The nurse didn’t answer me right away, and when she did, her voice was professional and courteous. “We have the best doctors in the country here. He’s in good hands.” I knew she was giving me a stock answer. I wanted a real one.
Jerking my head up, I glared at her. “That’s not an answer.”
Turning my head back into position, she told me, “I know, but it’s the only one I have for you.” Her words were gentle and kind, but firm, and I understood: My question wasn’t answerable.
They ran some tests on me after my head was sewn back together—X-rays, an MRI. They gave me a cold pack for the strain in my shoulder and told me to ice it twenty minutes every hour. Other than feeling sore and achy and having a headache, I felt fine, and I told them that repeatedly. When all of the tests backed up what I was saying, the hospital finally released me.
After filling out my paperwork, I shuffled out to the emergency room lobby to wait for news on Kellan. Nobody had been able to tell me anything yet. It was a busy day in the ER, and as I scanned the crowd, I wondered how many poor souls had had their lives altered today. Like me. Tears filled my eyes, but I held them back. I didn’t have time to break down, and I didn’t need to. Kellan was going to be fine.
My purse was strapped around my chest. It had miraculously remained attached to me throughout the entire accident. Setting down my cold compress, I dug through my bag for my cell phone. Hopefully it had also survived and still worked. I needed to be doing something. I needed to be active. If I stopped, even just for a second, I’d start to think, and I didn’t want to think. I didn’t want to worry.
Thankfully, the phone was intact. Scrolling through the list of people that mattered to me, I wondered who to call first when I heard somebody shout at the top of their lungs, “Kiera!”
I looked up and scoured the patients until I found the person who had yelled for me. Eyes wide and bloodshot, my sister was running across the lobby to get to me; Griffin and Evan were right behind her. Anna engulfed me in a hug that knocked me back a step. It hurt, but I didn’t care. I tossed my arms around and hugged her back just as hard. “Anna,” I croaked, trying not to sob.
Smoothing my hair, she whispered, “You’re okay, you’re okay, thank God you’re okay.” Pulling back, she cupped my cheeks. “Do not ever scare me like that again, you hear me?”
I nodded as I fought back tears. Griffin and Evan stepped up to us. I looked around for Matt, but I didn’t see him anywhere. Both boys looked pale, somber. Griffin looked a little green as he held Gibson tight to his chest. “They won’t tell us anything. Do you know what’s happening to Kellan? Is he gonna be okay?” he asked, his voice breaking.
Stepping apart from Anna, I swallowed three times so I could speak. “He’s still in surgery.” Plastering on a fake smile, I added, “But he’ll be fine.”
Anna rubbed my back, “Kiera, I saw the accident on the Internet. The reporters caught every second of it.”
Blinking away the collecting moisture in my eyes, I locked gazes with her. “He’ll be fine,” I reiterated.
Eyes shimmering, Griffin stared down at his daughter. Evan enclosed me in a warm hug. When he pulled back, I scrunched my brows; it felt weird with my partially numb head. “Where’s Matt? Isn’t he here?”
Griffin sniffed, then looked toward a set of automatic doors. “He’s still outside. He said he needed to make some calls before he came in here . . .”
Giving Evan one last squeeze, I looked over to the doors. Sure enough, in the distance, I could see Matt pacing back and forth. He looked troubled, but that was to be expected. “I’m going to go let him know about Kellan.”
Everyone nodded at me. Anna cuddled into Griffin’s side. For once, the way the pair embraced each other was heartwarming and spoke volumes about how much they really did love each other. The way they looked at each other said even more. Turning from them, I made my way to Matt. He had to be just as worried as his band mates.
Halfway to the doors, the phone I was still clutching in my hand rang. Relief mixed with pain when I saw who was calling me. “Denny, I’m so glad you called, I—”
He cut me off. “I saw the accident on the news. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Denny let out a long, relieved exhale. “I was so worried. The footage is scary as hell, they won’t even show all of it on TV. God, I am so happy to hear your voice.”
I closed my eyes as I walked through the doors that led to where Matt was still walking back and forth. “I’m fine, but Kellan—”
Denny’s voice was so quiet, I almost didn’t hear him over the hum of the doors. “Please tell me he’s okay.”
I pressed my lips tight together. God, I hated saying it. I hated thinking it. I hated everything about this moment. “He’s in surgery. They aren’t sure . . .”