Clara attempted to absorb that. The thing that scared her the most was that Sam’s eyes were shimmering with unshed tears. Sam. Sam who was strong and tough and had never shown any real emotion in all the years she had known him. Now he was standing here almost in tears.
“They’re going to fix her up though, right?” Clara asked, her eyes scanning the faces of the others. No one wanted to answer her.
She didn’t really need an answer.
She already knew what it was.
She just didn’t want to admit it.
“I want to see her. Can I see her?”
“Not until she comes out of surgery,” Jonathon replied.
“I need to see her. What if she doesn’t make it? I need to see her one more time while she’s still alive,” she protested.
“Naomi will make it through this, she’s tough,” Jonathon told her.
She shook her head a little too vigorously. “We all know that’s just an act.”
“No, it’s not an act, she’s tough, doesn’t mean she doesn’t struggle. She is strong, you know that,” he reminded her.
Clara couldn’t disagree with that. There wasn't anyone she knew who was stronger than Naomi. But strength wasn't going to save her sister. Her life was in the hands of the surgeons.
With nothing to do but wait for news, they all sank into chairs in the dismal waiting room. Aggie sat herself in Nick’s lap and buried her face in his shoulder, but Clara shoved Jonathon away when he wanted to hold her. Right now she needed space. She needed to pace like Naomi would if their positions were reversed.
She now knew the whole truth about why Naomi felt the need to always be moving.
She just wished that Naomi herself had told her about the abuse she had suffered.
Had Naomi not told her because she didn’t trust her? Didn’t her sister know that she would support her through anything? She wanted a chance to tell Naomi how much she loved her and how sorry she was for everything that had happened to her.
She might not get that chance.
She might never get another chance to talk to her.
She had been pacing the waiting room for a good ninety minutes when a tired-looking woman in surgical scrubs approached.
“I'm looking for Naomi Candella’s family,” the doctor said.
Both Clara and Sam rushed her, with Aggie, Jonathon, and Nick just behind them. “How is she?” Clara asked.
“Well,” the doctor began slowly, and for a horrifying moment Clara thought she was going to gently break the news to them that Naomi hadn’t made it. But then the woman continued, “She made it through surgery, but she isn’t out of the woods yet. She is still in critical condition, and we haven’t been able to stabilize her.”
“What does that mean?” Sam demanded.
“It means that we just have to wait and see. I'm sorry I don’t have better news,” the doctor said sympathetically.
“Can we see her?” Clara asked.
“Once she's out of recovery and settled in intensive care then you can visit with her one at a time. If you have any questions at all just let one of the nurses know and I’ll do my best to answer it for you.”
Once the doctor was gone, Aggie sunk into Nick’s arms, crying quietly. Clara could feel her own tears building. It wasn't fair, Naomi had been through enough. Why did she have to suffer again? She deserved some happiness and she had finally found it with Sam, and now she might not make it through the night.
“Clara,” Jonathon said, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“It’s not fair,” she sobbed, her tears finally bursting out in a rush. “It’s not fair.” She flung herself against her fiancé’s chest. Her whole family had been through so much but always came out the other end stronger than they'd been before. But Clara didn’t think Naomi’s death would make any of them stronger, instead she feared it would crush them all.
February 1st