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“That’s bull –” Bobby started, but I quickly cut him off.
“It’s fine, go with her, she needs you,” I said. “I doubt she’ll be very happy to see me if she wakes up. Besides, someone’s gotta drive your truck back.”
Bobby threw me the keys. “Where are we going?” he asked the paramedic.
“Closest hospital is Coventry Mercy,” the paramedic replied.
Bobby looked at me, making sure I got that, and I nodded at him. I helped them close the ambulance doors and smacked the side twice as it pulled away.
I watched it disappear down the turnpike, my heart racing, slamming inside my chest like a jackhammer. My breaths came in short gasps, and Jeremy had to hold me up when I tried to move and felt my knees buckle.
“You’re okay, buddy,” Jeremey said, helping me to the side of the road and sitting me down on the grass. “Stay here, okay? We’ll take care of the rest.”
As he walked back, another ambulance pulled up, followed by a fire truck and two more police cruisers. I watched them move about, the paramedics racing to check on Dennis and hurry him off as well, most probably to Coventry Mercy.
I closed my eyes and ran a hand through my hair, waiting for the pandemonium to end so I could drive after Andrea and Bobby. Jeremy would probably want a statement.
I lay down, staring up at the night sky and the flashing lights, the sirens deafening.
I couldn’t believe how fast everything had gone downhill since this morning.
Chapter 17: Andrea
I opened my eyes to white walls and the sound of a constant, rhythmic beeping. My lids felt heavy, and when I tried to move my head, a sharp pain shot through my entire body. I wanted to scream, but all that came out was a groan. My vision was blurry, the room around me fading in and out of focus. A figure appeared above me, and it took me a few seconds before I could see her clearly. The woman looked to be in her forties, hair tied back in a bun and wearing pink scrubs.
“Welcome back,” she said, a little too loudly for my liking.
I blinked and frowned as more pain shot through me.
“You’re in a hospital, Coventry Mercy, to be exact,” she said. “You’ve been in quite a nasty accident, sweetheart. Can you tell me your name?”
“Andrea,” I croaked. “Where’s Dennis?”
The nurse frowned. “I don’t know who that is,” she said. “But your brother and his friend are outside. Would you like me to bring them in?”
Bobby. Andy.
I wanted to nod, but that only made the pain worse, and instead I closed my eyes.
I didn’t open them again for another two hours.
***
Bobby was sitting by my side when I woke up again. He was reading the same book he had been glued to for the past week, and if it weren’t for the drugs, I could have sworn that he was still on the same page. He looked adorable when he concentrated like that, sometimes making me wonder if he was just reading for show.
I moved my arm painfully to a side, rustling the sheets. In the otherwise silent hospital room, the sound was deafening, and Bobby quickly looked up and over his book at me. When he saw my eyes open, he sat up quickly and moved to sit beside me on the bed, holding my hand in his. He squeezed, and I wanted to tell him that it hurt, but I was just happy he was there.
“Hey,” he said, smiling. “Rise and shine. What are you planning to do? Sleep through the whole day?”
I smiled and coughed, wanting to tell him that I had every right to do just that, but my mouth was still too dry, and trying to speak felt like shards of glass scratching the inside of my throat.
“Water,” Bobby said, reading my mind and turning to the jug by the bed, pouring me a glass. He put his hand under my head, helping me up so I could drink. His touch almost made me scream, and I didn’t want to even think about the extent of damage done to my body. A quick scan let me know that at least I wasn’t in any casts.
Then why the hell did everything hurt so much?
He let me back down gently, making sure I was comfortable before he sat back down in his chair, moving it closer to the bed so I wouldn’t have to raise my voice to talk to him.
“What happened?” I asked, my voice hoarse and my throat burning.
