Love's Second Chance (Second Chances #1)(51)
“Can’t you imagine us being together until we’re old and gray? I can see us eighty years from now, sitting on the front porch of our cabin drinking moonshine or something crazy like that. Imagine all of the things we’re going to do and share together. I’m done with losing people. You promised me you would always be here for me, so this is me asking for you to keep that promise, Galen.” My heart felt like it had been ripped in two. Why was it so hard to remain strong? I placed my head on the bed and closed my eyes, drenching the sheets with my tears.
“Ducky,” Jenna whispered softly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her blurry form in the doorway. “Are you okay?”
“No,” I answered truthfully. “My whole body feels exhausted. My throat hurts from the strain of crying, and not to mention my heart feels like a knife has been thrust through it.”
“I know, but it’s about time to go,” Jenna stuttered with hesitation in her voice. “Visiting hours are almost over.”
“Damnit!” I hissed. “What if something happens and I’m not here!” I felt like I was close to a panic attack, a time bomb waiting to go off. “I don’t want to leave him,” I cried.
“I know,” she said to me. “But remember, you need to rest. You have two minutes, Ducky. I’ll be waiting for you outside the door.”
She closed it softly and now it was time to say good-bye … for now. Before kissing him again, I leaned and whispered across his lips, “You came into my life and saved me. Now it’s time for me to save you. I’ll be back, my love. You won’t be able to get rid of me easily after this.” I kissed him gently and it took everything in my power to walk away from him. Once I opened the door and shut it I took in a deep, ragged breath. Jenna was standing there, leaning against the wall and waiting patiently on me.
“Do you need to call your parents and let them know?” she asked.
“I’ll do it in the morning. Right now I can’t seem to focus on anything other than Galen.”
“Okay, let’s get you home then.” Sighing, Jenna put her arm around my shoulder, and led me down the hall. How could I go home and rest while he’s there? That night and every night until he got better were going to be nothing but hell for me.
Chapter Twenty
“You don’t think it’s too early to call them?” Jenna murmured. We were on our way to the hospital and my nerves were shot. I was nauseous as hell, and with the surgery coming up I couldn’t eat or drink anything to help calm my stomach. When was this damn food poisoning going to go away?
“It is early, but I need to let them know what’s going on before I go under. They’ll be pissed at me if I went through with everything and didn’t tell them,” I answered.
Jenna agreed, “Very true.”
Calling my parents this early would terrify them. My mom always expected bad news when calls came in the middle of the night or very early in the morning. I guess I was going to help prove that theory.
The phone rang for several rings until I heard my mom’s frantic voice over the phone. She would know it was me calling. “Kori, are you okay?”
“No, I’m not,” I said, choking on my words. “Something bad has happened to Galen.”
My mother gasped and I could hear my father snapping to attention in the background. “Oh honey, what happened? Is he all right?” she asked hesitantly, concern etched in her words. She was probably afraid of how I was going to handle it, afraid I would revert back like I did with Carson. The tears forced their way out, making my eyes hurt and burn from all of the excessive crying I’d done.
“He’s not doing so well, Mom. Galen was in a motorcycle accident, and now he’s in a coma with kidney failure and a brain injury,” I cried. I paused and took a deep breath before telling my mother my plan. “I’m going to give him one of my kidneys, Mom.” I cringed, waiting to hear what she had to say about that, but the line went silent. Both of my parents loved Galen, but I knew their main concern was of my well-being. It didn’t matter what they said, this was my decision and if I had to risk my life then so be it. Jenna looked over at me and raised her eyebrows in question. The line was still silent, so I shrugged and mouth the words ‘I don’t know’ to her.
“Mom?” I called out sheepishly. “Can you say something please?”
Her voice sounded shaky when she came back over the line. “I don’t know what to say, Kori. I’m just worried about you.”
“I know, but this is something I have to do,” I replied sternly.
My mother sighed. “Then I will be there to support you. I would do the same thing for your father if he were in this situation. We’ll both be there in about four hours. We’ll pack quickly and head on our way.”
“Mom, you don’t have to come all of this way for me. I’ll be fine, I promise,” I reassured her. “As much as I would love to see you, I can’t expect you to drop everything and come out here.”
“That’s enough of that nonsense, Kori. You’re my daughter and I’m going to be there for you. Do you know what time you’ll be having your surgery?”
“I’m not sure. Jenna and I are headed to the hospital now. They had to do the blood work on me last night, but they wanted me prepared just in case they did the surgery this morning,” I explained. “His head injury is what worries me. He’s in a coma and we don’t know if he’ll wake up. I have to believe he will.”