“I understand that. It’s not uncommon after car accidents. These sorts of head trauma often take hours to present.”
“But, he was fine,” Tracy insisted. “He is fine.”
Dr. Sherridan placed a hand on Tracy’s arm.
“No, Mrs. Schmidt. We ran the tests. He’s not fine. I’m sorry. The lump you felt is the result of a massive trauma to his brain. He was lucky not to have been killed instantly.”
Tracy wobbled. I’m going to faint.
“He still stands a solid chance of recovery,” the doctor informed her. “However, without an operation, your son will die.”
The word “No” formed on Tracy’s lips. But no sound came out.
“I’m sorry to be so blunt about it but time isn’t on our side here. I need you to sign these forms, Mrs. Schmidt. Right now.”
Tracy stared at the pen in her hand. Her throat was dry. She tried to swallow but nothing happened. Looking back over her shoulder she watched an unusually tall nurse slip into Nicholas’s room. She had mud on her sneakers that left a trail on the clean hospital floor. Tracy fixed her eyes on the mud stains, trying to hold on to anything real. Because what Dr. Sherridan was telling her wasn’t real. It couldn’t be.
This is a practical joke. A really, really awful one.
When I sign my name with this pen, water will squirt in my face and we’ll all start laughing.
“Right here.”
Dr. Sherridan pointed to the bottom of the paper.
Tracy scrawled her name.
“Thank you. We’ll prepare him for surgery right away.”
“He will . . . be OK?” Tracy croaked. She hated the fear in her own voice. “Once you operate? You can fix this, can’t you, Dr. Sherridan?”
Dr. Sherridan looked her in the eye.
“We’ll know more once the operation’s under way. I’m hopeful. But scans only tell us so much.”
“But . . .”
“I promise to let you know as soon as we’re done, Mrs. Schmidt.”
He walked away.
TRACY SAT OUTSIDE THE operating theater, praying.
She didn’t believe in God. But she tried to make a deal with him anyway.
Let him live and I’ll do anything you ask.
Let him live and take me instead.
If only she hadn’t had that stupid argument with Blake! He was always such a careful driver. Had he been distracted because he was still upset with her?
I shouldn’t have let him take Nick out. Not until he’d calmed down.
The what ifs rolled endlessly through Tracy’s mind until she couldn’t think anymore. What if I’d sent Nick to his room instead of out on the ranch? What if I’d taken him out instead of Blake? What if they’d taken another route home? Exhausted, she put her head in her hands. She wished Blake were here to hold her hand. But Blake Carter would never be here again. Blake was dead, gone forever, and Tracy hadn’t even found a second to mourn him. Nick filled every atom of her being.
Just let him live, God. Please, please, let him live.
Dr. Sherridan was the best brain surgeon in Colorado, and one of the very best in the whole country. Never mind God. Dr. Sherridan would save Nick.