This statement produced an inadvertent lull in the conversation. I had never approved of Robert’s current wife, Courtney, and doubted I ever would.
“I should go. I have a few e-mails to deal with myself.” I began to rise from my chair.
“Hold on a second.”
Robert’s tone was soft so I sat back down. “Yes?”
“I’m supposed to meet with Don Taylor tomorrow morning about the Hydro Flask account. You’re pretty familiar with the project by now.”
“I am.”
“Why don’t you take the meeting instead? We need to get people used to dealing with you in a leadership capacity. This is a good opportunity for that.”
I stared at my father, stunned.
“That is, if you have the time.”
“I have the time.”
“Good. I’ll call him when we go back and let him know.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re good at your job. I don’t know if advertising is your true passion, but you’ve always done right by the firm,” he said.
“I’m glad you think so.”
“I’d never hand the agency off to anyone just because they’re family. You’ve earned your success here.”
Robert began to stretch his hand in my direction, but then drew it back. Instead, he patted the table before standing up and drawing our monumental discussion to a close.
“Stop by my office tomorrow after the meeting. I’ll want to know how it all goes.”
“I will.”
We returned to work, and Robert secured my breakfast meeting for the following morning. I left the office less than an hour later and went straight home. I was in a good mood and wanted to share the developments with my father with Jack. I reached into the pocket of my purse that held my phone and found it empty. I then searched the pocket to confirm my phone wasn’t hiding deep within.
“Shit,” I mumbled. I emptied the contents of my entire purse. I’d left my phone at the office. I glanced down at my pajamas and commenced an internal debate. Did I want my phone enough to change back into regular clothes and drive back to work?
I didn’t have a landline at my condo, so I kind of did. I missed speaking with Jack and wanted to have his baritone voice to tickle my ear. On the other hand, he was enjoying the last hours of his vacation time with Heide, and what I had to say wasn’t urgent. It could all wait until the morning. With extreme reluctance I got used to being cut off from Jack for the night.
I retrieved my phone charger from my bedside table and repacked my purse. There was no doubt my phone battery would be drained by the time I returned to the office.
TO MY delight, Don Taylor suggested that we meet at Chow. The restaurant was well known for its farm to table approach and was one of Bend’s most popular places for locals and tourists alike. The restaurant featured large windows, colored walls coupled with white wainscoting, hardwood floors and fresh flowers on each table. Although I took the time to enjoy breakfast, Chow made the experience divine.
I savored each bite of my blueberry pancakes while Don opted for the buttermilk biscuits ’n’ gravy. The pleasing aromas of various dishes lingered in the air and our conversation was productive yet light. Before I knew it we were back outside, preparing to part ways. Our good-byes were interrupted by the ominous sound of multiple emergency vehicles. Curious, we watched in silence as an ambulance raced by, followed by a fire truck and two police cars.
“Someone’s having a bad morning,” Don said as he chewed on a toothpick.
I glanced around at our surroundings and even the horizon. “I don’t see any smoke, do you?”
Wildfires were a constant threat during the summer months. Now that I took the time to think about the possibility, it was surprising that one or two hadn’t already broken out nearby.
“Nope,” Don confirmed. “It’s probably a car crash. People are in a big damn rush these days. Looks like you’re headed in their direction. Better watch the road on your way back to work.”
“I will. Drive safe.”
We waved to one another and went our separate ways.
My meeting with Don had taken place midmorning and had run into the lunch hour. It was half past eleven when I pulled into the parking lot at the firm. I was relieved when I hadn’t encountered an accident on the drive over, but a sweeping glance at the surrounding cars left me disappointed. Jack’s car was nowhere to be seen. I shouldn’t have been surprised. He took his midday break like clockwork, and I had missed another opportunity to be with him.
I took my time making my way inside the building. With Jack gone, there was no reason to hurry. I entered my office and pulled my charger from my purse. I was going to get myself back on the grid and send a text to Jack just as soon as my phone powered up. Before I could even complete that one simple task, Robert appeared in my doorway.
I observed his impatient demeanor with a rapid glance and experienced another churning swell of disappointment and anger. Not even one day had passed since our talk and we were already back at square one.
“Have you checked your phone?” he asked without preamble.
Annoyed by too many things in that moment, I swiped the device from my desk and held out the blank screen in my father’s direction. “I need to charge it.”
“I’ve been trying to get a hold of you—” he began but I cut him off.
“I wasn’t ignoring you,” I huffed. “I left my phone here last night, and then I was meeting with Don about the Hydro Flask account this morning. Remember? I know you want a debriefing, but can I please get organized and see you after lunch?”
“This isn’t about that.” Robert’s voice remained stern. Serious. “Jack is at the hospital. In the emergency room.”
“What?”
Without another word from either of us, I dropped my phone into my purse along with the charger. I slung my bag over my shoulder with shaking hands and pushed past my father. Without looking back, I made for the nearest exit.
“Kathleen!” Robert yelled.
I could hear Robert’s footfalls on the carpet behind me, but Jack was in the ER.
I didn’t need to know anything else.
I didn’t want to stop.
I didn’t want to waste a second.
So I didn’t.
I broke into a run before my father could catch up to me and delay my departure. I burst through the exit into the parking lot. As I unlocked my car and tossed my purse on the passenger seat, Don’s words echoed in my ears. “Someone’s having a bad morning… It’s probably a car crash.”
I took a deep breath as I put my car into reverse and stepped on the gas pedal. Whatever had happened to Jack, I needed to remain calm. I wouldn’t do either of us any good by wrecking my own car on the way to the hospital.
By now, the lunch hour in Bend was underway, and I navigated the increased traffic clenching the steering wheel. Stopping for red lights was infuriating. Getting stuck behind drivers who had all the fucking time in the world was maddening. Whenever I was forced to bring my car to a halt, I squirmed in my seat. My nerves got the better of me in the end, and I passed someone illegally at the final intersection before the hospital. I couldn’t stand to wait any longer.
Even my arrival at the hospital was stressful. Finding a parking space was a hassle, and I had to settle for a spot on the street on the opposite side of the building from the emergency room. I left my car and jogged in the general direction of the ER. I was crossing a second street when a low noise reached my ears. When I was halfway across the road, the true meaning of the increasing volume of the noise registered.
I stopped in the middle of the street, mindless of any approaching traffic. I’d heard that exact noise so many times during my years in Bend that I’d become all but immune to it. That afternoon, however, the disturbing scream of the familiar engine rattled me to the core.
I didn’t need to look up to determine the source, but I did anyway, just in time to see the medical helicopter fly ov
erhead. The helicopter was far too close and the powerful roar of the machine grew so loud I no longer recognized the tone. The chopper was descending onto the hospital’s landing pad.
The fear that had been percolating within me now exploded into full-blown terror.
When I made my way into the ER, my eyes froze on the secure entrance to the examination rooms. The wooden windowless door was the final barrier between Jack and me.
“Can I help you?” A woman’s voice called from behind a glass-partitioned reception desk.
I whipped my head in her direction. “I hope so. I was told Jack Evans was brought here this morning.” I glanced down at my ringless finger and dropped my hands from the clerk’s view as I approached her desk. “I’m his fiancée.”
Fuck it. He’ll understand.
“Your name?”
“Kathleen Brighton. Please. I need to see him.”
The woman nodded and held up her hand. “If you could have a seat in the waiting area, I’ll check with a nurse.”
It wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear, but it wasn’t a denial either. I nodded and forced a grim smile, willing every ounce of strength and patience within me to remain polite with my lone ally in the room.
“Thank you.”
The clerk picked up her phone and dialed an extension while I took the nearest available seat to the exam room door. I forced myself to sit still and take in slow controlled breaths. I would never receive permission to enter the exam room if I couldn’t maintain my own self-control. I glanced nervously around. There were just a few people on the surrounding chairs and they all appeared bored rather than distressed. I hoped beyond hope that the dull serenity of the reception area would bode well in my favor.
The woman’s muffled voice drifted through the small opening in her partition, drawing my full attention. I strained to hear her words.
“Mr. Evans’ fiancée is here. Can I send her back?”
Please God. Please God. Please God.
“Yes … I understand … I’ll let her know.”
Please God. Please God. Please God.
I watched the clerk with anticipation as she hung up her phone. I was certain anxiety had blossomed all over my face, but I was also certain I couldn’t do anything to disguise it.
The woman looked up with an unreadable expression. “Kathleen? Can you come over here, please?”
I rose on rubbery legs and walked with deliberate restraint to the reception desk. My panic was escalating by the second, and I was too frightened to speak. I knew my voice would betray me and reveal my suppressed horror.
The woman met my eyes with a serious face. “The nurse manager will allow you in to see your fiancé, but please stay with him and do not wander away. Things are hectic in there right now.”
I nearly burst out laughing with relief. Not only was I going to see Jack, but I was sure my worst fears had just been put to rest.
“Yes. Thank you. Thank you so much.”
The clerk gestured to the door. “I’ll buzz you in. He’s in Exam Room 5. Stay with him.”
“Room 5. Yes. Thank you. I appreciate this so much.” I made my way to the door. It clicked as I reached for the push bar and opened without resistance. I was determined to get to Jack.
I was unfamiliar with this part of the hospital. When my ovary had ruptured several years before, I’d been brought to this ER as a patient, but I had no memory of the incident. Mercifully, locating Jack was not a difficult task. I just knew where to find him as though pulled by gravity.
He sat upright on the side of an exam bed, still dressed in his work attire, his shined shoes touching the linoleum floor. I dropped my purse on a single folding chair and approached him. He’d been left unattended, much to my annoyance, and he appeared dazed. Jack showed no obvious signs of physical injury, so I began my own timid examination.
I inspected his body with my hands, starting with his heart. I set my palm flat against his mint green dress shirt and closed my eyes for a brief moment, seeking solace in the warmth of his body. His heart was beating fast, but strong.
“I’m sorry, Jack,” I began as tears threatened to overtake me. “I was stupid. I left my phone at the office last night. I should have gone back for it when I realized what I’d done. But I was too fucking lazy. I’m so sorry.”
My fingers roamed over his torso and traveled down his arms. He did not flinch in pain or voice any distress at my touch. In fact, I couldn’t find a damn thing wrong with him. My confusion melded into resentment when I reached his wrists. I blinked, and stared at one and then the other and back again. There was no hospital band. Something was wrong with him, and yet here he was sitting in an exam room, neglected. I needed to get him help. Now.
“Jack,” I said firmly, hoping to capture his attention. “My friend, Sarah, works here. Remember? She’s the one I’ve been helping with a fundraiser. I’m going to call her and ask her to get a doctor for you right away.”
I began to reach for my bag when Jack grasped onto my arms, his fingers digging into my flesh in an unfamiliar and terrifying way. He wanted my undivided attention and now he had it.
I studied his face once again, this time with intensity. He wasn’t injured. He was watching something. Something behind me. I shifted my focus to listen to the sounds over my shoulder. There were several voices and a great deal of activity in the exam room across the corridor. I peered over my shoulder and followed Jack’s gaze. When I took in the rush of chaos just a few feet away, I reciprocated his hard grasp.
Across the way was a frenzy of doctors and nurses attending to a body on another gurney. Their efforts were obvious. They were fighting to save the life of a small child whose tiny feet were still clad in a pair of Minecraft Creeper socks.
“HEIDE!” I turned in a vain attempt to wrench myself from Jack’s hold. My logic in that moment was asinine. There was nothing I could do to help her or those trying to save her, but I was desperate to run to her side. I almost broke free, but then Jack’s strong arms encircled me and pinned my back to his chest.
“We have to stay here,” he whispered, pained as though the wind had been knocked from him.
As Jack finished his words, three men in dark blue flight suits appeared from another hallway, pushing a large orange gurney. The tallest of the three spoke with one of the ER nurses. The other two men inserted themselves into the group working on Jack’s daughter, inciting my immediate jealousy. The nurse rattled off Heide’s vitals and other pertinent news regarding her condition, but I was already too deep in shock to absorb anything she said. She may as well have been speaking a different language.
“Where are they taking her?” I asked, not knowing whether Jack would hear me or not.
“To Portland. I took her to Lydia’s this morning before work. The girls were playing at the park and she was hurt.” Jack’s voice broke on the final word.
I stopped asking questions for the time being.
A couple of agonizing minutes later, the man who’d been speaking to the ER nurse approached us.
“You’re Heide’s father?” he asked Jack.
Jack simply nodded.
“My name is Keith. I’m one of the flight nurses that will be taking your daughter to Portland.”
“Which hospital?” I interrupted. “Legacy Emmanuel or OHSU?”
Keith looked at me for a brief moment as he answered. “OHSU.”
Keith returned his attention to Jack. “Do you understand what’s happened to Heide and why she’s being transferred to another hospital?”
“Not completely,” Jack said. “I know she fell and has internal injuries. But they’ve been so busy helping her I didn’t want to interfere.”
Keith nodded. “Sure. Let me explain. Your daughter has multiple severe injuries, and the doctors here are concerned about her lungs. They’ve both collapsed and she can’t breathe on her own. Her condition is critical. Although St. Charles has a Level II trauma unit, the ICU here is full. We can fly her to Portland in less
than an hour.”
“What happened to her?” I asked.
“The first responders reported that she was climbing on a backstop when it tipped over and crushed her. When her friend couldn’t pull her out, she ran for help.”
My comprehension was frazzled, and I shook my head as I tried to process what Keith had just said. “A backstop? You mean like on a baseball field? Behind home plate?”
“Exactly. When help arrived, she was unconscious and not breathing. The EMT’s at the scene were unable to insert a breathing tube down her windpipe, so they performed a tracheostomy. She’s been stabilized as best she can in the ER, but we need to take her to Portland now.”
“Can I fly with her?” Jack asked.
Keith hesitated and glanced over his shoulder at Heide before answering.
“I can’t authorize that,” he explained after turning to face us. “I’ll ask the pilot, but it’s his call. I wouldn’t get your hopes up. They sent four of us over. I’m not sure the pilot will want the extra weight.”
If Jack’s request was denied that meant the only way to reach Heide in Portland was to drive there. The journey would take several hours by car, and there was no question that I would be going with Jack. He was in no shape to drive home, let alone to Portland.
“Let me make the final preparations for the flight,” Keith said. “I’ll let you know what the pilot’s decision is.”
“Thanks,” Jack replied with a chilling lack of hope.
We waited, helpless to do anything but observe the medical team prepare Heide for her flight. The clock in the exam room indicated it was not yet one in the afternoon.
How had such a normal morning given way to this level of hell?
As promised, Keith returned within a few minutes. “I’m sorry,” he said to Jack without pretense. “The pilot says we can’t bring you onboard.”
Jack nodded, having already prepared himself for this decision. Keith carried a clipboard and grimaced as he removed a pen from his chest pocket.
“I know there’s a lot to take in right now, but I’ll need you to sign a couple of forms to authorize your daughter’s transfer.”
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