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Mom just stood there, nodding and blinking.
I carried my lifeless father out the door. I wasn’t waiting for an ambulance. I’d get there faster. I clipped my father into the passenger seat, and his head fell forward. I reclined the seat and positioned his head more comfortably. I couldn’t bring myself to check for a pulse. He had to be alive. This can’t be it.
I called Chase’s phone when I was on my way, but it kept going to voicemail. I made one last attempt before I arrived at the hospital.
“Hello?” he answered, huffing.
“Meet me at the hospital.”
“What’s going on?”
“I’m on the way to the hospital with Dad.”
“What do you mean? You’re heading there now?”
“Yes! Get your head out of your ass and listen to what the fuck I’m saying!”
“Okay. I’ll be there soon.”
I dropped my phone into my lap and glanced over at my father in the passenger seat. “Please hold on, Dad. Hold on. We’re almost there.”
Several minutes later, I screeched to a halt in front of the emergency room entrance. I lifted my father out of the car and carried him into the waiting room as fast as I could. Two people wearing scrubs came running out from behind the double doors.
“What happened?” the woman asked, while the man signaled for a gurney.
“He just collapsed. He has cancer.” I didn’t know what else to say. I didn’t know what the fuck was happening.
A third person pushed the gurney toward us, and I carefully placed my father onto it. They rolled him away from me, shouting things to each other. I didn’t understand any of it.
“Sir, you have to wait here,” the man ordered.
“The fuck I am! That’s my father.”
The man remained calm while the others wheeled my father farther away. “If you want us to help him, you need to stay here.”
I was tempted to knock him out and chase after the gurney. Don’t do anything stupid. He’s going to help Dad. I remained where I stood, watching the doors close slowly behind them.
“Sir,” the receptionist called. “You can have a seat and start filling out paperwork, if you want. It’ll help take your mind off things for a bit while you wait.”
I stared at her blankly, and turned my head back to the double doors. Mom would be here soon. She would be able to fill out the paperwork. I needed to stand right here and wait for Dad.
Charlotte
I rubbed my eyes as I turned over in bed. The alarm clock on my nightstand read 3:00 a.m. I reached over for my phone, irritated that it was going off in the middle of the night. Fumbling to find the right button, I declined the call and set it back down. Why do wrong numbers always seem to call when you’re sleeping?
Buzz. Buzz.
This time, I sat up and looked at the number calling on my screen. I almost dropped the phone when I saw who it was.
“Tanner?”
“Did I wake you?” The sound of his deep voice sent a familiar zing through my heart.
“It’s three in the morning.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Is everything okay?”
