‡‡
Maggie raced through the doors of the hospital, Hannah hot on her heels.
“Josh Harden’s room, please,” she asked the nurse at the front desk. Her hands were shaking and for a moment she thought she might faint. Hannah stood beside her, gripping her hand.
“Room 204,” the nurse answered. “Just down the hall and to the right.”
“Thank you.”
Both of them scurried down the hall, but Maggie stopped dead in her tracks at the door. Pictures of Josh flashed before her. The night of their prom, in the doorway at her dad’s funeral, the dance at the football game, his huge grin at Christmas in a Santa hat, him telling her to come home to him, their kiss on the front porch.
“What? What is it?” Hannah asked her.
Maggie’s eyes grew wide as she looked at her friend.
“I can’t do it.”
“Can’t do what? You can’t go into the room?”
“I can’t live without him, Hannah. I just can’t.” A sob escaped from deep in her gut. “I was going to tell him I love him. I need him. But I just didn’t get the right moment. And now…” She placed a hand over her mouth and wrapped her other arm around her middle, if only to hold herself together. If not, she might break into a thousand tiny little pieces. Why hadn’t she just told Josh flat out how she felt? Now she might not ever get the chance.
Hannah moved toward her and held her tight. “No one says you have to live without him. Let’s get in there and find out more details. I’m sure it’s all going to be fine.”
Maggie nodded and Hannah pushed open the door.
Talia and Roy were sitting beside the bed. Talia’s eyes were red and puffy. Roy’s hair was mussed and his face had a five o’clock shadow.
Tubes led from Josh’s body to big machines nearby. He looked pale and lifeless, so unlike the man who held her and kissed her the night before.
A lump formed in Maggie’s throat and she couldn’t speak. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Come here,” Roy said as he stood and pulled her into a fatherly hug. “Don’t you worry. He’s going to be just fine.”
The look on Talia’s face made Maggie believe otherwise.
“What happened?” Hannah asked, taking the chair next to Talia.
“He got a call last night from Jack. They’ve been having some trouble with a client in San Francisco and he needed Josh to go there right away.”
Maggie’s thoughts drifted to the previous night. That must have been why he had to leave her house.
“He was headed to the airport when he rolled his Jeep. The police believe he swerved to miss something in the road.” Sobs shook her body and she was unable to finish.
Roy continued for his wife. “He has a broken arm and scratches and bruises. He took a good blow to the head and there’s some swelling on the brain.”
Talia spoke again. “They were able to relieve some of the pressure, but the next forty-eight hours are crucial. If the swelling doesn’t go down…” She tried to finish, but couldn’t. Hannah put an arm around her while she cried.
“The bottom line is, the sooner he wakes up, the better,” Roy said. He stood with Maggie next to the bed, one arm still around her. She was grateful, not knowing if her legs would hold her otherwise.
They all looked down at Josh. Maggie didn’t know what to say and wasn’t sure her voice would work even if she did.
Hannah looked at Roy and Talia. “Why don’t you two come with me and we’ll go find some coffee?”
“That’s a fine idea,” Roy said, and Talia nodded. He helped his wife up from her chair.
“Maggie, you sit here, dear,” she said. “Maybe it would do some good to have him hear you and know you’re here.”
Maggie stared at her blankly but nodded in agreement.
The couple left the room with Hannah in tow.
“Are you gonna be okay?” she asked from the doorway.
Again, Maggie nodded.
Hannah gently closed the door, leaving the two of them alone.
Maggie could hear her breathing mixed in with the steady beeps from the equipment by the bed. Josh’s chest moved up and down, the same chest she’d fallen asleep on last night. A lock of his hair fell on his forehead, no product in it to stand it up like he preferred. His hands lay lifeless by his sides. She had always loved his hands, big enough to palm a football. Strong and capable. Her hand would get lost in his gentle grip, making her feel safe, protected. She rubbed the back of his hand with her fingers. Leaning forward, she pushed the lock of hair out of his eyes, tears staining the sheets on his bed.
“Please don’t leave me,” she whispered.
Laying her head on his arm, she sobbed.
*
A soft hand rested on her shoulder. Opening her eyes, she saw Roy and Talia had returned.
“You drifted off to sleep, dear,” Talia said.
Maggie lifted her head from Josh’s arm, her hands still wrapped around his.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Roy said. “Hannah convinced us to get something to eat so we took longer than originally intended. I can see we left Josh in good hands though.” He winked at her.
She smiled. Her head was fuzzy and her eyes were swollen from crying. She could only imagine what her hair looked like, but she didn’t care. All that mattered now was Josh. As she looked at him, her heart willed him to wake up. He hadn’t moved since she got there, no signs of any change.
“Why don’t you go home and get some rest?” Talia asked her.
“No, thank you. I want to stay here with him if that’s okay with you.”
“Of course it is.”
“In fact, why don’t you two go home and get some rest? You’ve been here much longer than I have. I can call you if there’s…any change.”
The couple looked at one another.
“I don’t know, Roy. What do you think?”
“I don’t feel good being away from him any more than you do, Talia, but Maggie’s right. It would do us both some good to get some rest.” He took his wife’s hand. “And Maggie here will look out for him.”
“I promise I’ll call you if anything happens. Anything at all,” Maggie assured them.
“Thank you, Maggie.” Talia came around the bed and hugged her. “I’m so glad he has you. He loves you so much.”
Tears formed again in Maggie’s eyes.
“No more tears, honey. We’ll talk soon.”
They left her again in the quiet of the room.