Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
“I found her. She’s been sick. I should have stayed home. She told me not to, but I wanted to be here. Rome, they have to help her. You have to help her!” I call out to the three paramedics, who continue to work on her.
“What did she take?” One of the male EMTs turns to ask me.
“Nothing.”
“We need to know if she took something. It could mean life and death for her.”
“Nothing.” Anger swells in my chest. “She’s not a fucking drug addict. She’s been sick. All that she’s taking is the antibiotic they gave her at urgent care,” I spit back.
“How long ago was that?” the other guy asks.
“Six days ago. She’s not getting any better. I tried to get her to go back, and she said she’d finish her ten days of meds, and if she wasn’t better, she would go back then. She told me to go to work. I should have stayed home. I should have fucking been here.” I slump back into Roman’s arms.
“I got you, brother,” he says, his voice raspy with emotion. “I got you. She’s going to be okay.”
“She has to be. Please, help her.” This time, my cry for help is weak at best. I feel the defeat, and the heaviness of the moment seeps into my bones. I can’t lose her. Please, God, let her be okay.
“We can’t wait until we get to the hospital. We need to intubate now,” one of them says.
“Pushing IV fluids,” the female paramedic calls out.
“BP is dropping,” the other informs them.
“Pushing RSI,” one calls out.
“Do it now,” the female demands.
I open my mouth to demand they help her—even though that’s exactly what they’re trying to do—but no words come out. All I can do is watch in horror as they stick a tube down her throat. I try to break out of Roman’s hold again, but his grip is too tight.
“They’re helping her breathe, Legend. They need to do this to help her. Just stand down, man. Let them do their job.” Roman’s voice is calm, but I can hear the strain in his words.
“I love her.”
“I know you do. We all do, but you have to let them do their job. That’s what Monroe needs right now.”
“What did you give her?” I ask, finding my voice.
“Medication that helped us intubate her,” the female paramedic answers, not once stopping what she’s doing.
“Oxygen is better,” one of the guys says, and he sounds relieved.
“Why won’t she wake up?”
“Sir, we’re doing everything we can,” the woman says gently.
“We need to take her in now.” They move quickly yet carefully, wrapping her in a warm blanket and transferring her to the gurney.
“I’m coming with you.”
“You can come, but you’re riding up front.”
I nod stiffly. I’ll do whatever I have to do to stay with her. “Fine.” I turn to look at Roman.
“Go. I’ll call the guys and your parents and have Emerson call her parents.”
“Thanks, man.” I follow the paramedics out of the house, knowing that Roman will take care of locking up, and if he doesn’t, oh well. Nothing matters right now but Monroe.
When we get to the emergency room, it’s a flurry of activity. They take her through a set of double doors while I’m stranded at the desk, checking her in. “Can I see my wife now?” I ask the receptionist.
“I’ll put you in a private family waiting room, and the doctor will be in to talk to you.”
“I want to be with her.”
Her eyes soften. “I know, but you need to let us help her right now. The doctor will be with you soon.” She nods, and I follow her down the hall to a room.
It’s not all that big, but it is private. I pace back and forth, waiting for someone, anyone, to come in and tell me how she is.
The door opens, and in rushes Roman, Emerson, baby Lilly, and my mom. “Mom.” I break when her arms wrap around me. I squeeze her tighter than I know I should, but I need to be grounded. “She won’t wake up,” I say, and I hear a sob.
I look up to find Emerson handing Lilly to Roman before rushing toward me. I pull away from my mom and catch her in my arms. We’re both sobbing. “She has to be okay, Em. She has to be.”
“She’s a fighter,” she whispers.
When I release her, we both wipe at our eyes as her parents enter the room. I tell them what I know and hold her mom tightly against me. Roman’s parents show up and offer their support. They leave with Lilly just as Forrest, Lachlan, and Maddox join us.
I go through it all again, telling them what I know, and they all reassure me she’s going to be fine. I wish we knew that for certain. They weren’t there. They didn’t see her blue lips or grip her cold hands. They didn’t see her eyes roll back into her head or watch the paramedics shove a tube down her throat so that she could breathe easier.