I marched out of Daddy’s room and up to the nurses’ station. “Excuse me, can I get some help with my dad? He needs you to move him into my mother’s room. They won’t do as well apart. They need each other.” I started to cry, and my heart broke all over again. “Will you help me? Please.”The nurse said, “I think that can be arranged. Let me talk to the charge nurse, but I don’t see a problem with it.” The nurse gave me a bright, reassuring smile. I wouldn’t be quietly shoved aside. Our family needed to be all together, and I wouldn’t stop until we were.
The head nurse nodded towards me and said firmly, “I’ll have him moved after rounds, okay?” Yes! That's what I wanted to hear.
“Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.” Through my tears, I gave her a small smile, the only one I could muster.
I went back to Dad’s bed. “Daddy, they agreed to move you soon. Just relax now. Everything is going to be fine.”
I sat down beside his bed and took his hand in mine, giving it a squeeze.
“I’m not leaving until they move you,” I reassured him.
I hated feeling this powerless. I should be with Mama and Gaby, and what about Hunter? How was he doing with all this crap? If anything could break us, this would be it. He'd been so strong, standing shoulder to shoulder with me. I wished I could fall apart in his arms, but there was no time. I took a deep, fortifying breath, I hoped we could stand the storm steadfast together, planted like two strong oak trees against the wild wind.
I needed to get through the next few hours. Then maybe we could talk about what came next. I didn’t even know what to think about my tour. I didn’t want to cancel, but I wouldn’t leave Gaby with strangers. I was absolutely positive he needed me more than I needed to tour. His needs must come first. End of.
I wanted to scream and vent. I had so much pent-up frustration. My emotions had gotten the better of me, and I just couldn’t think clearly. I decided that I had to leave all the tour stuff to Hunter. He could decide what we were going to do. I had enough to worry about, goddamnit.
I looked up and saw Ted and Marko walk into the room. I instantly felt guilty. I totally forgot they were with us, honestly. I was sure they were as confused and hurt as me.
“Hey Pops, how you doing this morning?” Ted stood on the other side of Daddy’s bed and took hold of his other hand.
“Ted, Marko,” Daddy started, “I’m waiting for surgery. Ugh. You two are going to have to help Callie with everything. Can you do that for me?” Daddy looked between the two of them with a raised eyebrow. He had been more of a father to them than their own vanishing-act father.
“Of course, we can, Pops.” Marko said, in ernest.
“We’re here for all of you. We’ll do whatever it takes. Callie isn’t alone,” Ted added. That made my heart flutter with gratitude for friends who were more like brothers. It comforted me to have them here. They loved my dad as much as I did. We’d known each other since I was twelve years old, and they had been over to my house more times than I could count. Family dinners became raucous affairs when they started coming. We laughed more, and we loved even more.
Just then, a couple of orderlies came in. “Sir, we’re going to move you now.” They unlocked Daddy’s bed and started rolling him out of the room, pushing the IV pole along with him. We all trailed behind the bed. I wasn’t leaving his side, even for a minute.
Mama saw the bed, and she cried out, “Oh honey! Oh, thank God you’re here.” She started bawling loudly, and Hunter tried to comfort her.
Gaby saw Daddy and reached his arms out to him. “DaDa,” he sang as I picked him up and carried him to Daddy. I placed him snuggled up under his arm. Adorable picture, I’ve got to say, and I smiled with relief for the first time today.
I looked around the room and got a squirmy, satisfied feeling. We were finally all together. Honestly, it could have been much worse. We could have lost one of them, and I sent a silent prayer up to the heavens above.
“Thank you, God, thank you for saving my family.”
We could get through anything if we had each other.
Chapter 35
Callie
I jerked awake. I could hear Gaby crying and rushed over to Daddy’s bed to grab him up in my arms. I was having a horrible nightmare about the crash that wrecked my family, except in the dream they all died. I cuddled Gaby up against me and Daddy said, “I think he’s hungry, honey.” Yeah, that’s what I thought.
I made a bottle and took it to the nurses’ station and asked, “Can you heat this up for me?” The nurses were happy to oblige.
One of the nurses took it and disappeared for a few minutes. When she came back, she handed the warm bottle to me, and I tried to give her a smile. “Thank you so much.” Then I carried it to Mama’s room and sat down to give Gaby his bottle next to Daddy’s bed.
“My surgery is today, honey. Have you thought about your tour? When do you have to go back?” His voice was shaky, and I was really worried for him. This surgery was tricky, and I just hoped he came through with flying colors. But who knew?
“I’m not going anywhere until I know you and Mama are good. Right, Hunter?” I looked over at Hunter, who was sitting by Mama’s bed.
He reassured me,“Of course, babe, we aren’t going anywhere for now. We have to discuss all of this and figure out what you want to do, but I’ve cancelled all our dates this week so don’t worry about that.”
After Gaby finished his bottle I said, “Ted, Marko, could you sit with my parents and Gaby? I need to talk to Hunter.” I looked between the two of them and they both nodded.
I got up and grabbed Hunter’s hand and said, “Come on, let’s talk.” I dragged him into the hall.
“Why don’t we get some coffee for everyone? We can talk in the cafeteria, babe.” Hunter started walking away. He was right. We could all use some caffeine.
When we got to the cafeteria, we bought steaming cups of coffee for everyone. I saw some fresh donuts and bought a dozen of them too. Then we grabbed a booth, and I took a gulp of coffee, burning my throat, damnit. It was disgusting, but I needed a burst of energy, so I kept drinking the foul stuff.
“Babe? Babe?” Hunter took one of my hands to get my attention. My mind kept drifting back to that first goddamned call that blew a hole through my family, the one that fucking destroyed me. I couldn’t believe a semi had hit them, injuring both my parents. I’d really like to hunt down that mofo and make him pay for hurting my loved ones.
“Yeah, yeah I’m here.” I searched Hunter’s eyes. “What were you saying?” That’s the thing about not listening, you’re gonna get caught. It was hard for me to focus on anything, but I wanted to know what was going on inside Hunter’s head. I hoped we were on the same page.
“You know we can do whatever you decide, but I wanted you to know what I’ve been thinking. I want to find a tour bus so we can all be together. That way it would be easier to take Gaby with us. We could get a nanny to help with him, too. I cancelled all our shows for the week, and I can cancel more. They all want us to come back through at the end of the tour.” Hunter stopped for a moment, like he was mulling something over. Then he added, “I just want to know what you’re thinking, honey. I’m here for you.” Hunter looked longingly into my eyes. Honestly, this man had been a rock. I didn’t know how I would have gotten through all the horror without him.
Damnit, I didn’t really want to have this discussion, but the world didn’t stop even for me. Or the Turtledoves. I was shredded thinking about leaving my parents, but Hunter was right. I had to think about what was best for everyone.
“Sure, let’s do that. I’m not sure when I’ll be ready to leave. I want to make sure the surgery goes well with Daddy, of course. Can we get them some help at home?” I took a deep, fortifying breath, trying to think through everything. I wasn’t sure how things would go with Gaby travelling with us; could I do it?
“We can take Gaby with us, if you think a bus and nanny makes it possible. I just worry abou
t... well, about my mom and dad. You know what I mean?” I felt tears welling up again. “And can we even afford all of this?” I felt myself shaking. I hadn’t even thought about money, damnit.
The anguish running through me was frightening. I really didn’t want to fall apart again. But as tears cascaded down my face, I knew these decisions would affect us for the months ahead. Hunter got up and came to my side of the booth and gently pulled me into his arms.
“Shhh, babe, it’s going to be okay. Just think of the fun we’re going to have with Gaby. We won’t leave until we know your parents are going to be fine. I’ll find a homecare worker for them; how do you feel about that?”
I mulled over Hunter’s idea and said, “Yeah, if they’re taken care of, I think I could split. Do you think we can find someone to go with us? And someone to take care of them? And a bus. Oh my god, Hunter...,” I sniffled into his shoulder. Shit, this felt overwhelming. “It’s going to cost a fortune,” I whimpered.
I was beginning to feel desperate.
“Oh babe, don’t worry about the money. I’ll take care of everything. You just stay focused on your family; it’s going to be fine. Don’t worry about money, that’s the last thing that should be on your mind. I’ll call the label about a bus. They need an update anyway. I don't want you to worry about a thing. I’ll take care of everything.” He gave me a wonderful, warm squeeze and I felt myself melt into him like that first hug when everything was good. Then he added, “The last thing you need to do is worry about anything. We’re good.” That really was a huge relief. I wrapped my arms around Hunter’s neck and kissed him on the cheek. Then I kissed his gorgeous lips and sighed. For the first time since we got the tragic news, my heart lifted.
I trusted him to take care of everything. He was so good about the details. We hadn’t had one snag on this tour. Everything had run smoothly, and if he said he’d take care of things, I believed him all the way to the bone, with everything in me. But this was a major snag, wasn’t it? I didn’t know how I was going to get through it all. I tried to envision myself on a stage, and really all I could do was stay here in the now. Sing later. I could and would sing later.
“Hunter? I want to know who hit them. I want to know who the fuck was driving that semi-truck,” I whispered. I really wanted to hunt down the motherfucker who hurt my family, goddamnit. I had no real plan for how, I was just blindly driven to make the asshole pay.
“Me too, babe. Me too,” He ground out.
Chapter 36
Hunter
Could things get even worse? I wanted to scream in frustration. I was so worried about Callie and her family. It felt like I was grinding my teeth to dust. All I knew to do was handle one thing at a time. Her father was in surgery right now. A nurse came out and said he was hanging in there.
Callie held my hand so tight, I quietly chuckled to myself, she may never give it back. It was Gaby’s naptime, and he was sleeping in the crook of his mom’s arm. There was nothing that ripped at my heart more than watching the two of them snuggling down in the small hospital bed. Thank goodness he survived the accident, and Keri was trying to keep it together, she could have completely fallen apart. The whole thing was tragic. Seeing his bruised, little face shredded my sensibilities, and I was inspired by her strength.
When they wheeled Bob out post op, the doctor walked up to tell us what was going on.
“Callie, your father did very well in surgery. We repaired the left ventricle. We took a vein from his leg and patched it into his heart. He’ll be in post op for a few, but then the nurse will come find you when he’s ready to go back to his room. Any questions?” His eyes swept the room. Marko had been pacing, and Ted sat quietly chewing on his cheek but never said a word. Keri got teary eyed, and Callie went over to hold her hand.
“Thank you, Doctor Smith, thank you.” Callie burst out with a fresh set of tears. I knew they were tears of relief this time. Doctor Smith smiled, nodded to Keri, and left us alone to wait for Bob to wake up.
While he was in surgery, I was working the phone. The label helped me find a tour bus, thank God! Now I needed to figure out how to get it to us. I’d have to hire a driver to bring it out to us and drive us the rest of the way. I posted for a nanny and had been interviewing applicants over the phone. I planned to do an extensive background check before I hired anyone. I’d added more rooms to our dates and changed dates to replace the ones we missed. I thought Callie would want to be there to set up her parents at home before we left with Gaby. I still didn’t know how long we would be here. Ugh. The hospital was starting to bug me. The smell was obnoxious, and the noise grated on my last nerve. Even when I closed my eyes, there was no escape from this damn place.
l needed to interview all the people who’d applied for the home care job. And then I had to get it together, all the shit a baby would need on the bus. I kept making the calls until every single detail had been ironed out. It was the least I could do for Callie, my girl, and my life. I was so impressed with how she had been dealing with the crisis. She was incredible to watch with Gaby, that was for damn sure.
I stood up and whispered, “Baby, I'm going to get some air,” and left the waiting room for the first time that day. I walked down the hall, looking for a way out. I just needed to get the fuck out of here. I needed fresh air and to shake this feeling of doom that pressed me down to the floor.
I finally found a doorway marked EXIT and pushed out into the sunny day. It smelled of cut green grass, flowers blooming and a garden full of roses. I inhaled deeply to clean out my lungs of hospital grunge. I turned around and saw Marko walking out behind me.
“Hey dude, how you holding up?”
Marko looked down at the pavement, then his eyes moved up to mine. “Hunter, this is too much. I don’t know how Callie is really doing. She’s been a rock, keeping it together, but she’s gonna need to fall apart. You know what I mean?” I was worried about that, too. `
“I know, dude, I know. She wants to find out who crashed into her family, you know, who was driving that truck. Do you think it’s a good idea? What’s she going to do with that kind of information? Won't it just fuck her up more? That’s what I’m worried about.” I shrugged, but deep inside I thought she could really unravel.
“It’s a bad idea. It’s really a bad, bad idea.” Marko confirmed my own dark thoughts. I tried to get more out of him, but Marko wasn’t a chatty man. Finally, he whispered, “thanks for taking care of her. I don’t know if we’d get her through this mess on our own. Thank you for helping my family.” I thought this was the most Marko had ever said to me. With a quick bro hug, he walked away, head hung low. I watched him stroll down the street until he disappeared. I knew we all needed a break from the whole devastating situation.
I mulled over my choices. If I found out who hit them, maybe I could send him a warning shot. If I found out he was drinking, nothing was going to stop me from giving this guy a beat down.
I had been trying to stay on top of the Turtledove fan mail too. There was so much to do, and I really felt overwhelmed with no one to turn to for advice. I was good with details, that’s what management was all about. Relationships and details. I didn’t want this wreck ruining my plans. I was still committed to making them stars. But what’s more important? Making them stars or making sure her family was okay? I really had to make some difficult decisions. Obviously, boyfriend Hunter was all about her family, and manager Hunter was all about getting her back on the road as fast as I could. I had never been faced with such a huge dilemma, but I knew I’d figure it out.
My phone rang as I walked through the hospital grounds. “Yeah Jeremiah, what’s up?” He was my guy at the label, Rock On, and I prayed he had good news.
“You’re good to go, man. I found you a tour bus. I put out the word and Joni Mead said she wasn’t touring this year. She’s donating it to you guys. How cool is that?”
Damn, way cool! Relief spread through my entire body.
“That’s awesome. D
o you know somebody we can hire to drive? Maybe her tour manager can join us?” I was exhilarated. Things were starting to work themselves out. I needed something to fall into place so I could finally chill out. I had been freaking since all this had fallen at my feet, but I didn’t tell him that.
“You’re talking about Lip. Phillip. I’ll let you know what he says.” Jeremiah said, then we hung up.
I knew that was going to cost us a pretty penny, but the bus was free, and I didn’t really mind. At this point, I’d use any amount of money to solve all our problems and was suddenly so grateful for that 150K deposit that would surely dig us out of this shit pile.
After a few interviews and background checks, I chose a nanny for Gaby. Tenny Adams. Tenny was an older woman, I mean, older than us. She was in her 30’s, and she had great references. She was a kindergarten teacher and seemed to love children. I thought she would fit right in with the rest of us. I hoped Callie loved her. Her dark wavy hair was in a high pony with bangs that touched her dark, arched brow. I had already Face Timed with her, and she seemed very sweet. I hoped that Gaby connected with her. He was the one who would ultimately decide if she worked out or not.
I hired Steve Karol to be her parents' homecare worker. He was strong, worked as a CNA, and totally understood what we needed. He agreed to move in and live with Keri and Bob until we got home. I hired a backup guy and Steve said he was ready to start today.
Shit was finally coming together, and I thought the end was in sight. I started to breathe easier.
Steve had worked as a physical therapist. He was in his late 20’s with auburn hair. He was tall, young and handsome, and cut like steel. We needed someone exactly like him. The heavy lifting, he was about to face daily would be more than I could even imagine. Bob and Keri liked him, too.
Thank goodness for Facetime.
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