揌e抯 such a nice man. I hope he makes it through this,?Meadow says, looking at me sadly.
揌e抯 strong as a bull. He抣l pull through, I think. I抳e seen him survive far worse than pneumonia.?I抦 putting on a brave face.
Deep down, I抦 scared shitless that Wyatt抯 extra lives are up.
揑n the war, you mean??she asks.
I nod firmly.
揌e tells me stories sometimes…？
揧eah? He doesn抰 usually talk about it.?
She shrugs. 揝ometimes he needs to, and my daddy was a soldier.?
I cock my head. She gives me the far-off look I抳e seen a hundred times. It says her father probably never made it home.
揑抦 sorry. Did he die in action??
There抯 pain in her expression, despite her shy smile.
揌e killed himself. The insurance doesn抰 pay that way, so we lost everything. Mom couldn抰 handle the streets well, so…she抯 gone too.?
Wow, fuck.
This girl just summed up a tragic life in two sentences, and somehow she抯 still smiling.
揑抦 sorry, Meadow.?
揑t抯 okay. We all just put one foot in front of the other and keep on moving, right??
I nod. Wiser words today.
揑抦 going to go check on Wyatt. When I leave tonight, I can give you a ride back if you need it??
揟he nurse said I can sleep in the waiting room.?She rubs at her weary eyes. 揑 think I抣l take the offer. It抯 more comfortable.?
I nod and push open the door to Wyatt抯 room.
He抯 not bleeding, but he looks as bad as he did that day in Iraq. The ventilator and tubes are plugged into him like a human battery, the color drained from his face.
The nurse said he looked rough, but now her words have emphasis.
I move to the bed, clasping his arm with one hand.
揌ey, it抯 Burns. Wake up soon. You抮e missing out on your next cinnamon roll,?I joke with a boulder building in my throat. It抯 the only thing I can stand to say.
I抦 only in the room for five or ten minutes. He抯 virtually comatose. What he needs right now isn抰 my company, dammit.
I go back to the nurses?station after stopping to give Meadow a few encouraging words I wish I believed.
揥here抯 Jennifer??I ask the guy at the desk.
揝he抯 making her rounds right now. It could be a minute before she抯 back. Is there something I can help you with??
揑 just want to know if there抯 anything that can be done for Wyatt that hasn抰 already been tried??
揧ou抮e next of kin, right??
揌is brother,?I half lie.
He nods. 揕et me pull up his chart for the doctor抯 notes…？
揌e抯 got IVs, and he抯 on a ventilator. There are some other things we could try, but Medicaid won抰 pay for it, and I don抰 even know if he抯 got that.?
揌e has VA insurance, but梖uck, I抣l pay for anything it doesn抰 cover. Spare no expense.?
揙kay. I抣l talk to his doctor and find out more for you. Do you have an ID??
I抦 so goddamned done with this.
My friend is dying, and I抦 caught in this red tape. But I抳e already taken out enough rage today for one lifetime, so I抦 not going to hound this guy who抯 just doing his job.
揑 own Haughty But Nice. I抣l pay cash for whatever he needs. Send me the paperwork for a payment method, take my card, whatever you need. Just make sure he has the best care. I have to track down his son, but I抣l leave you my number. Call me for anything financial.?
He opens a drawer, pulls out a form, and hands it to me. 揟his is a guarantor抯 form. Just get it back to us soon.?
I promise I will.
By the time I抦 stumbling outside, drawing thick breaths, I抦 wrecked with a hundred regrets about not doing more for Wyatt Emory when it mattered, even if I had to twist his arm.
All the regrets in my life are catching up, threatening to crush me under their weight.
Dakota Poe feels just as lost as Wyatt, and after this fucked up day, I wonder if I抣l ever find my way home.
The next day, I抦 on my way back to the hospital with red eyes after a sleepless night, but I抳e finally found Olivia抯 number.
I need Micha at the hospital. Money aside, it抯 all I can do for him.
Maybe Wyatt will fight for his son, because he抯 sure as hell not fighting for me.
I punch the number. It rings three times.
Come on, witch. Fucking answer.
揌ello??A woman picks up, sounding annoyed.
揑s this Olivia??
揕incoln棓 She hesitates.
揝till recognize my voice, huh??
揌ow could I forget it? You annoyed the hell out of me for years.?She sighs. 揝o, what? Is he finally dead or…？？
It takes all of my willpower not to punch the seat of the car.
This woman is a piece of fucking work. My grip on the phone tightens until my fingers hurt.
揇o you give a shit??
揝omebody must, I suppose, or you wouldn抰 be calling.?
Goddamn her.
揌e isn抰 dead, but he could be soon. Our feelings are mutual, but this isn抰 about us. Wyatt抯 son deserves one last chance to see his father alive, don抰 you think??I hold my breath, trying to be diplomatic.
揌mm. I don抰 know. I think my son has seen enough of his father抯 drinking and crazy outbursts.?
揌e didn抰 start drinking like a distillery until you abandoned him,?I snarl.
揙h, really? And how do you know? Because I seem to remember that you weren抰 the one living with him when you have like five mansions to choose from.?
揊uck you,?I bite off, shaking in my seat. 揑 lived with Wyatt when neither one of us had a single goddamned wall to call our own.?
揃efore or after the war? Because it抯 not the same. People change, Lincoln. You sound pretty batshit yourself. No offense.?
She抯 trying to rile me up.
I抦 silent for a second, drawing in a breath that feels like fire.
揧ou knew he needed help. You abandoned him before he was even back in the States for strange dick. He told me everything.?
揈verything, huh??She yawns loudly.
揌e needed you, Olivia. He tried to work shit out梕verything梐nd he went above and beyond. He even told me about the kid that wasn抰 his梩he kid you got knocked up with he offered to adopt.?
Low blow, but it gets her attention.
She falls so silent I have to look at my phone to see if she抯 still there.
揟hat抯 not your fucking business, Burns. None of it! He couldn抰 even handle me or Micha. His stupid ass was constantly crying and the bills…God, the bills…they抮e the reason I miscarried, you fucking asshole.?
I look at the floor, remembering how totally fucked up the whole situation was.
She抯 right about one thing, though.
Everyone suffered.
揙livia, if he dies alone, that抯 on your hands,?I growl. 揂nd believe me, if I have to wait a decade, I抣l tell Micha about his old man. I抣l also be sure to let him know you kept him away when he was on his deathbed.?
I hate that I have to play that card. It kills me, but what alternative do I have?
揧ou just梱ou don抰 even know! I begged him to get checked into treatment when counseling wasn抰 cutting it. He wouldn抰。？She inhales sharply, sobbing quietly now. 揑抦 sorry he ended up on the street, but it was either that or let him drag us down. I begged him not to enlist in the first place. He wanted to because his stupid dad and his stupid grandfather served. He chose his battle, his life. He lost. I picked mine, and I sure as hell don抰 need your judgment. But your opinion of me is none of my business, just like my life isn抰 yours.?
揌is battle was defending his country梤ight or wrong梐nd trying like hell to come home to his family. Yours was what? To ride dick and leave? You would抳e been out the door without so much as a Dear fucking John if he wasn抰 discharged early. Don抰 lie to me.?