her and grips my chin. “Don’t lose focus. We’ll get the details soon. Right now, we need to talk about Bryce. Nate will fill us in soon.”

“Okay.”

“The ship was already heading back to base. They stabilized Bryce, and a Naval helicopter crew was going to transport him to the Naval Medical Center.”

“Our parents?”

“The Navy has a transport getting them to the hospital as soon as they land. We’ll probably beat them there. But Nate is with Bryce.”

“Thank God he has someone with him. Poor Nate.” I fall back on the seat and rub my eyes, thinking about how worried my brother must be. “Nate will take care of him.”

The two girls exchange a look, and my head starts to pound. I don’t ask any more questions because their silence says it all. I need to prepare for the worst.