Capturing Peace (Sharing You 0.5)(44)

“Coen?” Parker mumbled, and I squeezed Reagan tighter to me. When she didn’t react to it, I waited for the doctor to speak.

The doctor assessed the position I was in with Reagan, and figured it was fine to talk. “Good news is that even though there seemed to be a lot of blood, it was only because it was a head injury. The cut isn’t big enough to require stitches even. We’re waiting on the techs to come and take him back for X-rays so we can make sure there’s no major swelling or any cracks on his skull. I don’t know how much you know, but he was unconscious for a bit there. He’s awake, but he feels nauseous and the lights are bothering him, so he’s keeping his eyes closed. Typical of a concussion.” He closed the folder and looked at me. “Do you have any questions?”

“Ray?” I asked quietly. When she shook her head, I moved us away from the door. “No.”

“All right then, I’ll be back once I have the scans. Techs should be in here any minute to take him back.”

“Thank you.”

I waited until he was out of the room and had shut the door before kissing the top of Reagan’s head again, and pulling back. “You okay?”

Tears were still streaming down her face, but she nodded. “Yeah.”

I tried to smile for her, but I wasn’t sure if she bought it. “See? He’s going to be fine. He’s tough. Aren’t you, bud?” I asked as I walked us closer to the bed and grabbed the hand that only had one wire coming off it.

“Because I eat my food,” Parker slurred.

If he didn’t currently look like shit, I would have laughed. “That’s right. Because you eat your food.”

“Were my parents or brother here yet?” Reagan asked softly.

“No, do you want me to go check?”

She gripped the hand she was still holding harder. “Don’t leave,” she begged. Sitting carefully on the side of the bed, she cupped Parker’s cheek. “How do you feel, honey?”

“Not good.”

A pained smile tugged at her lips. “I’m sorry. I wish I could make it go away.”

Parker nodded once just as the door opened, and the X-ray technicians walked in. After explaining what they would be doing, and getting ready to take Parker away, he started screaming.

“No! Please, Mommy, don’t go!”

“I’m not going anywhere, honey, stop screaming. You’re going to make it hurt worse.”

“Don’t make me go!”

Reagan looked at me helplessly before looking at the techs.

“One of you can come with him, but you’ll have to stand outside the room,” one of the techs said. “Parker, will you be okay if your mom comes and stands outside the room?”

He groaned, but nodded.

I squeezed her hand before releasing her. “I’ll go check to see if your brother’s here yet.”

“Thank you,” she mouthed, and followed them out of the room.

Walking back through the confusing halls, I made it out to the waiting room, and didn’t even have time to look for them before all three said my name. Glancing to my left, I walked toward where they were standing from their chairs, and hugged Mrs. Hudson.

“Is he okay?” Keegan asked.

“He’s doing fine. A little sick, scared, probably in pain. He doesn’t need stitches. They took him back for some X-rays to make sure he didn’t crack his skull and to see if there’s swelling. Reagan went with him.”

The three let out a collective, relieved breath. “So, he’s awake?” Mr. Hudson asked.

“Yeah, he’d already woken up by the time I got here.”

“Speaking of . . .” Keegan trailed off and raised an eyebrow at me.

I shot him a confused look. “What?”

He cleared his throat and jerked his chin toward the check-in desk behind me. “When Mom and I got here and asked about Parker, the receptionist didn’t seem thrilled that more of his family was here. Told us to be assured Parker’s parents were with him, and one of them would let us know how Parker was doing. Then she started grumbling about Parker’s dad almost getting himself thrown out of the hospital for the way he acted.”

“She wouldn’t tell me where he—” I paused, and jerked my head back. “Dad?”

“That’s what we said, she look really nervous. Said you claimed Parker was your son, and then she began describing you at the same time she called security over, probably to have him hunt you down. But when she described you . . . we told her she was correct.”

I stood there, not seeing anything as I thought back to my conversation with the woman behind the window. Looking over my shoulder at her, air wheezed out of my lungs. “And he’s my son . . .” Facing Reagan’s family again, my face fell. “Oh my God,” I muttered, and shakily walked over to one of the chairs.

“Are you okay?” Mrs. Hudson asked as she took the chair next to me.

I stared down at the tile below me and just focused on pulling air into my body.

“Steele.” I looked up to find Keegan smirking. “You doin’ okay there?”

“I hadn’t even realized . . .” I trailed off and shook my head.

His smirk morphed into a full-blown smile. “I can see that.”