I wasn’t ready to relax just yet. If he’d had surgery, he definitely wasn’t out of the woods, but I threw Bryce a grateful smile. This guy had literally been a lifesaver.
“When you say he lost a lot of blood,” Deanna began. “Do you mean he’ll need a transfusion?”
“No. He’s narrowly avoided that for the time being, but we’ll need to keep a close watch to make sure he doesn’t suffer any internal bleeding. He’s also on a strong course of antibiotics to fight off any infections. He’ll be here in the hospital for quite some time.”
“How long?” Mitch asked.
“At the very least, a week, but depending on how his recovery goes, it could be longer. He certainly won’t be able to play soccer for the rest of this season.”
“He’s getting married in seven weeks,” Deanna said. “Will he be recovered enough to do that?”
I held my breath. After everything, I really wanted to marry him soon. I’d have married him right there in the hospital if I could have because it was never about the big fancy wedding. That was a bonus. Yes, I wanted it, but it wasn’t the most important thing. What mattered was us being together forever, and having almost lost him – twice – I was more than ready to call him my husband.
The doctor tilted his head thoughtfully. “We’ll reassess that in a week or so. If he takes things easy and he’s well looked after when he goes home, there’s no reason why he wouldn’t be. But you have to understand, he’s suffered a serious injury. This will take a long time to recover from.”
“So, no Macarena or Electric Slide at the wedding party?” Mitch asked, with a small grin.
“No.” Dr Morgan laughed. “None of that.”
“Can I see him?” I asked, my voice laced with desperation.
“Yes.” Dr Morgan smiled. “He’s sleeping right now, but you’re welcome to go in. When he wakes up he’ll be a little spaced out. It should wear off after a while, but don’t be surprised if he doesn’t know what’s going on at first.”
I nodded then looked from Deanna to Mitch. “Do you want to come in with me?”
Deanna shook her head. “No, sweetheart. You go in first.”
“Are you sure?”
“We’re sure,” Mitch said. “It’s you he’ll want to see when he wakes up. Go to him.”
I squeezed their hands. “Please can you call Richard and tell him what’s happening, and check on Jessica?”
“Sure,” Deanna said. “Everything will be fine, but I’ll come get you if there are any problems, okay?”
“Thanks.”
I stepped away from them and looked at my exhausted friends. Bree had fallen asleep with her head on Jude’s shoulder, and everyone else was bleary-eyed, their faces heavy with worry. Even though they’d heard the news that Radleigh would be okay, none of them could shift the concern from their eyes. I was right with them – I wasn’t ready to let my guard down completely yet. Things could change at any time; that was the nature of injuries like this. But for the moment, I allowed myself to believe he could get through it.
“You guys, if you want to go home, you can,” I said. “I’ll be okay with Mitch and Deanna. We’ll call you if there’s any news.”
“Are you sure?” Freya asked. “I don’t mind staying.”
“I’m sure. You’ve all been amazing, and I can’t thank you enough for being here with me, but you should go and get some sleep.”
“I’m gonna stay,” Bryce said, and I looked up at him. “I’ll take Cody back to your place if that’s okay, since he has nowhere else to crash. And I’ll change my shirt, but then I’ll come back.”
With an understanding smile, I said, “Sure.” Turning to Cody, I said, “I’m so sorry your trip here was such a disaster.”
He shook his head. “I don’t care. If Radleigh’s on the mend, that’s what’s important.”
“We’ll catch up properly at the wedding, okay?”
Cody smiled. “You bet.”
I hugged everyone in turn, and kissed Bree on the cheek as Jude lifted her into his arms, and as my friends filed out of the waiting, I was overcome with a huge rush of love for these people. If I could have dreamed of the best friends anyone could ever want, they still wouldn’t have been as good as the friends I had. The amount of support they’d provided Radleigh and me with was indescribable. It wasn’t just that they were there, it was that they felt every emotion with me. They knew how to handle me when I freaked out, and they didn’t care when I got snappy, because they understood. When I’d first moved to Westberg, Radleigh was not exactly up there with the most popular people amongst the team. Jude outright disliked him, and Miguel lost respect for him after the way he treated me. But things had gelled since then. Bridges had been built, and while Jude and Radleigh would probably never choose to go out together for a beer, they had a healthy respect for one another now. And Miguel and Radleigh? Maybe it would have been a step too far to call them friends, but things were much smoother between them. For all our ups and downs, we were in a really good place.
I just needed Radleigh to get better now.