Playing the Game: Providence University Book 6

by Parker, Ali

  Not if Avery died. If I lost her, I wouldn’t be lucky at all. I felt the lump in my throat grow so big it nearly choked me. I said a silent prayer for God to bring her back to me.

  “I want to get up,” I said. “I can’t stay here. I have to check on her.”

  “She’s not out of surgery yet, but if you’re good, we’ll let you up in a little while, and you’ll be all set when she gets put in a room.”

  I knew it was the best they could do for me. I agreed to lie still and let myself rest a bit. And as soon as the nurse left fifteen minutes later, I rose up slowly and took a deep breath.

  I was fine, though my head was a little swimmy. I had to see if Avery had made it through. Besides, I knew that Clara and Dillon were there somewhere, and possibly her parents.

  Without being released, I got up from my bed and peeked around the curtain from where they had me in my own little curtained-lined room. I slipped out, moving quietly down the hall. Thankfully, they hadn’t stripped off my clothes, which were slightly stained with blood. They must have been too busy working on Avery, which was just fine as long as they saved her life.

  I was disoriented a bit but found my way out to the emergency waiting room.

  Dillon stood at the other end of the hall, pacing in a circle as Clara was at the desk asking questions.

  I called out to him. “Dillon.”

  He looked up and met me halfway. “Man, are you okay? We saw the wrecker on the way. The car is totaled. Clara is freaking out.”

  “Has she heard anything?” All I still cared about was how Avery was doing.

  “They said Avery was admitted for internal bleeding and had to have surgery. That’s all they’ll say. She got really messed up, so I guess you were driving.”

  “Yeah, but it wasn’t my fault.” I didn’t want them to blame me as much as I wanted to blame myself.

  “We know. I talked to a cop just outside. He said he saw it, and neither of you saw it coming. The driver of the truck didn’t make it.”

  “I caught a glimpse of it just before he hit us. I turned to look, but I had no time to react. Avery took the impact. I swear I don’t know what I’ll do if she’s not okay.”

  Clara looked over from the desk, where she had been dealing with other matters for her sister.

  She rose up out of her seat, and I expected her to come over and slap my face. I wouldn’t blame her if she did.

  Instead, she surprised me. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m not worried about me.” I felt the tears run hot down my cold cheeks. “I just want her to be okay.”

  Clara began to cry too. “Me too.” She wrapped her arms around me, and for a thin girl, she gave a pretty tight hug. “It’s going to be okay. She’s got to be fine. She’s too strong to quit.”

  About that time, the nurse came around the corner. “There you are.” She walked over, giving me a stern look. “You’re supposed to be lying down. You have a concussion, and that blood pressure is very unstable.”

  “I’m not going back in there until I get news about Avery.”

  “Sir, come on. You letting yourself go down isn’t going to help her any. Now come on and let’s get you all better so you can be there for her.”

  I didn’t want to go. “No,” I said.

  About that time, a doctor walked out of the back and called out Avery’s name.

  I nearly ran over the nurse getting to him. “Is she okay?”

  Clara walked up. “Avery is my sister,” she said. “Could you please tell us something?”

  “Certainly,” said the doctor, giving me a sympathetic look. “Are you okay, son?”

  “I’ll be better when I know something.”

  The nurse, who finally caught up to me, shrugged but let the doctor speak.

  “Yes, about your sister,” he said to Clara. “We had to go in and remove her spleen. She’s lost a lot of blood, and we need a donor. You should be a match.”

  “I can’t give blood,” said Clara as tears fell down her cheek. “I’m a heart patient.”

  The doctor nodded as if he could tell just from looking at her too.

  “I’ll do it,” I said. “I’m a universal donor.” I saw the nurse shaking her head. “Can’t I do that with a concussion?”

  “If your blood pressure was normal, yes, we could do it. But you have to go lie down.”

  “We’ll stay with you,” said Clara.

  “There’s something else,” said the doctor. “To keep her stable, I’m going to have to put her in a drug-induced coma. Her body has been through a lot, and it’s the only way she’s going to make it.”

  Clara began to weep and fell against Dillon.

  I turned to the nurse with tears in my eyes. “See if I can give. I have to help her.”

  She gave me a sympathetic look and led me back to my room.

  Clara and Dillon weren’t far behind.

  I lay down, and the woman got the blood pressure cuff as I tried to think happy thoughts for Avery. I mostly thought about her in better days when she was smiling and happy. I had to take care of her so she could smile for me again.

  The nurse checked my blood pressure, and a look of surprise came over her face. “You’re good to go,” she said. “Barely, but if you can relax, I’ll allow it.”

  I felt a big sigh of relief, and the nurse disappeared only long enough to get what she needed and get back to me. It all moved really fast, but soon, they had the blood they needed and carried it away.

  In the silence as they left, I closed my eyes. All we could do now was pray.

  Chapter 19

  Avery

  I woke up with the sun shining in the window and no idea where I was. My parents were only shadows in the corner, chatting softly, but I could see Clara plainly sitting beside me.

  “Where am I?” I croaked out, my voice so raspy I felt as if I had drunk a pail of sand.

  Clara leaned forward, her eyes wide with amazement. “Avery? Oh my God. She’s awake!”

  My parents came into focus, gathering around the bed. “I’ll get the nurse,” said my father, taking off in a hurry.

  “You’re in the hospital, honey,” said my mother, whose hair was limp as if she hadn’t combed it in a week. “We’ve been so worried about you.” She had a weepy tone in her voice, and instead of comforting me, it put me on edge.

  “What happened?” I pulled the sheet closer.

  “Don’t you remember the accident?” asked Clara. “You and Seth were supposed to meet us for dinner. You had a wreck on the way, and you’ve been here since.”

  I remembered the double date and how nervous I was that Clara wouldn’t accept Seth. I remembered we were almost to the restaurant and Seth smiling at me as if he was reassuring me things would be fine.

  Fear overcame me as I realized Seth was not there with them. I closed my eyes tightly and squeezed out a couple of tears. “Where is he? Is he okay?” What if Seth hadn’t made it?

  Clara patted my shoulder. “He’s fine. He’s gone to rugby practice. He has his big game tonight.” Her eyes were bright, and she looked healthy for a change. “He’s been here every day with you, worried sick. I guess I was wrong about him after all. He’s kind of growing on me.”

  Hearing that made me feel good, but for a moment, I was afraid I’d woken up in an alternate universe. “Where’s Dillon?” I asked, hoping more questions would sort it out.

  Clara handed me a bottled water she had taken the cap from. “Here, drink this. You sound like you’ve gargled glass.”

  I took a drink as she continued.

  “Dillon’s been around too. He had to go and meet with his coach. He’s been worried as much as the rest of us. I guess you’ve grown on him too.”

  “How long have I been here?” It felt like only a day had passed, but she made it sound like it had been much longer.

  “Just over a week,” said my mother.

  “A week?” Had I lost an entire week? I had way too much to do. We had one more game to
go, despite no chance of making finals, but we wanted to end strong. And there was school. I had worked hard all year, and now I was an entire week behind? I tried to sit up in bed, but Clara put her hand on my chest to stop me just as the pain in my side made me wince.

  “Take it easy, sis. You’ve had surgery. They took out your spleen, and you’ve been in a coma. We’ve been waiting for you to wake up on your own since yesterday. They had no idea how long it would take.”

  I let that all sink in and decided instead of focusing on what had happened to me, which I obviously couldn’t change and had no control of, I would focus on how to move forward. “Is Seth coming back?”

  Before she could answer me, the nurse came in with my father. “Welcome back,” said the woman, who had a kind smile and her hair pulled up in a twist. “You can’t say you haven’t had a good rest.”

  “When can I go home?” I was anxious to get my life back to normal. I had school and tests coming up, not to mention I had to cheer Seth on. He didn’t need this kind of distraction from his game. I had vowed to myself not to interfere with his game.

  “You’ll be here a bit longer, I’m afraid. Just a couple of days most likely. But you’re doing really well. I think we’re looking at a Monday release.”

  “Was Seth hurt?” I asked, looking at Clara for the answers.

  “He had a concussion and a black eye, but he’s going to be fine.”

  The nurse spoke up. “Something tells me that hard head of his could handle the lick he took.”

  “Oh? You’ve met?”

  “Yeah, I was working the ER on a fill-in when you two showed up. I don’t know how romantic you’ll think it is, but he gave you a pint of blood. He was very determined to help you at all costs. I’ve never had a patient make an escape to go and check on their loved one.”

  I couldn’t believe he’d done that, but something else she’d said got my attention. “Wait, I needed blood?” The idea of Seth being a part of me was a little more than I expected to hear.

  “Yeah, I’m sorry I couldn’t help you,” said Clara. “But Seth volunteered. If I was healthier, I could have.” I could tell that she was beating herself up about her health. I didn’t want her to blame herself and get to feeling down again just because she couldn’t do anything to help me.

  “It’s okay, Clara. I know you would have if you could.”

  The nurse excused herself as my mother spoke up. “You are both very lucky.” She kissed my head and smiled at Clara. “You girls are so strong. And Seth? Well, he seems really sweet. Your father likes him too but hopes you’ll take things slow.”

  My father stepped up to the side of the bed. “And don’t worry about the car, kiddo. I’ve already got a replacement for you.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” I was glad he was there. I hadn’t even thought about the car, but I bet it was totaled if I needed a replacement.

  My father’s phone rang, and he glanced down. “Hey, kiddo, I have to go.” He turned his attention to Clara. “Are you staying with your sister?”

  “Yeah, I can stay a while. You two should go home and get some rest.” I had a feeling Clara was ready for our parents to be gone.

  My mother spoke up. “I’m going to get something to eat, get a shower, and I’ll be back to spend the night.”

  “It’s okay, Mom, come back tomorrow,” said Clara. “I’ll stay tonight. Me and Avery have a lot to talk about.”

  Mom hesitated. “Okay. I guess that’s fine. I do need the rest.”

  “And the shower,” said my father, who was still waiting to say his goodbyes.

  Mom gave him a pointed look, but he gave her a teasing grin. Sometimes, he still liked to tease as if they were still getting along. I wasn’t sure if it was his way of trying, but my mother had given up on them being friends ages ago.

  “Come on. You used to have such a good sense of humor.” He shook his head and let out a sigh.

  “Being married to you will do that to a person,” she said, getting in her jab. The two kissed my forehead and said their goodbyes, and thankfully, they left.

  Clara got up to close the door. “I hope you don’t mind me sending them away.”

  “Something tells me you have been putting up with a lot the past week while I’ve been sleeping.”

  “Yeah, you can say that. But let’s not worry about our parents. You need to relax and get better so we can get the hell out of here.”

  “Yeah, I think between the two of us, we’re keeping this hospital on their toes.”

  “At least I broke them in.” She giggled, and it faded into a sigh. “I’ve been so worried you weren’t going to wake up.”

  “Well, at least now you know what it feels like to worry about your sister. Payback is a bitch. Isn’t that the phrase?”

  “Yeah, it’s a bitch, all right. And speaking of bitches, I owe you an apology.”

  “Why?” She had done so much for me.

  “Because I wasn’t good to you about Seth. I should have given him the benefit of the doubt, knowing how much you cared about him. I should have trusted your judgment.”

  “Most of the rumors were not true. Seth admitted that he was wrong to cheat, but that was the only truth in any of them. They were all just blown out of proportion. And he let a few of them continue for Layla’s sake, even if they made him look bad.”

  “I can believe it. I mean, I still don’t want anyone to break your heart, but I’ll give Seth a chance. He’s really earned it and proved to me that he cares. I know the look on his face, that fear in his eyes. It was the same as Dillon’s when I was in the hospital.”

  “I need to tell him I’m awake.”

  “Let’s send him and Dillon both a text.” She took out her phone and began typing out a message.

  “Where’s my phone?” The last time I had seen it was in the car when I had just called her.

  “It was smashed in the accident, but don’t worry. Dad got you a new phone too. Seth called Omega House and asked for Dillon’s number. He told Micah what happened. A lot of people have been coming by to see you, and well, it’s pretty common knowledge that you and Seth are a thing.”

  I chuckled. “That’s all I have been wanting, and I ended up sleeping through the whole thing. I thought we’d make some grand entrance at a party or something but not like this.”

  “Yeah, well, everyone has been worried about you guys. The wreck was all over the news.”

  “What happened with that? I can’t remember.”

  “The guy who hit you wasn’t paying attention obviously. But he died on impact. It was his fault. He ran the light and hit you. You were both so lucky, Avery.”

  I felt my face and found a couple of bandages but nothing too big. “What is this?” There was also a bandage on my arm and one on my thigh.

  “Just some cuts and abrasions. You needed stitches on a few, but they were surprised it wasn’t so bad. They said you must have had time to look away. Or maybe the airbag stopped it. Seth said it’s because you were so tough. He’s been going on and on about how strong you are.”

  “Did you tell him?” I wanted to send a message of my own and hoped he could be where I could call him. I needed to hear his voice.

  She got a message back, and when she read it, she shook her head. “That was Dillon. He said he’s glad to hear it and he’ll be around later.”

  I sighed. “Maybe Seth is just too busy to be around the phone. His coach is a lot stricter than mine.”

  Clara nodded. “Probably.”

  I sank down in the bed and looked around the room. I was stuck there for the next few days and hoped it would go by fast.

  The soft rasp of knuckles sounded on the door.

  “Come in,” Clara called.

  I figured it was a nurse, but when I glanced up, I saw the biggest bouquet of flowers and Seth peeking over them with a black eye and a big smile.

  I began to cry, and my tears were stinging my face. “Hey, you,” I said. “You look like you’ve been in a fight.�
��

  “Yeah, well, you should try a mirror, pretty girl. You’re looking pretty tough yourself.” He hurried over and leaned down to kiss me, but I threw my arms around him and held him so tightly that I nearly busted a stitch.

  “I missed you.”

  “Well, I was already on the way when I got the message from Clara. Coach let us out of practice early to rest up for the game later. Thanks for that, by the way.” He and Clara exchanged a smile, which was really strange to see. It was like I had woken up to a dream, but the pain in my side let me know it was all real enough.

  “You’re welcome,” she said. “And I think I’ll give you two a little time alone. I’m going downstairs if you need anything.”

  “Just something to eat,” I said. “They will let me eat, won’t they?”

  “You bet. That’s the one thing I can say about this place. They like it when you eat.” She left the room laughing, and Seth sat in the chair she’d been in, pulling it closer to the bed.

  “It’s so good to see you awake. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve kissed your forehead this past week and wished I was a prince in a fairytale.”

  “Sleeping Beauty, huh?”

  “Something like that.” He looked into my eyes and brushed my hair back from my face. “I’m so sorry about everything. I wish I had been watching better, but the cop who witnessed everything said there was no time to react.”

  “It’s not your fault. And I’m fine. I’m going to be fine. Especially with you here.”

  He took my hand and held it. “I love you, Avery. I’ve wanted to tell you that all week. I was going to tell you after dinner with Clara and Dillon, but I didn’t have a chance. And when the wreck happened and I came to with you in surgery, I was so scared that I would never have a chance to tell you.”

  “I love you too. I realized it a couple of days before that. I’m glad I had a chance to say it too. I guess we’re official. I hear everyone knows about us.”

  “Yeah, official and most definitely exclusive.” He brought my hand to his lips and laid his head on the bed beside me. “It’s been such a hard week. I thought I was going to lose you too. All I want to do is hold you and sleep knowing you’re okay, but I know you’re probably ready to be awake.”