“Okay. I’ve got all that. And Beau? I’m so sorry this happened. If there’s anything else I can do, you just let me know. I’m happy to stay here with Cat while you’re at the hospital. I don’t have anything going on tomorrow, either.”

  He breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s great. Thanks, Janey. I really appreciate it.”

  He found an office number for Aiden online, and left a voicemail on the main extension, which was all that he could access, telling him that his sister was at University Hospital following a car accident and giving him his number to call.

  He looked out the window then, and noticed the water running deep at the sides of the road. There would probably be flooding. He clenched his fists. It was his fault that Dakota was hurt. He should have been more careful. Or he should have just cancelled their evening, despite how much she’d been looking forward to it. Dakota had counted on him to keep her safe, and he hadn’t done that. He’d pulled right out into that intersection in a dangerous downpour.

  “God help me,” he said in a strangled breath.

  The driver looked in his rearview mirror. “You okay?”

  Beau shook his head. He wasn’t okay. He kept envisioning Dakota covered in blood when the door had come off. He might never be okay again.

  Chapter Twelve

  Beau walked into Dakota’s ER room just as they were preparing to take her for a scan. She was still unconscious, and the nurse said, “One of her pupils isn’t reponding correctly, and we need to determine the extent of her head trauma.” Then, as they wheeled her out of the room, the nurse said, “You’re a family member?”

  He answered as he had in order to gain entry to the room. “Her brother.”

  She handed him Dakota’s purse. “Please take care of this. It shouldn’t be left unattended.”

  He nodded. After the woman left, he sat down and rummaged through the bag, quickly coming up with Dakota’s phone. He tapped the screen and frowned. It required a security code to unlock it, which didn’t surprise him, and it didn’t have an emergency number listed. His heart panged at the sight of a smiling Dakota standing with her arms around Johnathan’s shoulders.

  What could the code be? He tried her house number, but that wasn’t it. Her birth year? He wasn’t sure. He wanted so badly to be able to contact her family. Then he checked her wallet, looking for an emergency contact card. After a few seconds, he found it tucked away in a slot where her debit and credit cards were.

  He took out his phone and keyed in the phone number for her mother.

  Fran answered in an uncertain voice. “Hello?”

  “Fran, this is Beau. I got your number from Dakota’s emergency contact card. We’ve been in an accident, and she’s here at the University Hospital ER.”

  “My God! Is she okay?” Her trembling voice rose in fear.

  Staying calm, he said, “They’ve taken her for some tests. She’s unconscious right now.”

  She started to cry. “Pete, get in here!” she called to her husband. “Dakota’s been hurt!”

  “We don’t know how serious this is, but the nurse said that one of her pupils wasn’t reacting right.”

  “We’re coming right over. You said you’re at University Hospital in the ER?” she said, taking a deep breath.

  “Yes, that’s right. Listen, I told them I was her brother so I could come back in here with her. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Of course, that’s fine.”

  “Also, I left a message on Aiden’s office phone. He won’t get that until tomorrow. I’m sure you’ll want to contact him.”

  “Oh, yes, I’ll do that right now. Beau, thank you for letting us know. We’ll see you in a little while.”

  “Of course.” He sighed and slid his phone back into his pocket. The chill hospital air was making him shiver in his wet clothes. It was probably a reaction to the trauma as well. His wet hair was still plastered to his head.

  He crossed his arms on his chest and leaned his head back against the wall. But as soon as he closed his eyes, he saw Dakota covered in blood again. They hadn’t even had time to stitch her up. Did she have broken bones? Her thigh hadn’t looked right. Surely there was something wrong there. God, he hated this. He wanted to know how she was. What was wrong with her.

  He opened his eyes again and looked at the pale walls. Muted sounds came through the glass doors from the busy ER. He knew that this was one of the leading Level I Trauma Centers in the state and that patients came here from all over. At least Dakota was in the best of hands.

  Hands clenched into fists, he settled in to wait.

  Twenty minutes later, Pete rushed into the room. “What do we know?”

  Fran followed right behind him, her red-rimmed eyes scanning the room. “Is she still out for tests?”

  He got up so that both of them could sit down. “Yes. She hasn’t come back yet, and I haven’t heard anything since I called you.” He leaned against the sink counter and folded his arms, hoping to warm himself a little.

  Fran looked closer at him. “You’re all wet. Oh, Beau. You must be freezing in here.”

  He nodded. “I don’t know why hospitals always have to be so cold.”

  “You should have told us. Pete could have brought you something dry to change into. Some sweats or something. They’d have been too short, but at least they’d have been warm.”

  “I didn’t think about it.” He sighed and shook his head. “I guess I’m still in shock. I can’t believe this is happening.”

  “What exactly happened, son?” Pete asked.

  Beau’s heart started to pound. Would they blame him? “We were headed to the theater, and it was raining like hell. Visibility was terrible.”

  He looked down at the floor. “I should have turned back around when the rain didn’t let up.”

  He looked up again, hating to meet their eyes but knowing he had to. “The traffic light at the intersection was out. We’d hardly seen any cars up to that point. I looked in all three directions and couldn’t see any headlights. I waited some more and then proceeded into the intersection. A car with no headlights came from the right like a bat out of hell and slammed into Dakota’s side of the truck. It nearly tipped the truck over.”

  “My God! Why the hell was he driving so fast in weather like that? I assume it was a man?” Pete said, his voice shaking.

  “Yes, and that’s what I’d like to know. The police officer followed the ambulance to the hospital to be sure they did a blood alcohol test.” Beau’s speeding pulse was making him lightheaded.

  “How was she? I mean besides the head injury?” Fran asked, her voice faint with fear.

  How could he answer that without scaring the hell out of them? “She had a cut on her upper arm, and it looked like her leg might be broken.” No way was he telling them that she’d been covered in blood.

  “Is that all?” Pete said quietly.

  Beau sighed. “She had a cut on the side of her head. I’m not sure what else. Honestly, everything happened so fast, and I was afraid to move her. The door had caved in on her, and when the firefighters removed it, the EMTs immediately stabilized her and put her on a gurney, then rolled her into the ambulance. They wouldn’t let me get too close.” He grimaced. “One of the firefighters had a hold on my arm.”

  Fran began to cry softly, and Pete put his arm around her shoulders.

  “Aiden will be here in a little while,” he told Beau. “They said his surgery shouldn’t last much longer. He’ll know what to do.”

  The two of them sat down, and Beau said, “I’m going to go ask if they’ve heard anything.” He figured they needed some time alone.

  At the nurse’s station, there was no news, but he was told that Dakota might need to go straight to surgery if the scan revealed her situation to be critical. At that point, her family would need to sign consent forms.

  He went back into the room. Fran had stopped crying, and her face was calm. He said, “The nurse mentioned that there’s a possibility, depending on the test results, that Dakota might need to go straight into surgery. They’ll need family consent before that happens.”

  Pete nodded. “We’ll give it.”

  Beau leaned against the counter again. “There’s still no word, though.”

  They settled into silence.

  After what felt like an eternity, a doctor and nurse walked into the room. Dakota’s parents stood up, their faces anxious and pale. Beau held back, letting them take the lead in the conversation.

  “We need to go in and relieve the intracranial pressure. There’s an epidural hematoma that needs to be dealt with.”

  “How serious is it, doctor?” Fran asked, her voice wavering.

  “It’s serious. It’s concerning that she’s still unconscious. We’ll be putting her into an induced coma for a while. However, the hematoma is something that we can deal with—it’s not excessively large.

  “What’s her prognosis, doc?” Pete asked quietly.

  The doctor tucked the folder under his arm. “Guarded at this point, but I think there’s hope for a good recovery if everything looks as I expect it to once we get in there.”

  Beau’s heart leapt. She might be okay. Thank God.

  “Just hang tight,” the doctor continued. “There’s some paperwork you need to sign, and we’ll make this happen.”

  Then he took a closer look at Beau. “You’ve got quite a knot on your head, and a cut. I’ll send in someone to look at you.”

  After the doctor walked out, Fran sank down onto a chair.

  Pete sat beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Honey, you heard what he said. We should have a good outcome.”

  “We need to pray hard. All of us.” She covered her face with her hands. “My poor girl. How could this happen?”

  Guilt shot through Beau, taking his breath away. He lurched from the counter. Without looking at Dakota’s parents, he said, “I’ll be back in a little while.”

  He strode for the exit, barely noticing his surroundings. Outside, the parking lot was brightly lit, the air damp and muggy. He sucked in a breath, clenching his eyes shut. Why hadn’t he turned back? What had he been thinking? He’d been reckless, careless of Dakota’s safety. He’d put her in desperate danger. His job had been to keep her safe, and he’d let her down in the worst possible way. He didn’t deserve to have her in his life.

  He leaned against the building as nausea overwhelmed him. What if the surgery didn’t work? What if there was brain damage? It would be his fault.

  He groaned and grabbed his head. He’d never forgive himself if that happened. Never.

  Then he took several deep, slow breaths. He had to gain some kind of control. He needed to get back inside. Her parents were all alone. He had to face them, despite how he dreaded it. But he didn’t want to see recrimination in their eyes, no matter how much he deserved it. And he was sure that, underneath their polite demeanor, they must be angry with him. They had every right to be.

  He gritted his teeth, his fists clenched tight. God, he’d been so careless.

  Surely Aiden would arrive soon. They’d take comfort from him.

  After a moment, he called Janey. “Were you able to speak with Michael?”

  “Yes, and he’s got everything covered. He called me a little while ago, and he found the agency’s phone number. You’ll be able to call them in the morning.”

  “Great. Tell him I said thanks. How’s Cat?”

  “She’s sleeping. I took her with me over to talk to Michael and then put her to bed. She’s never any problem.” After a brief hesitation, she asked, “How’s Dakota?”

  “They’re preparing her for surgery. She’s got pressure in her skull, and they’re going in to relieve it. Otherwise, we don’t know anything.”

  “Oh, Beau, I’m sorry. I’m praying for her.”

  “Thanks. We all are. I’ll let you get some rest. I’ll be here all night.”

  When he walked back inside, Aiden was there. He turned and offered his hand. “I hear you’ve been injured too. Let me take a look.”

  “That’s not necessary,” Beau said.

  Aiden stepped closer. “Yes, it is. From the looks of it, you took quite a knock on the head, and that’s a nasty cut. You’ll need sutures.”

  Beau sighed. “Now that you mention it, it does kind of hurt.”

  “I’ll be right back,” Aiden said and strode from the room.

  “I feel so much better now that Aiden’s here,” Fran said, her voice much stronger than before.

  “I’m glad he was able to get here so quickly,” Beau said.

  “He was in emergency surgery. There’d been a car wreck.” Her voice quavered, and she swallowed hard. “He had to fix someone’s leg.”

  “I’m sure he did an amazing job,” Beau said. Someone would have to fix Dakota’s leg. When would they get to her other injuries?

  “We’ve signed the consent for Dakota’s surgery,” Pete said.

  “So she’s gone into surgery?”

  “I’m not sure what the timing is exactly, but she’s cleared for it,” Pete said.

  “That’s good.”

  Aiden walked back in with another doctor and a nurse pushing a rolling tray filled with medical supplies.

  The doctor looked at Beau. “I’m Dr. Vink.” Then he glanced around the room and turned to the nurse. “Can we get another chair in here?”

  “I’ll take care of that,” Aiden said and headed for the door.

  The doctor motioned to Beau. “Let’s take a look at you, Mr. Winchester.” Beau, at six feet four, was much taller than the doctor. The man gently probed the lump that had risen and then moved his fingers to the wound. “Does that hurt?”

  “Yes.”

  “Does it feel like there’re glass fragments in it? Do you have sharp pain?” Vink continued to probe it.

  “Um, not really. Not like that.”

  “I’ll look closely at it once I get you in a chair.”

  Aiden came in, pushing a rolling chair.

  Vink turned. “That’s perfect. Take a seat, Mr. Winchester.”

  Beau sat quietly while Vink probed the wound with tweezers, then cleaned it. After the nurse shaved the area, he put in seven sutures.

  “You’ll have a bald spot in your hair, but a handsome guy like you won’t be bothered by that,” Vink said with a grin.

  Beau grimaced and went to stand at the counter again. “Right.”

  “Take Tylenol for the pain. You’ll have a headache for a while.”

  “Thanks, Doctor.”

  Vink and the nurse left the room as Fran said, “I’m glad you got yourself looked at, Beau. That bump looks nasty.”

  “Thanks, Fran,” he said. Maybe Dakota’s parents weren’t furious with him after all. Or maybe they were just extraordinarily nice.

  Aiden left the room again and came back a few minutes later with another chair like the ones Pete and Fran were in. “Now we can all have a seat.” He pushed the rolling chair back toward Beau. “Sit down before you fall down. You’ve had quite a night.”

  Beau smiled and took a seat, realizing that he could use it. His legs had been feeling shaky for a while.

  Now he could only wait. Dakota was going into surgery, and within hours they’d know the extent of the damage she’d suffered. The damage he’d caused her to suffer. He closed his eyes. God, please forgive me, because no way can I forgive myself.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Early the next morning, Beau called into work, getting his branch manager’s voicemail. “Anna, Beau here. I’ve been in a car accident and have taken a blow to the head. I’ll be okay, but my girlfriend’s in a coma at University Hospital. I can’t come in, but I’ll keep you posted. Call me if you have any questions.”

  He walked back into the room in the ICU where Pete and Fran sat looking exhausted and somewhat frail. He glanced at the bed where Dakota lay, her face masked with a ventilator. Her surgery had gone well, and she was now in an induced coma to aid in her healing. They’d realigned the bones and splinted her broken arm and thigh until something more permanent could be done about them.

  He walked the few steps to her bedside and held her hand on her uninjured side. She was beginning to bruise all along one side of her face and neck. A now familiar guilt coiled in his guts, and he stifled a groan. He watched as her chest slowly rose and fell. Was her mind active behind her pale, still face?

  He glanced at his watch. Five-thirty. In another hour, he’d go home to shower and eat something. Not that he was hungry, but he needed to keep up his strength. By eight, he’d call about doing something for Johnathan. He’d called Carson the night before and let him know about the accident. His brother had asked if he should come down. Beau had said that there was no need, but the offer had warmed him clear through.

  Pete left the room and returned with another chair. He smiled at Beau. “You can’t keep standing up like that.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate it, Pete.”

  As he sat down, Fran said, “We’re all exhausted. Don’t you want to go home and rest, Beau? We’re going to call Dakota’s friend Jules in a little while. I’m sure she’ll come right away.”

  “I figure I’ll leave here in about an hour. Michael found a phone number for me last night, and I’ll call this morning about making alternative arrangements for Johnathan.”

  “Oh my goodness! I hadn’t even thought about poor Johnathan,” she said. “How could I have forgotten something so important?”

  “I talked to Michael right after the accident, and he said that he’d be glad to stay through the morning until we could figure out what we needed to do. He’s really a nice guy.”

  Beau got up and squeezed Dakota’s hand. “Honey, Johnathan’s going to be just fine. I don’t want you to worry about him. Michael’s looking after him until the agency can find another place for him to stay.”

  She didn’t respond, but he’d heard that coma patients could hear what was said around them. He hoped it was true.

  After that, he sat in the chair again, still holding onto her hand.

  Time dragged by. Guilt preyed heavily on him, and acid in his stomach burned red-hot.

 

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