Page 1 of Open Net

1

Emma

My phone hadn’t stopped buzzing since the first call. Kendall took it out of my hands and turned it off.

“They can call me if they need you. Right now, all you need to do is focus on your husband.” Her blue eyes mirrored my concern.

I nodded, still numb. Olli was supposed to drive home with me, but he went with Hartman to the arena. He wanted to check in with Coach before practice the next day.

Neither of them should have been on Main street. They should have been on the other side of town, not in a car accident. We all should have been at home right now, unpacking from our Mexico trip. I shook my head and scanned the waiting room. Everyone had shown up, wearing the same thing they’d been in at the airport. We were all tired and they could be at home, but they were here. With me. My family.

Chloe sat next to me, staring straight ahead, her chestnut hair flowing over her shoulders, a bit mused. This was so unlike her. She was supposed to be composed, taking charge and managing everyone. Her silence was the scariest thing to me. Erik and Reese were each pacing a different side of the room. No one knew what to say. We didn’t have enough information yet.

I hated that Kendall was having to be the strong one. She was just as scared as me. The love of her life, Wyatt, was in a room somewhere down the hall, too.

I squeezed her hand. “Shouldn’t we have heard something by now?”

Her eyes met mine and she shrugged, her blonde curls bouncing around her shoulders. “I have no idea. I’m usually the one in the room.”

That just made me feel worse. Her kidney disease was serious, thankfully, she received a transplant just a few weeks ago, but we still worried about her.

“I’m sorry, Kendall. I-”

She cut me off. “Don’t be sorry. None of this is normal. We don’t know what to expect.”

I sighed and leaned back. No one had come out to talk to us. All we knew so far was what the paramedics told us over the phone. There was an accident and they were taking Olli and Hartman to the hospital. I didn’t know what caused the accident, if other people were involved, or anyone’s condition.

Two police officers were milling around when we got to the emergency room, but they didn’t have any information for us. Just like the nurses. Each of us had tried demanding more information about Hartman and Olli, but all we got was that they were in with the doctors. They kept telling us they would get us information as soon as they had it. For all I knew, they might some scrapes and bruises. Or things could be a lot more serious.

Erik huffed and stormed over to the check-in desk again. I couldn’t hear him, but I knew he was feeling the same frustration I was. He pointed over to us and looked like he was yelling. I sighed and stood up. Yelling at some poor nurse wasn’t going to help.

“I’m sorry, sir. We haven’t received any updates yet.”

I held onto Erik’s arm. “Thank you. Please let us know when you do.”

The nurse seemed to relax and smiled before I turned and walked away.

“I can let the press in and have them put more pressure on them to give us answers.” Erik practically growled.

“I appreciate the thought,” I said, “but that’s the last thing we need.”

The emergency room doors opened, and Coach Romney and Rust walked through. I locked eyes with Coach Romney as he walked to me. “Emma, are you okay?”

I nodded. “I wasn’t in the car with them.”

“I know, but…the baby?”

I placed a hand over my belly. I wasn’t due for another four weeks, and the thought of our baby coming too early worried me.

I tried to take a deep breath but couldn’t. There was no relaxing until I knew Olli was okay.

“Let’s sit down.” Coach led me back to Kendall and sat across from us. He glanced at Chloe and patted her leg. “Everything is going to be okay. They’re tough.”

He had no way of knowing but hearing someone say those words I desperately needed was a relief. Kendall crumpled next to me. She broke down into sobs and covered her face with her hands. “How do you know?”’

I pulled her against me and squeezed her shoulders. The baby kicked and I focused on being strong. I had more than just myself to think about. I couldn’t crumble now. “It has to be, Kendall. Right now, we have to be positive. Once we get more news, we can face it. Okay?”

Kendall wiped her eyes and blinked up at me. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to comfort me. You’re going through just as much.”