“A broken leg and shoulder, along with a ruptured eardrum and a few bruised ribs,” he replied as if he were reading it from my damn chart or something.
“And Melody?” I stretched my neck “She was on the side of the car when it was hit. How is she? They should have just put us in the same room, she is going to bitch at me.”
He didn’t say anything.
Why isn’t he saying anything?
“I asked you a question brother; how is my wife?”
He just stared at his fucking feet. My heart started to race and whatever daze I was in completely disappeared.
“I’m going to ask you one more time—”
“Please don’t brother.” He took a deep breath, his chest shaking when he exhaled. “Please don’t make me say it.”
“Say what? What don’t you want to say? I asked you, how is my wife? Your reply should be ‘a little banged up but healing, she’s with the kids’ or ‘asleep, you
can see her later.’ Those are not hard things to say Declan, so fucking say it!”
He opened his mouth and then shook his head. “Melody…is… Liam…I’m so… Her heart couldn’t take it.”
What?
What?
I did not understand.
“Declan, what are you saying to me right now?”
It was so silent I could hear that neither of us was breathing, the only noise coming from the machine attached to my arm.
“Liam…we lost her. Melody died at 1:09 AM this morning.”
I sat there, my mind blank for the longest time.
Melody was dead?
My wife was dead?
The woman who ruled Chicago.
The mother of my children.
The one person who kept my heart beating was dead.
I laughed.
I laughed so hard my ribs hurt.
“You’re insane,” I said to him, unable to stop laughing. “Do you know who my wife is? She doesn’t die. My wife doesn’t die, Declan, so try again, with a story I believe.”
“She was rushed in with a massive bleed like you were, but her heart couldn’t take the stress and gave out—”
“BULLSHIT!” I hollered, pulling the IV from my arm and getting out of bed. “BULLSHIT. Where is she, Declan?”
“Liam—”
“Do not touch me!” I smacked his hand away. “I said, where is she? Melody. This joke is not funny. I’m done listening to you so get the fuck out of my way.”