“I think he’s good for you, baby. I’ve never seen you so happy with a man before.”
I rested my head on her shoulder and closed my eyes. It had been a long night and exhaustion embraced me. I wanted to stay awake for Havoc but the act of resting my head caused my body to relax.
Mum murmured something but her words floated past without me deciphering them.
Havoc has to survive this.
I need him.
“Carla Walker?”
My eyes snapped open and I lifted my head.
When I saw a doctor approaching, I jumped out of my seat. “Yes.”
My breathing slowed when I took in the grim expression on his face, but I fought to remain calm. Who knew, maybe he always looked like that?
“I wanted to give you an update on your partner,” he said. I had to tell them Havoc was my partner for them to give me any information. “He’s had a significant liver laceration that has resulted in massive internal bleeding. The severe blood loss caused his blood pressure to drop dangerously low. We’ve given him a blood transfusion to replace the lost blood volume and prevent his body from going into shock.”
Internal bleeding.
Blood transfusions.
Going into shock.
The room spun while my brain processed all that.
This can’t be happening.
“Miss, are you okay?” The doctor took hold of my elbow and encouraged me to sit again.
“Carla.” My mother’s voice dragged me from my haze and I blinked as she came into focus. “Take a deep breath, baby.”
I sucked in as much air as I could.
I can’t breathe.
The doctor gently touched my arm. “We’ll let you know when we have new information.”
As soon as I nodded, he left.
Just like that.
I didn’t know what I was looking for from him, but it wasn’t any of that.
Havoc was stabbed.
Stabbed!
People die from that.
What else were you expecting?
The room spun and the darkness engulfed me.
* * *
“Carla.”
Nash.
“Carla, can you hear me?”
A hand rested against my cheek and I flinched awake. Nash’s face hovered above mine and I took in the deep frown settled on it. “I can hear you,” I mumbled as I tried to get my bearings.
He moved his face and slid his arms under my armpits. Lifting me off the floor, he settled me on a seat and crouched in front of me. “You fainted and fell off the chair. Luckily, Mum kinda caught you so that your head didn’t hit the floor. How are you feeling?”
I touched my head. “I’m fine.” My fear for Havoc crept back to me. It was funny how someone could come into your life so unexpectedly and then be such an important part of it so fast. I had that deep-in-my-bones feeling that I would be heartbroken if something happened to Havoc.
Nash’s eyes searched mine before he stood. Passing me a bottle of water, he said, “I’ve gotta go and deal with some club shit. Will you be okay for awhile without me?”
“Has something happened?”
A look crossed his face as if he was carefully weighing his next words. “Let’s just say that once we’re done, Havoc won’t have to worry about being stabbed again.”
I knew what he was saying. I was sure it should have caused some sort of emotion in me, disbelief perhaps, but the only emotion it triggered was relief. And it felt like justice.
“I’ll be good. Don’t worry about me. You just go and take care of what you need to.” I reached for his hand and added, “Thank you.”
He spoke with Velvet for a few moments before kissing her goodbye and leaving the three of us alone. Nash had left a message with Havoc’s sister, but so far, we hadn’t heard from her. I knew his dad was in hospital, but I didn’t know which one. I hoped his sister would arrive soon because his father needed to know what had happened.
Mum, Velvet and I sat waiting for the doctor for what felt like an eternity, but in reality was just over two more hours. Two hours were a long time when you were waiting for the kind of news we were waiting for.
As the doctor approached, I bolted out of my seat.
Same doctor.
Same grim look on his face.
My heart sped up.
“Tell me it’s good news.” The words gushed out of my mouth.
He nodded, but the grim expression he wore didn’t change. “He’s out of surgery and will be moved to intensive care where we’ll monitor his vitals. His condition is serious, but for now he is stable.”
“So he’s going to be okay?” Please say yes.
“It’s too soon to say for sure, but he’s stable for now. We need to keep an eye on his liver enzymes and make sure his blood pressure stabilises.”
Oh, God.
He’s not saying yes.
I stared at him, willing him to say something else, something good, but in the end, all he said was, “If you want, you can head up to ICU now and wait for him. It will still be some time before you’ll be able to see him, but if you let the nurses know when you get there, they’ll notify you as soon as you can go in.”
My words were captive in my throat, so Mum thanked the doctor. My heart crumbled as he left.