Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 85167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
God, Driver wished he could be so sure. Unease curdled the burger in his gut so much he felt like he might puke. Now that his grandfather didn’t look as though he were dying of heartbreak, Driver’s old worries reared their head again. He hated hospitals. He pulled on the collar of his shirt and did his best to remain calm.
It was only when Gramps placed a hand on his knee that he realized he’d been bouncing his leg erratically.
“Sorry.”
“Mr. Jones?” A doctor in pale green scrubs and a white coat asked.
Both Gramps and Driver stood.
“Here.”
“Hello, Mr. Jones. I’m Doctor Parker.” They shook hands.
“How’s Edith? Can we see her?”
“She’s resting now. We’ve put her on medication to lower the risk of another stroke. She experienced what we call an ischemic stroke or more specifically a cerebral thrombosis. They’re caused by blood clots that prevent blood flow to the brain. What Mrs. Jones endured was mild and you did well getting her help as quickly as possible, but there is still a risk of her suffering another infarction. She’ll need to be monitored overnight at least.”
“Will she be okay?” Driver asked.
“It’s difficult to assess the full extent of the damage at this stage. Our initial exam showed slightly slower than normal reflexes but her speech centers were functioning normally. We’ll wait and see how things develop over the next few hours.”
That didn’t really answer his question. The one burning behind his eyes and making his feet itch to run. “But she’s not...” He couldn’t say it. He didn’t even want to think it, but it was too late. Ever since calling Brandon, Driver had been bombarded with thoughts about his grandmother dying.
The doctor must have picked up on his distress. “She’ll need to make some lifestyle changes to lower her blood pressure and maybe go through some rehabilitation, but otherwise, she’ll be fine.” The friendly squeeze to Driver’s shoulder was supposed to be comforting, he was sure, but all it did was remind him of what a mess he was.
“When can we see her?” Gramps asked.
“You can go in now.”
Gramps shook the doctor’s hand again. “Thank you, Doctor.”
They got the room number and repeated their thanks and then Driver was following his grandfather down an endless corridor like a zombie. His feet were weighed down with lead blocks, lifting them took superhuman effort.
His pulse raced so fast he felt dizzy.
The walls were closing in around him. Blindly, he trailed his grandfather to a door but he couldn’t cross the threshold.
On the bed, Gram slept. She was hooked up to machines with an oxygen tube in her nose.
So still.
Like a corpse.
His stomach lurched and he turned away. Before he knew it, he was running.
Running so fast his sight blurred.
* * *
Tam curled into a ball and pulled the covers over his head. Pounding disturbed his peace and he couldn’t escape it. Insistently, it thundered.
His heartbeat?
Couldn’t be. His heart was suspended in stone, it no longer worked. Something else...
He groaned and tried to push deeper into the mattress to get away from the noise. Sleep. Dream.
He’d been dreaming. What had it been?
Now he couldn’t remember. There was only the constant hammering. No, not hammering, knocking.
He sat up with a gasp. Someone was knocking on his door.
Checking the time on his phone, he got up. It had only been two hours since he’d fallen asleep. Way too early for anyone he knew to be awake. He hurried to the door in his pajama bottoms.
Driver stood in the hall. His hair was wet and his face glistened with raindrops. He held his motorcycle helmet in one hand. At his feet was the green army bag. Tam’s eyes caught on it and wouldn’t let go.
“So that’s it then.” His voice shook, he couldn’t help it. He’d known this was coming but it still ripped him in half.
“Come with me,” Driver said.
He grabbed the doorframe for support. “How can you ask that of me?”
“I need to get out of here.”
“And I need to stay.”
“No you don’t. We’ll get on my bike and just leave everything behind. We’ll be together.”
“That is so unfair.” His throat was raw. God, how he wanted to do exactly what Driver asked, but he’d been alone for so long before meeting his friends. They were the only true family he’d ever known. He’d worked so hard to build a life. To find a home where he belonged. “You don’t know me at all.”
Driver hung his head. “I told you, I’m a selfish bastard.”
Tam grabbed Driver’s wrist. “Can’t you just try?”
“You don’t understand.”
“Of course I do.”
“It eats at me.” He pounded his chest, baring his teeth.
“And it always will until you forgive yourself.”
“I don’t deserve forgiveness.”
“Stop it! Just stop torturing yourself. Look at me.” Tam shook him with all his might. “I’m right here in front of you.”