London Falling (Falling #2)(68)

“Will I see you again?”

He shook his head. “No sweetie, but I’m never far.”

“James, I love you.”

He winked, a gesture he’d done a thousand times before. It warmed my heart and made me feel loved.

Then I blinked awake, still sitting in the chair next to Collier’s bed. I looked around. The room was shrouded in darkness and the only sound was the beeping coming from Collier’s heart monitor.

I set my broken arm on his bed and took his scratched up hand in mine. Exhausted, I laid my head on his hand, praying, hoping against hope that he’d wake up. That I could keep my promise to James and finally tell Collier what I should have said. What he needed to hear. Fear and love. The only two things in the world that can break you and I’d let one prevent me from enjoying the other. I closed my eyes and prayed.

A warm hand rubbed along my back.

“Bridge baby, wake up!”

Oh, Thank God! It was all a sick dream. I was home in my bed and Tripp was waking me up for coffee and a morning chat. When I opened my eyes, the ease I’d felt in the dream was obliterated. I was still in the hospital, clutching the hand of an unmoving man, one who I’d recently admitted I loved. One I never told. And now, I may never get to.

Tripp hauled me out of my seated position and into his arms. “I got here as quickly as I could. My phone was on silent. I called everyone else. They should be here any minute. None of us knew. God, are you okay? Your arm is in a cast!” His eyes filled with tears.

“Yes, I’m fine. Well pretty much. A few bruised ribs, bumps, and scrapes, a conk to the head.”

Tripp rubbed his finger lightly over the egg shaped bump on my forehead, then over each scrape on my face and the cut down the side of my lip. “Collier took the brunt of the accident.”

Tripp looked at my sleeping Englishman. “I can see that. He’s been through the ringer for sure. What’s his prognosis?”

Before I could respond, Aspen, Hank, Oliver, Dean, Emma and Nathaniel all came to the doors of the ICU. The walls were glass and I could see them yelling for an orderly even though I couldn’t hear them. Aspen put her hand to the glass as if reaching for me. Tears poured down my face as I stood and silently connected with my big sister. Nathaniel pounded the glass like a mad man, which prompted me into action.

I made it to where they were waiting. Aspen hugged me and I winced as the several bruised ribs screeched in protest to her embrace. Tears welled in her eyes at the sight of my bruised face and broken arm.

“What’s going on? What happened?” She asked. Hank put his arm around her and waited. Nathaniel didn’t.

“What’s wrong with my brother?”

“We need to see him!” Emma practically yelled.

“Guys, I don’t know everything. I woke from the accident a couple hours ago. All the night nurse could tell me was that he was in a coma.”

Emma started to cry and Nate pulled her into his chest. “What happened?” Nate asked again.

I took a deep breath and leaned against the wall, feeling nauseous and woozy from the pain meds. Hank brought a chair and helped me to settle.

“We were driving back to the hotel. It was really dark. Pitch black. Then, out of nowhere, standing in the middle of the road was this huge cow. It stood there unmoving and Collier swerved and we missed the cow but went through a fence. It was so dark…“ Tears leaked down my cheeks and Dean handed me a handkerchief. “Then all of a sudden, there was a tree. Collier grabbed my hand and everything went black. I woke up here a couple hours ago with this.” I gestured to my arm. “Then I left my bed and found Collier here. The night nurse told me he was in a coma. That’s all I know.” Tears poured down my face, wetting the hospital gown I wore.

“There you are!” A nurse ran over. “We’ve been looking all over for you. With that knot on your head, you shouldn’t be up and about. It’s dangerous.”

“I’m not going anywhere until the doctor tells me what’s wrong with Collier Stone.”

A man in a long white coat approached us. “I’m Doctor Johnson.”

Hank jumped in. “What can you tell us about Mr. Stone? He’s a friend of ours.”

“Friend?” The doctor asked.

“Brother,” both Emma and Nate answered.

“Can I speak with the two of you in private?”

“No. Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of them. We’re all close. This is his girlfriend. She was in the accident with him.”

I stood shakily and the Doctor eyed me, probably assessing my wounds. He didn’t seem to like the look of the one on my head. He came and inspected it. “You should be in bed. Have you had an MRI yet?”

I swatted his hands away. “I don’t care about me. Tell me about Collier.”

“I’m not going to sugar coat things. His internal organs have experienced great trauma. He has several broken ribs, a broken clavicle, a dislocated shoulder and some issues with his kidney.”

“That’s all fixable. Why is he in a coma?”

The group mumbled all in sidebar conversations but Emma was a wreck. She dropped to her knees and cried out. “No, no, no if he dies it’s my fault!” she screamed. Nate immediately helped his sister find her legs and embraced her.

“Mr. Stone only has one kidney. Due to the accident it has completely shut down. He’s going to need a transplant and soon. We’ve got him in a medically induced coma while we assess how to best treat him until a donor match can be found.”