by Kailin Gow
Rachel said adamantly, “If he has a chance of waking up from this coma, I want him to have it.”
Nat turned to me. “I know you’re not married to him yet, but it’s like you two are already married so…”
“If he is in a coma, he’d rather die,” I said. “Please, let’s at least give him a chance to live.”
Nat turned to the doctor and said, “Do it. Give him the drug, and watch him carefully for any side effects. If there are, do we know how to treat it?”
“It’s so experimental and everyone seems to react differently. We honestly don’t know what will happen as a side effect.”
“Okay, then, we’ll come to that when the time comes if it does,” Nat said.
The doctor hurried back to the other doctors, and quickly prepared the administration of the new drug.
Nat took Rachel, my mom and I to an area in the medical building where we can sit and wait. It was more luxurious and comfortable than any waiting room at a hospital, and the food area had all the snacks and drinks you could imagine.
Rachel loaded up on the snacks, but I couldn’t eat. I was so worried my stomach was knotted up. Finally, Nat came by and handed me a mug of hot chocolate. With marshmellows and whipped cream.
I took a sip and quickly inhaled it. Best hot chocolate I’ve ever had, and it did make me feel better.
“Thanks,” I said to Nat.
“No need to thank me,” he said. “Haven’t you learn already, Summer, that when it comes to you…” he looked away, and I could see him struggling.
I knew what he was going to say, but with Drew hanging by a thread to life, Nat knew he didn’t and shouldn’t be saying anything.
He got up and walked away to look out the window. “You could stay here, but I know my men would like an update as to my sudden disappearance earlier.”
Rachel blushed and said, “Oh, I think they all have an idea, and well, I kinda made up something so they wouldn’t ask.”
Nat shook his head, “I’m scared to find out what, but nonetheless, I have to meet up with Kenneth Stone and Luis to get an update on what has been going on since I left.”
Rachel coughed and said, “I think things were pretty quiet around here so I wouldn’t worry.”
Nat gave Rachel a playful but mean look before he said, “If there’s any news about Drew, text me.”
“We will,” I said.
I got up and went over to the window to look out to the Compound’s garden, waterfall, and oasis. It was so peaceful being here and so quiet.
When Drew wakes up, hopefully we could go back to the way things were, and it wouldn’t be so crazy. Now that Nat was back, although I still have feelings for him which probably would never go away, I would have to accept that he and I now have different lives and what we had once was in the past. My future was with Drew, and…
The doctor who told us about the drug walked in and said, “Everyone, we have good news. He’s up!”
All of us ran to the surgery room to see Drew opening his eyes. He seemed disoriented at first, asking where he was. Then when he focused, he saw Rachel first and said, “Rachel, where am I?”
Rachel hugged him and said, “At Nat’s place.”
Drew looked confused. “Nat? Who is he?”
Rachel looked at me and all the doctors. “He’s well, he’s our brother.”
“Brother?” Drew asked. “I have a brother?”
“Yes, and you remember Summer, don’t you?” Rachel pushed me forward to stand in front of Drew.
“Who is Summer?” Drew asked.
My heart fell seeing he was being honest. “I’m your fiancé, Drew,” I said.
“I’m getting married? Why?” he said. “I’m Drew Donovan. Aren’t I the most eligible bachelor? Why would I want to get married?”
Everyone looked at me and my mother’s mouth fell open. “This is the side effects?” she asked. “No wonder this drug hasn’t been approved.”
“Aunt Sookie?” Drew asked, looking over at my mother and then staring into an area right next to her. “What are you doing here? I thought we only get to visit your beach house during the summer. Isn’t it winter?”
We looked over to where Drew was staring and couldn’t see anyone there.
“What is that kid doing?” Drew asked pointing to an open area where no one was standing. “He’s playing around with a sharp knife. Tell him to stop. Don’t you know knives are dangerous?”
I walked over to the doctor and said, “What’s going on?”
“Like I said every patient using these drugs will have different effects. Seems as though he is hallucinating and having memory loss at the same time.” He turned to me and said, “He had some incidences of being schizophrenic, didn’t he?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Looks like the drug made it worse.”
“How worse, doctor?”
“I don’t know if medications will be able to control him.”
“Excuse me,” I said running out of the room and outside of the building into the garden outside. I couldn’t breathe in there. Drew may not recover from his state. He may never recognize me or remember anything about me. All because he got shot trying to protect me.
I stumbled into the garden, unsure how to proceed, but saw men running all over the place.
A building was on fire inside the compound. One that was to the far right of the garden. It looked like a warehouse.
Someone ran past me and said, “It just blew up.”
That woke me up from my state of confusion and I ran to the warehouse. If there was an explosion there would be injured people. I was a doctor who can help.
I searched through the debris for anyone who seemed injured before the fire can get to them. There were maybe one or two men who had been in the warehouse at the time. One of them sustained minor burns, while the other…half his body was covered in flames, which I quickly put out with a nearby blanket.
“Are you alright?” I asked. “Help!” I yelled, trying to get someone to lift this man up so we can carry him to get treatment.
A couple of men arrived and lifted the man who seemed unconscious. His face was covered in soot and ash, but I would know him from anywhere.
Oh dear God, it was Nat.
“Nat!” I cried. “Hold on. We’re getting help. We’re taking you to the medical building.”
“Summer,” he cried. “It hurts really bad.”
“Please hold on, Nat,” I ran along beside the men who were hurrying as fast they could. They were all worried about Nat.
“Summer, I love you,” Nat said. “I always have.”
“I love you, too, Nat,” I said, not bothering to wipe the tears streaming down my face.
They had place him on a surgery table and was treating him. I stood by and kept talking to him so he wouldn’t feel the pain. He must’ve suffered deep burns. “Nat, you’re going to pull through. You have to. Drew woke up. He’s fine. We’re all going to be fine.”
“Oh, thank God,” Nat said.
“When we get through this,” I said. “We have a lot to celebrate.” I bent down to kiss him. It just happened, and whatever it was, it made Nat smile.
“We are going to get through this, Summer. All of us, no matter how long it takes. We will pull through.”
*****
This is the end to the Free Fall Series.
A Note from the Author
It is difficult to end a series when the characters have so much to say and do still. Some of you may be expecting a Happy Ever After here, but the circumstances of this story, told mostly from Nat’s point of view, led to this ending, which is a Happy For Now ending in its own way.
Stay tuned for more of The Loving Summer Series, which will more likely resumed at the end of 2016.
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Thank you for Reading the Free Fall Series
Kailin Gow, Free Fall Box Set (Loving Summer #8)