Jonah had followed the ambulance to the hospital, then had followed behind the stretcher for as long as he could until they made him wait at the doors to the emergency room.

For several minutes that had stretched out like hours, he simply stood there, feeling completely alone despite the fact that the hospital seemed to be busier than normal.

Whatever normal was for a hospital.

Definitely busier than the last time Jonah had been there with Pop, though.

Like… a lot busier.

The waiting area outside the emergency room was completely full, the walls lined with people who couldn’t find a seat.

It felt like half of Hidden Creek was there, for whatever reason. But Jonah’s mind couldn’t dwell on that right now. There was only one resident of Hidden Creek that Jonah was concerned with at the moment, and he was on a stretcher on the other side of those emergency room doors.

Jonah stopped a nurse that was rushing back and forth from the admitting desk to the operating room, but she couldn’t tell him anything.

And in the back of his mind he knew there was nothing to tell yet. It was too early for anyone to know anything about Pop’s condition.

Jonah didn’t need a medical degree to know that the way they had been crowded around him on the stretcher was serious, though. And the way they had rushed him into the emergency room, past all the people who were still waiting in the lobby?

Yeah, not a good sign.

He paced the small area, feeling suddenly claustrophobic as the people waiting nearby looked on. He would have liked to step outside for some air, but there was no way he was going to risk not being right there the instant someone came out with news about Pop.

No way.

Not happening.

Jonah made himself stop pacing and take a deep breath as he found an unoccupied space against the wall where he could stand. Freaking out and having a breakdown in the waiting room was not going to help Pop, no matter how tempting it was to just start screaming for answers.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He barely even remembered sending the text to Mitch after he got to the hospital, but that had apparently happened.

Although… was the time right? Could that really have only been a few minutes before?

It felt like Jonah had already been there for… forever, really, but it had literally only been a few minutes, if the time stamp on his phone could be trusted.

Mitch was probably asleep, no doubt exhausted after Jonah had insisted on keeping him awake all night.

Not that Mitch had seemed to mind at the time.

Jonah thought about texting him again. Or calling. But if he hadn’t replied to the urgent message Jonah had already sent, that could only mean that he hadn’t seen it.

Sending another one wasn’t going to change that.

He put his phone back in his pocket and tried not to stare at the clock on the wall, tried not to jump and hold his breath every time the emergency room doors would open and close.

Tried not to think about the fact that he might have to get through this alone—that he might have to get used to being alone all the time if the worst happened.

It was something Jonah didn’t want to think about. He had to stay hopeful, for Pop’s sake as much as his own.

Pop would be okay.

He had to be, right?

And Mitch would come to be by Jonah’s side… eventually.

Probably.

Hopefully.

And then?

Jonah wasn’t sure what would happen. But he knew that if, by the grace of God, they all three left the hospital together, Jonah would have to do some serious thinking.

He would have to make some serious decisions.

Because for all the uncertainty right now, he was absolutely sure of one thing—he didn’t want to be alone like this ever again.

Nothing in New York was worth feeling like this.