by Karly Lane
Rilee sat in the taxi, anxiously counting the minutes until they reached the hospital. Paying the driver, she ran into the front lobby, heading for the first nursing station she could find.
Inside the elevator she struggled to keep her breathing even. Her heart seemed to be beating too hard; she felt the pain of it against her chest. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes to steady herself. She would be no good to Dan if she collapsed in a heap. She needed to stay calm, which was easier said than done when her mind kept drifting to worst-case scenarios.
When the doors finally opened, Rilee stepped out onto the ICU floor and immediately saw Jacob and Ellen seated at the end of the hall.
They looked up as she approached. Rilee opened her mouth to calmly ask how Dan was, but instead of a rational question, a gigantic sob escaped, followed by uncontrollable tears. There was only the slightest of hesitations before Rilee found herself wrapped in two surprisingly strong arms and Jacob’s gruff voice comforted her as she wept. ‘Come on now, girl. That boy of mine’s a Kincaid. He’s tough as they come. He’ll be fine.’
Rilee sat down unsteadily and wiped her eyes, accepting a tissue from Ellen who had come to sit down on the other side of her. ‘Have you seen the doctor yet?’
‘Briefly, but he’s coming out to talk with us once he’s finished examining Dan. There’s been some kind of rupture to his liver and damage to his lungs,’ Jacob told her, and Rilee was worried about how shaken Dan’s father looked. ‘They’ve got him intubated so they can monitor him closely. He’ll be in ICU until he’s more stable. We’ll know more as soon as the doc gets out here.’
The information floated through the air. Rilee was only vaguely aware of what he’d been saying; for some reason she couldn’t seem to hold on to any of the words and make sense of them. Still, it was good that he’d had his parents here with him…even if his wife had abandoned him. Guilt raked her soul. She should never have left…her inward berating was interrupted by a young man in a white coat heading down the hall towards them.
‘Mr and Mrs Kincaid?’ he asked, looking between Dan’s parents.
‘Yes, and this is our daughter-in-law, Rilee. Dan’s wife,’ Ellen said, touching Rilee’s shoulder lightly. Despite her shock, Rilee was still able to appreciate the uncharacteristic treatment from her in-laws. She would have liked a moment or two to enjoy it, but the doctor was already speaking and she needed to focus on Dan right now.
The doctor turned to Rilee and nodded. ‘As I briefly explained to your husband’s parents earlier, your husband has a number of injuries. When he presented to the emergency room he was conscious, but the bruising to his lungs was restricting the depth of his breathing so we decided to intubate and sedate him to maintain his airway and assist his breathing. He has three fractured ribs as well as extensive bruising and grazes, but we’re most concerned about the contusions to the lungs and a small rupture to the liver, which has been contained at this stage. However, we need to keep a strict watch on it to make sure there’s no further bleeding.’
‘Can we see him?’ Ellen asked.
‘Yes, but only for a few minutes.’ He indicated they should follow him.
Rilee had never been in an ICU before. For some reason she expected it to be deathly quiet, but it wasn’t. Machines beeped and buzzed, and there was a rhythmic sound of life-support machines regulating patients’ breathing.
The doctor led them through the room, stopping at the end of a bed. Rilee’s eyes were already roaming the familiar face, her chest tight. He was so still. So pale. Her eyes followed the path of numerous tubes and leads from his body connecting to monitors and multiple bags of fluid, but the worst by far was the tube down his throat. His stubble looked dark against the backdrop of white sheets. There were numerous grazes covering his face and arms. Beneath his eye was a row of stitches, and the whole area was swollen and red.
Beside her, Rilee heard Ellen give a small whimper, turning her face into her husband’s chest.
Clearly none of them could remember him ever looking so vulnerable before, and it was an unsettling and confronting moment.
‘We’ve done a CT and X-ray and he’s cleared of spinal injuries, but to be satisfied that the haemorrhage in his liver isn’t going to bleed further we need to monitor him closely for another twenty-four hours. He’s not out of the woods yet.’
They thanked the doctor as he left them and Rilee leaned down and kissed her husband’s forehead. ‘I love you,’ she whispered, before they were gently reminded by the nurse that time was up and led from the room.
Rilee accepted a ride back to the motel Jacob and Ellen were staying at and booked herself a room. They were expecting Natalie and Megan to arrive later that night. She had no idea how long she would be staying, but she knew there was nowhere else on earth she wanted to be right now. Everything they’d been worried about seemed so unimportant, and all she cared about was Dan waking up and getting back on his feet again.
Rilee opened the door of her room and dumped her suitcase and bag on the spare bed, then headed across to the sliding door to let some fresh air inside. The smell of the motel room was making her feel slightly nauseous, which reminded her that she hadn’t eaten anything since dinner last night.
As she stepped outside onto the small balcony later that evening, she took in the long lines of tail-lights trailing a path from the city and breathed in the once-familiar smell of exhaust and air pollution. It was so different to the clean, fresh air of Thumb Creek.
A soft knock on her door drew her back inside, and she hoped the astonishment she was feeling didn’t show on her face as she opened the door to reveal Megan standing there. She didn’t look quite as together as she had the last time they’d met. Her eyes were a little bloodshot from the late flight and there was a strain around her eyes that gave away her vulnerability.
‘I know it’s late, but can I come in for a minute?’
‘Of course,’ Rilee said. ‘Have your parents filled you in on everything?’ she asked as they took a seat at the small table.
‘Yes. It’s sounding a lot more positive than it was initially,’ she said, and Rilee heard her voice break a little as she lowered her head slightly to compose herself.
Rilee reached out and gently touched her sister-in-law’s arm, her own eyes stinging with tears. ‘He’s going to be fine. He won’t give up.’
She nodded briskly before straightening her shoulders, and Rilee slowly withdrew her hand, feeling as though she was overstepping the mark again.
‘I wanted to apologise to you,’ she said, holding Rilee’s surprised gaze. ‘I acted dreadfully when I was home last. I guess you worked out that Priscilla was my friend,’ she said with a twist of her lips that was exactly like her brother’s. ‘I had no right to treat you the way I did. I should have been happy that my brother found someone he really loved. I was being jealous and petty, just because I couldn’t have the kind of relationship you two seemed to have.’
‘I can understand that,’ Rilee said, willing to let bygones be bygones if it meant they could start over. ‘Let’s just forget it.’
‘I don’t really deserve your understanding, but I want you to know that you don’t have to worry about Priscilla making any more trouble. I heard what she’s been doing and I assure you that I had no idea about the vendetta she’s been carrying out against you and your business. As soon as I heard about it, I put a stop to it.’
Rilee couldn’t help gaping.
‘I threatened her with legal action and told her to make some public amends or I’d tell everyone what she’d done. I can’t believe she would go to such despicable lengths out of jealousy. I’m truly sorry.’
‘No, that’s okay. I mean, it wasn’t your fault,’ Rilee stammered, trying to take in the sudden U-turn of events. ‘Thank you for helping.’
‘If I were you, I wouldn’t dismiss the possibility of legal action against her.’
As damaging as Priscilla’s hate campaign had been, Rilee really couldn
’t think of anything worse than dragging everyone through something like that, and at the moment she had more important things to worry about than some spoilt brat’s temper tantrum. She said goodnight to Megan and then leaned her back against the closed door, suddenly feeling a lot more optimistic. The thought of being surrounded by Dan’s family without him would once have filled her with dread, but now she felt their support and care. It was true what they said: times of crisis really did make people realise what was important in life.
As Rilee sat on a bench outside the hospital the next morning, Ellen appeared carrying a cup of coffee and asked if she could join her. It should have felt awkward sitting beside the woman who had made her disapproval so obvious, but the silence between them didn’t feel strained. Dan’s condition hadn’t changed, but the doctor was pleased there’d been no bleeding from his liver or lungs, and that was certainly a huge weight off everyone’s minds.
‘I feel responsible, Ellen,’ Rilee finally said, staring down into her almost empty cup. ‘I shouldn’t have left.’
‘If anyone should feel responsible then it’s me. I know I helped drive you away. If you hadn’t felt as though you needed to leave Thumb Creek then none of this would have happened.’
Rilee couldn’t help the surprise that followed that little admission. ‘I know I’m not the daughter-in-law you wanted, and I’m sorry we started off on the wrong foot.’
Ellen let out a short breath. ‘No, dear, I should be apologising. It had always been expected,’ she shrugged helplessly, ‘Dan and Priscilla. I was too focused on what a marriage between them would mean for the two families and I ignored the fact that you can’t force love. Dan had been trying to tell me that he wasn’t interested, but I just figured eventually he’d realise Priscilla was the perfect choice for him. It turns out he was a lot smarter than I was.’
Ellen leaned towards Rilee slightly. ‘I recently discovered Priscilla has been spreading terrible rumours and making a general nuisance of herself where your business is concerned. I am extremely disappointed. I expected a lot more from that girl. I know I can’t take back the damage she’s done, but I can help fix it. I’ve made sure everyone knows the truth,’ she said earnestly, and Rilee had to swallow through an unexpectedly tightening throat. ‘The truth is that I felt threatened by you and I reacted badly.’
‘Threatened? How?’
‘You were so confident and…cheerful,’ she smiled dryly. ‘In case you hadn’t noticed, there hasn’t been a great deal of happiness in our house for quite some time.’
Rilee bit the inside of her lip as she sat quietly to give Ellen time to collect her thoughts.
‘You were this bright, optimistic young thing bouncing into our lives and you reminded me of things I’d forgotten we’d once had. I can’t even recall when all the joy left our family,’ she said wistfully. ‘I remember when the children were little there was laughter and smiles, but at some point over the years, as they left home, it just grew quiet…until there was only Jacob and I in that big old house and we’d somehow become two strangers.’
Rilee saw the woman search in her handbag and pull out a handkerchief, dabbing at the corner of her eyes delicately.
‘You were so determined to bring light back into our lives, and I fought against it because it scared me.’
‘Why?’ Rilee asked, searching the older woman’s damp eyes.
‘Because I was afraid to get my hopes up. What if Jacob couldn’t change? What if, despite everything you were trying to do, he simply didn’t love me any more?’
‘Oh, Ellen.’ Rilee wrapped an arm around her mother-in-law’s shoulders and comforted her. Ellen had spent such a long time perfecting that tough exterior in order to protect the tiny ember of hope that remained inside. Fear and insecurity had been the driving forces behind her cold attitude this entire time.
‘I hope you can forgive me for the way I’ve been acting. If you come back, I promise things will be different,’ she said, straightening her hair and composing herself once more. ‘Dan had already laid down the law after you left. He was so upset. I think he thought he’d lost you, and I know that was in large part because of me. I’d like to start over.’
Rilee blinked back the tears. ‘I’d like that too.’
A relieved smile crossed Ellen’s face and she gave a small nod. They sat in silence, finishing their coffee, and Rilee felt a strange sort of peace settle between them.
When they went back inside the hospital, Megan and Natalie gave them the news that the doctor had just been and they were making a decision about taking Dan off the ventilator following the results of the CT scan. Rilee tried to contain her impatience, but she couldn’t seem to sit still and gave up trying, instead pacing the floor of the waiting room. When the doctor finally appeared, he was smiling, a stark contrast to their previous meeting, and Rilee instantly felt relief wash through her.
‘It’s looking very good,’ he said as he came out to see them. ‘We’ve done another scan and there’s no further bleeding noted.’
‘What happens now?’ Rilee asked.
‘We’ll start weaning him off the medication we’ve been giving him and see how he responds. If he’s coping all right we’ll extubate. He’ll remain in ICU for another twenty-four hours, and then he’ll be transferred to a monitored bed where we can keep an eye on him.
‘When do you think he’ll be able to go home, doctor?’ Ellen asked.
‘He’ll need to be here for at least a week. Make no mistake, your son was extremely lucky. Had his liver ruptured at the scene, he wouldn’t have even made it to hospital. He’ll have a lengthy recovery.’
The mood, while not buoyant after the doctor’s solemn words, was at least more positive than earlier.
At the nursing staff’s suggestion, they returned to the motel after lunch, with the hospital not anticipating there would be anything happening until the next morning.
The family spent the rest of the day in Ellen and Jacob’s suite, and despite the worry that hung over their heads, it gave Rilee a chance to spend some quality time with her new sisters. Her parents were driving down in the morning, and Rilee couldn’t ever remember a time where she felt surrounded by so much love. She wished Dan were here to see it. If only she could rewind the last few weeks. If only they hadn’t fought. If only, if only. She gave a sigh as she tipped her head back against the leather sofa. There was no point wishing for things she couldn’t change, they just had to focus on the here and now, and getting through the next twenty-four hours.
Rilee grasped Natalie and Megan’s hands tightly as they sat waiting to be allowed in to see Dan late the next day. He was now free and clear of the ventilator and breathing on his own. While he was still not up to a proper visit, seeing him without a tube down his throat would be a huge relief.
When a nurse came to tell them they could come in, Rilee hung back, allowing his parents and siblings to walk into the room first. From her position near the door she could see he’d lost the vulnerable look he’d had in past visits, but the memory of how helpless he had seemed still brought a tear to her eye.
His sisters and parents hovered near the bed and he managed a faint smile at them, but Rilee could see he was fighting to remain awake.
Ellen gently patted his hand before leaning over to kiss his cheek. ‘We’ll come back tomorrow,’ she said, before stepping aside to make room for Rilee.
For a long while Rilee simply sat and took in his battered face, before gingerly taking his hand in hers. His eyelids fluttered open and she quickly blinked away the tears that began to blur her vision.
‘Hi,’ she said quietly.
She saw his throat working a little as he tried to speak and she winced at how sore everything must be feeling after all he’d been through.
‘Don’t try to talk yet,’ she said. ‘Just rest.’ She summoned a smile to reassure him as his eyes got heavy and closed once more. Rilee lowered her head to their joined hands and squeezed her eyes tightly shut. She’d com
e so close to losing him and relief ebbed through her now that he looked like making a good recovery.
The next day her parents arrived and Dan was deemed fit enough to move to a different ward where he would continue to be monitored. He was still weak though, so visits remained short and, after the second day, Ellen convinced Megan and Natalie to go home. Their brother was out of danger and there was little they could do for the next week while he remained in the city, so a visit was planned once he was back home.
Rilee lifted her head and gave a small groan, rubbing her stiff neck before her eyes shot open and she found herself looking into two sleepy eyes, watching her through slightly lowered lids. She must have fallen asleep. She eased back from where she’d been leaning against the bed, still in her chair, and ignored her body protesting at having been contorted into some weird human form of a pretzel. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep,’ she said, brushing her hair from her face and hoping she didn’t look as bad as she felt.
‘You didn’t have to stay,’ he said, his voice still croaky.
‘Where else would I be?’ She moved her hand to on top of his.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said, breaking the quiet of the room.
‘Don’t worry about all that now.’
‘I love you, Ri.’
‘I know,’ she said softly. ‘I love you too.’ But he was already asleep.
A nurse came in and smiled at her. ‘He’s still on a lot of pain medication. I think you better go and get some rest. I didn’t have the heart to wake you when I came in earlier, but you’re not going to thank me when you’re all stiff and sore later.’
Rilee had reluctantly dragged herself back to the motel. It was quiet without her parents there; they’d been happy to stay longer, but Rilee couldn’t see the point. She was spending most of her time at the hospital and there was really nothing they could do. Still, it had been nice to have them around and she felt a little teary about how great everyone had been throughout the whole ordeal.