Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
“Merritt, I was so cold and…it was so dark. And I could hear Cole calling me but I couldn’t see him and it felt like I was walking in…in…”
“Mud?” I offered.
“Yes,” he choked out. “Mud. So much mud.”
I nodded and turned to Narah, who was staring at us, eyes like saucers. “Could you draw the blinds, please?”
“What about all the—oh shit.” Justin gasped, watching as the ashes got lighter and lighter until they disappeared.
When Narah opened the curtains, light filled the room, and everyone could see how exhausted Evan appeared. He looked utterly wrung out, with dark bags under his eyes, as though he’d been awake for days… But his color was closer to normal, and though he was still sweaty and sticky, the smile was good.
Cole leaned over to hug him again as the nurse and a doctor walked into the room.
They checked his vitals and the displays on the machines, and the doctor, an older woman with great cat-eyed bifocal glasses, even gave Evan a gentle whack on the shoulder before she got on the computer and looked at more things.
“You seem happy.” Evan sighed.
“Because you look so much better. Your glucose level has evened out, so it looks like everything we did finally kicked in, as it were.”
“That’s good, right?”
“It’s very good, if not a bit surprising. But I’ve seen far more amazing recoveries than yours in my many years providing care.”
Which was fortunate for us.
“You’re still a mystery, though.”
“I like that,” he told her. “It sounds cool.”
“Only on TV,” she apprised him. “In real life, knowing what triggered the seizures to begin with would be preferable.”
“Yeah, but,” he said with a shrug, “being well is better no matter what.”
“Yes, it is,” she agreed. “You’re a very perceptive young man.”
He gave her a sheepish grin before she turned to Cole.
“So it looks as though your brother is out of the woods, and I’m confident, with how all his stats look, that the symptoms, specifically the seizures, won’t reoccur.”
“It was your excellent care that saved him, I’m sure of that.”
“I see both brothers are charming.” She smiled at him.
“She thinks we’re charming,” Evan told Cole, bumping him with the back of his hand.
“That’s because she barely knows you,” Cole grumbled in return.
“I am enjoying this banter,” she said softly, “but regardless, we’ll need to keep Evan for a couple of days of observation to make certain his—”
“Actually, we think he’d do much better at home,” I countered, holding her gaze. “And I have a friend I’ll ask to come over and check on him. Diane Gershin, she’s an APRN, so she’s certainly more than qualified to watch over him.”
“I’m sorry, did you say Diane Gershin?”
I nodded.
“How do you know Diane?”
“I got her to come take care of people at my shelter.”
Her eyebrows rose. “You’re Merritt Baker?”
“Yes, ma’am, I am.”
“Oh, she speaks so highly of you, Mr. Baker. Diane and I have been friends for many years. She’s the absolute best.”
“She certainly is.”
“Well then.” She turned to Cole. “Your brother may go home later today, Mr. Swann. I’m going to keep him for a few more hours, but with Diane popping by to check in on him, I won’t worry about any ongoing issues. I do want you to follow up with your regular doctor next week, however.”
“Yes, I certainly will,” Cole said, still hugging his little brother. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re so welcome.” She sighed. “He’s very fortunate.”
“I know,” Cole rumbled in return, his eyes locked with mine. “Believe me, I know.”
I called Diane, and after she told me how naughty I was to lie to her friend, I said I would bring Evan by the shelter the following day. I also promised her a massive pumpkin cheesecake pie for her family.
“Fine,” she muttered, but I could hear the smile in her voice. “I forgive you.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s lucky I adore you, Merritt Baker.”
And it was. Very.
Once I was off the phone, I realized everyone was looking at me. “What?”
It turned out that Evan wanted a really big, utterly massive cheeseburger, a vanilla shake, and onion rings. Everyone wanted him to have that, no question, but no one wanted to go get it.
“I can go,” I offered.
“No,” Reggie snapped at me. “You’re the reason no one wants to leave.”
“If you go, I promise not to explain anything until you get back,” I told him.
“You swear?”
I arched an eyebrow.
“Yeah, all right,” he muttered as he turned for the door.
“Hey, wait,” I ordered, as was my way. “Grab six regular cheeseburgers and fries for the nurses—they’ll appreciate it. And I need a vegetarian burger.”
“A veggie burger?” Reggie sounded like I’d asked for a helping of the plague.
“Yeah. Please.”
“Gross, man,” he said, but he left with Fletcher, because Evan, it turned out, wasn’t the only one who was hungry. They had all skipped several meals while keeping vigil.