“He’s stable but still unconscious. The doctor says it’s fine for you to go in with him now. Room four.”
“Thanks!”
We rush through the ER to find the room. When I pull the curtain back, the first thing I see is Aiden with an oxygen mask, an IV drip in his arm, and monitors attached to his chest. Just when I thought I was holding it together, the sight of him brings everything back, and then it hits me all at once. Now I know how he must have felt every time I was in here. I feel helpless, like there’s absolutely nothing I can do to help him or make him better. My eyes flood with tears, and they cascade down my face.
Mike pulls me closer to him as Callie rushes in with tears in her eyes. Letting me go, he walks over to Callie.
“Oh God, what did he do to you both?” she asks.
Killian and Brielle both walk in, looking sullen, consoling each other.
I’m left on my own at Aiden’s bedside, hoping and praying for him to be all right. I can’t live without him in my life. He’s my light, my air, my absolutely everything.
Nana steps into the room looking ashen and hugs me tightly.
“Jenifer?” A nurse asks as she walks into the room. “Can I please check your wounds?”
I slowly nod as she’s putting on latex gloves. Moving my hair, she checks the cut to my head first. The pushing and prodding make me flinch, wanting to pull back away from her. Once she seems satisfied, she moves to inspect the other grazes and bruises my body has sustained.
“I think you’re mostly okay except for that cut on your head and the one on your leg. They will both need stitches unfortunately,” she says kindly. “I’ll go grab the supplies I need and be right back to get you all taken care of.” She looks around. “Can we please empty this room? There are too many people in here. Please keep it to three at a time.”
Deciding to wait in the waiting room, Brielle and Killian follow the nurse out. Mike kisses Callie on the cheek, joining them. That leaves Callie, Nana, and me watching over Aiden.
The nurse comes back with a tray of equipment.
Nana sits right next to me the entire time, holding my hand.
“Three stitches should do it for the gash in your head,” the nurse says. “Your leg, however, will need a few more,” she informs me before she gets started. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, but my head is pounding,” I tell her.
“I’ll get you some pain meds after I have finished stitching you up.”
It takes a while but finally she’s finished, and she heads out of the room for painkillers.
Callie paces up and down while Nana and I sit and wait.
A nurse comes in to take Aiden’s vitals—she checks his blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and heart rate. Everything seems to be fine. We simply need him to wake up.
Nana and Callie leave to grab a cup of coffee, leaving me alone with Aiden.
I lean in, grabbing his hand, and holding on as tight as I can while my heart feels like it’s breaking. “Aiden, please wake up. I need you. I love you so much,” I beg, but I have no idea if he can hear me.
I have no idea if Aiden is still in there or not.
What I do know is, Niall is gone, and the asshole may have taken Aiden right along with him.
We’ve been here for hours, and the doctors seem to think Aiden’s brain is recovering from the trauma and swelling, and that he’ll wake soon. I rest my aching head on his hand. “Aiden, please come back to me,” I mumble under my breath.
Aiden’s fingers start to move, so I snap my eyes up to his face. “Aiden, if you can hear me, open your eyes.” He flickers them like he’s trying but can’t quite manage it. My heart flutters and starts to race. “C’mon, you can do it. I’m right here by your side,” I tell him, then kiss his forehead. “Please, Aiden… wake up.”
His eyes squeeze together, then open. Aiden blinks rapidly and moans. A wave of pure happiness erupts from within me as I laugh and try to hold back my tears of joy. “You’re in the hospital, try to relax, babe,” I say, reaching to press the call button.
He raises a shaky hand to his head, touching it ever so lightly. He winces and slowly reaches out to the cut on mine, then caresses my cheek. “I love you,” he murmurs, making me smile.
A doctor rushes in followed by a nurse who checks the monitors and vitals as the doctor stops by his bedside. “Aiden, my name is Dr. Baker. Can you hear me?” Aiden nods, then winces in pain. “Good. I’m going to raise your bed. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Aiden responds.