Page 88 of Back To Our Beginning

Chloe came over and sat in the same place that Beau had vacated. She picked up my hand and held it to her cheek.

“You scared me.”

A tear dripped down her face.

“You shouldn’t have come,” I admonished. “You should have waited to visit me when I got home.” I started to cough. Then I coughed some more.

Fuck, that hurt.

I felt my eyes water.

“Mads, don’t talk. Do you need a sip of water?” Chloe asked.

I nodded the best I could.

Suddenly, there was a cup with a straw in front of me. Chloe was lifting my head so I could sip from the straw.

“Not too much. You’ve been out of it for over two days. Your tummy can’t handle too much.” Chloe set the cup back on the stand beside my bed, then she stroked my hair from my brow.

“It’s greasy, right?”

Her lips twitched. “You’ve had better hair days,” she admitted.

“Beau’s acting like I almost died. It’s freaking me out,” I whispered. I knew he had bat-like hearing, so I whispered really soft.

Chloe kept stroking my hair. “You lost a lot of blood. Apparently, you were in hypovolemic shock by the time they got you into the OR. The piece of glass that was embedded inside you nicked your spleen. They had to take you into emergency surgery as soon as you arrived. It was bad, Maddie. Simon told Trenda that if they hadn’t had found you, in another couple of hours you would have died.”

I winced. “Poor Beau.”

“How can you say that? Poor all of us! Losing you would have killed us, Maddie. I should know. I don’t think I could survive if I lost you, too.”

She had my hand in a death grip. She was grinding my knuckles together so hard that for the first time, the rest of my body didn’t hurt. “Chloe, I’m not leaving you. I’m not, sweetheart.”

I watched as tears trickled down her face.

I tried to reach up to pull her down so I could hug her, but I was connected to an IV. “Chloe, I need a hug.” And I did. I needed to comfort my little sister.

Chloe reached down and wrapped her arms around my neck. I gathered her close as best I could, with my one free hand.

My sister sobbed for a long time, and I stroked her hair for a change. I said a bunch of nonsensical words, just trying to soothe her. I blocked out my pain and concentrated on her. Her sobs came to a shuddering stop and lifted her head.

She looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, and that it was killing her.

“Sweetheart, you need help. You have to know that.”

She touched my cheek and shook her head. “I’m handling this. I just need more time. I was able to come here, wasn’t I?” One side of her mouth curled up, offering the saddest excuse of a smile humanly possible.

“Yes. Yes, you were, Chloe. And I adore you for it. You’re not driving back to Gatlinburg tonight, are you?”

“It’s only five p.m.”

“Still. Promise me you’ll stay with Trenda or Zoe.”

She sighed. “I promise.” She bent over and kissed my temple. “I love you, Mads.”

“Love you more.” I smiled.

I watched her walk out of the room, and Beau came back to my side. “How much of that did you hear?” I asked.