Page 90 of Wild Mistake
34
SARAH
PRESENT DAY
My heart breaks.No. It’s already broken, but somehow more pieces of it chip away. I didn’t want Aiden to leave. All of this would be easier with him by my side. But I’m barely holding on, praying to anyone who will listen for my baby boy to be okay. I can’t stop seeing Gabe’s limp body in my mind’s eye, or how pale his skin was as the paramedics strapped him to a board before taking him away.
That can’t be my final memory of him.
He has to be okay.
This can’t be over.
All of this is my fault.
“What the fuck, Sarah?” Jake’s voice cuts through my thoughts.
I don’t have the strength to deal with him.
“I don’t like that guy. He’s bad news. He wanted to hit me. Did you see that? He would have if those rent-a-cops didn’t come over. Too bad, too. I would’ve loved to hit him back.”
“Shut up.” The words fly from my lips before I can hold them back.
“Excuse me?”
“Shut. Up.” I straighten my spine and give him my full attention. “If you can’t keep your thoughts in your head, go sit over there. I can’t listen to your shit right now, Jake. I’m not your wife anymore, and our son is fighting for his life. Maybe instead of finding fault with everyone else, you could focus on what matters.”
I shock him. I know I do because I never push back. Not once. Not even after finding out about the other women did I tell this man to shut up. It stuns him enough he doesn’t talk back. I sit back down in my chair and return my focus to the hospital doors.
Please come out with good news. Please come out with good news.
The prayer passes through my lips like a mantra. I don’t know how many minutes pass, but the next time the doors swing open, a woman in a pair of scrubs steps into the waiting room. “Gabriel Callahan’s family?” she asks, calm and collected. There’s something in the confidence of her tone that offers me a tiny seed of hope.
I shoot to my feet and meet her gaze.
Jake walks toward her, so I do the same.
“Mr. and Mrs. Callahan?”
“How’s my son?” I say, impatient for news.
“He’s resting in his room. He sustained two fractured ribs. His left fibula is broken and his pelvis is fractured. The orthopedic surgeon will meet with him tomorrow. We’re most concerned about the concussion he sustained. He has a pretty bad bump on his head. We’ll keep him for observation and run a few more tests. We also want to rule out any swelling in the brain or internal bleeding. One of his first scans came back inconclusive, which is why it took us a little longer to consider him in stable condition. Thankfully, he was wearing his seat belt. We’d be having a much different conversation if he wasn’t.”
He’s going to be okay.
My baby is going to be okay.
A rush of relief floods my brain. My vision goes blurry for a second. Shit. The world starts to tilt. I reach out to catch myself.
“Whoa.” The doctor is there to steady me. “Are you okay, ma’am?”
“I’m fine.” I inhale a breath to steady myself. “Just relieved.”
“You sure?” She glances over to the receptionist manning the desk. “Can we get some juice and crackers for Mrs. Callahan?”
“Oh, you don’t have to.” I shake my head.
She levels me with an empathetic stare. “It’s important to take care of ourselves. Even during moments like these.”
