Wait? What?
I pull back even further, and she continues, “I was spending too much time with Jameson. Of course, you needed a friend. I just didn’t realize how hard all of this was on you… I know how charming he is.”
“Wait,” I blurt, “What exactly are you trying to say?”
She knits her brows together, “It’s okay that you made a mistake. We all do. It’s okay, and I forgive you.”
I feel a bit of a weight lifted off my shoulder but can’t help but add to the fire, “Mistake?”
She picks up the empty marshmallow bag and tosses it into the fire, “We all think with our pussies sometimes.”
“Jesus,” I whisper. “It wasn’t a mistake, okay?”
“It wasn’t?” She questions, digging through her purse for the phone that’s vibrating, shaking the contents around until finally, she pulls it out.
“Hello?” She questions, wrapping the sweater cardigan tighter around her. “What?”
I stand and watch as all of her facial features turn to stone. “Is she… is she okay?”
She begins to dig in her purse again for what I assume are her keys, and I place my hands on top of hers. Getting them for her.
“Okay, I’m on my way. Tell her I’m on my way.”
She tilts her scared eyes at me and begins to cry. “It’s Ellie.”
“Let’s go,” I demand, “I’ll drive.”
Hanna slips into the passenger seat of my car, banging vigorously into the screen of her iPhone. Her hands shake so hard she can barely hold the phone at all.
“What’s happened? Is she okay?” I ask.
Hanna shakes her head, “I don’t know… Jameson said someone ran a red light. His phone is somewhere in the crash. They’re at the hospital. He said he thinks she’s going to be okay.”
I shake my head, “She’ll be fine. It’s Ellie. She’s tough.”
Not much else is said on the ten-minute drive to the hospital, but when we get there, I follow Hanna in. She doesn’t even bother to stop at the desk in the Emergency Room. She just barrels past. Ignoring the nurses at the desk and the security guards.
“Jameson,” She sighs, rushing to him. “What happened? Are you okay?”
She takes her hand and gently rubs beneath his eyebrow where several stitches lie.
“I’m fine. I’m okay,” He rushes, “They took Ellie back for surgery. She was pretty banged up.”
“What do you mean by banged up?” Hanna’s voice cracks. Jameson hops off the bed, hugging her.
“She was crying when they brought her in. They thought it was her neck, but—”
“But what!” Hanna yells, “What’s wrong with my baby!”
One of the ER doctors pulls the curtain back, stepping inside. “Mr. Banks, your CT looks promising, a concussion, but that should resolve itself in a few weeks.”
Jameson nods, practically tearing the clipboard from his hand, “Are these my discharge papers? Where’s my daughter?”
“The nurse will bring your discharge papers in a minute. Your daughter is still in surgery, sir. There’s a waiting room up in the PICU. That is where they’ll take her.”
Hanna blocks the door, trying to get more information, “Is she okay?”
“Ma’am, she’s stable. That’s all I know at the moment.”