Page 135 of Forever Offsides

I blink. “Right. Oh, you’re the one who had the baby. Valentine, isn’t it?”

She beams. “Yes. You’re good. I like you.” She juts a thumb at me and talks to Braelyn. “I definitely like him. His son sucks, but he’s a keeper.”

“Totally,” Braelyn agrees.

Jesus. I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone.

“What’s the family status?” Braelyn continues.

“They’re in the waiting room,” Skylar supplies. “They had to do some stuff in her room, and they kicked the family out for it, but I made them let me stay because I can be scary when I want, and my mother works here. Anyway, I told the family I’d get them when she was ready, so I can give you a few minutes before I do that.”

“Really?”

“Yep. Go on in. It’ll be good for her.”

“Thank you,” I say to both of them, oozing gratitude. I go straight into her room and practically collapse when I see her. “Quinn, baby.” My voice catches, and I choke on tears.

She’s whiter than the blanket covering her. She’s in a gown but has tubes and wires coming out of her, including from her mouth and neck area.

She’s not breathing on her own. Is that normal?

I go over to her, unsure where to touch her or even if I can. I settle for her hand, which is like ice. I hold it in mine, trying to warm her up.

“You have to get better, okay? You have to wake up and sass me when I tell you what a fucking mess I was.” I wipe a tear from my cheek. “I’m not going to say it. I told your friend, but I’m not going to tell you until you wake up. That’s how this works.”

A noise behind me stirs me away, and I see Skylar there. Right. The family is waiting to come back.

“Will she wake up?” I ask and wipe more tears.

“We don’t know anything for sure yet, but she has good reflexes. They’ll try to lower the sedation a bit tomorrow, depending on her ICP, and then we’ll know more.”

“Okay.” I don’t know what else to say. I can’t take my eyes off her. And I sure as hell don’t want to leave her. I want to climb in bed with her and hold her all night.

“I’m sorry,” she says. “The family needs to come back in. They’re anxious to get back to her.”

“I understand. I would be too.” I kiss her cheek beside the vent and reluctantly let her go. I feel like I’m dying. Like every step away from her is a herculean effort.

“You can come with me,” she instructs and leads me out a different door than the one I came into the ICU through. “Are you going home?”

I emit a humorless laugh. “No.” I can’t. She’s not in my bed, and I can’t be in it without her. “I’ll… I don’t know. I guess I can’t go to the waiting room.”

This sucks. This sucks so fucking badly.

“There’s a group of us, of her people, who are camped out in an empty patient room down the hall in the step-down unit. It’s a big floor over there. There’s another room I can put you in.”

“Do you work here?”

She smirks as if I don’t get it. “No. But I’m Skylar Fritz Davenport Hughes, my mother is Rina Fritz, and she more or less owns and runs this floor, and anyone who messes with me—or any of us for that matter—would be the stupidest person on the planet. Even if we are breaking about ten thousand hospital rules and regulations.”

I grin at her. “Now I know why you and Quinn are so close. Thank you, Skylar. I would really appreciate that.”

“No problem. Just don’t hurt her or I’ll hurt you.”

I step into a sterile room with a made bed, a rolling cart, and a bathroom, feeling so out of sorts that I hardly know what to do with myself. I spin back around and meet her eyes. “I’ll never hurt her. Not ever. Thank you for this.”

“Give me your number. I’ll text you so you’ll have mine, and I’ll give you Brae’s too because she’s staying the night. I have to leave in a bit. Valentine is too little to be here, so I have to go home and be with her, but feel free to text Brae for updates, and she’ll let you know when you can sneak back in.”

Sneak. Great.