TYLER (Blake Security Book 2) (13 page)

“Where is he? What happened?”

Ariana looked up at us. Her poor face was swollen and her eyes barely opened. “They took him to surgery,” she said.

“For what? What’s wrong with him?”

“They said he was bleeding in his brain.”

“How can that be? He had his helmet on.”

She let out another long sob and said, “They didn’t say, just that they had to relieve the pressure. He had a seizure in the ambulance.”

I never felt so helpless in my life. I paced back and forth as Max stood in the corner with wide eyes and Ariana sobbed softly. After several minutes, a male nurse came into the room and said, “I’m Greg, the head nurse here. I’d like to take you folks up to the surgery waiting room. Conner won’t come back here, he’ll be in surgery for a while and then in recovery before they get him into a room.”

“Do you know anything? What’s wrong with him?” I heard my voice crack and that pissed me off.

“No, sir. I haven’t heard anything new since the ER doctor spoke to Miss Douglas.”

I nodded and reached my hand down to Ariana. She took it, and I pulled her up into me. She clutched on like she could barely hold herself up as we followed the nurse to the surgical waiting room. It was a nice clean and comfortable room with about twenty anxious and depressed-looking people sitting and standing and pacing and crying. It made my anxiety worse. I held Ariana and occasionally whispered reassuring words to her that I didn’t believe myself. Max sat like a stone and stared at the television with no volume playing on the wall. I tried concentrating on the television or Ariana or anything that would stop the visions of Conner being hit by that car and flying up into the air from replaying over and over in my head. We sat like that for hours, and the morning light was already slipping in through the blinds when a doctor stepped into the room and said, “For Conner Douglas.” We all got to our feet at once. I was happy to see the doctor had silver hair. I knew it was stupid, but I felt better knowing that our boy was being taken care of by a mature man and not a kid. He was clean cut and his movements seemed deliberate and precise He had a deep voice, and when he started talking to us, he used non-medical terms, but he didn’t dumb it down so much that he made us out to be idiots either.

“I’m Dr. Roberts. I’m the surgeon attending to Conner. You are?”

“I’m his mother, Ariana.” Ariana’s voice was a raspy whisper.

I squeezed the shoulder I was holding onto and said, “I’m Tyler Petit, his father, and this is Max Douglas, his grandfather. How is our son?”

“He took a really hard blow to the back of his head. It was so hard that his helmet didn’t prevent him from being injured. There was an open area near his neck and that’s where all of the bleeding was coming from. But on the MRI we saw a spot deeper in the brain that was bleeding inside. The pressure was building inside of his skull, and that’s what caused the seizures on the way in. We repaired the bleed and put in a shunt to drain the fluid. That was what took the longest. He also has a fractured arm and three broken ribs. One of the ribs punctured his lung. We’ve repaired that as well, but he’ll have to be attached to a chest tube for several days to drain the fluid.”

Ariana was shaking so hard that her body leaning into mine was making me shake, or maybe I was shaking on my own. I wasn’t sure. “Is he going to be okay?”

“The best answer to that is that we did all we could for him, and now we wait. Until he wakes up, we really won’t know. He’s in a medically induced coma right now, so I don’t want anyone to panic when you see that he still has a tube in his throat and a machine breathing for him. It will give his brain time to recover and be able to take the regulation of his vitals back over slower.”

“Can I see him?” Ariana sounded on the verge of tears again.

“He’ll be in recovery for an hour or so before they take him up to ICU. You can see him there.”

Max thanked the doctor. Ariana and I were still standing there like we were made of stone long after he left. Ariana was sobbing silently again, and I was thinking that this was my curse…this was my punishment for what I did to someone else’s son.

TYLER

              The hour that Conner was in recovery passed excruciatingly slow. A nurse dressed in scrubs with her hair in a blue net and blue shoe covers on finally came in and called out Conner’s name. The three of us, exhausted and puffy and tear-stained, leapt to our feet.

              “If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to the ICU.”

              “Is he okay?” Ariana asked her.

The nurse smiled gently and said, “He’s still stable.”

              As we followed her, in an effort to think about anything else but the images that were driving me crazy, I looked around at the décor of the hospital. The hallway she was leading us through had as much personality as the rest of what I’d seen. It’s hard to tell one wing from the next sometimes. The floor was made of white and brown tiles, and the walls were all white. The ceiling above us was made from polystyrene squares laid out in a grid. I’d spent part of the night counting them. That hadn’t worked either. The lights were blindingly bright as they bounced off the white walls. It was intrusive, I thought. No one here felt well enough for the bright lights, not even the visitors.  There were cheap commercial prints hanging here and there that did little to add to the appeal of the place, but overall, I had to admit that at least it looked and smelled clean and the people seemed to be caring and professional.

The nurse led us through a set of heavy double doors that opened with a big metal button on the wall. Inside, I could hear the beeps and swooshes of the machines. Ariana tightened her grip on me as the nurse led us deeper inside. She stopped at the third glass cubicle. A curtain hung on the inside of all four walls of the glass room. She pulled open the sliding door and that’s when we finally saw him. My chest hurt immediately, and Ariana collapsed into Max’s arms and began to sob again. Conner looked so young and vulnerable lying against the stark white sheets. His dark hair was partially obscured by a white bandage, but strands of it poked out here and there and provided a sharp contrast to all of the white around him. His skin was pale, almost translucent, and he had a tinge of dark stubble on his upper lip and chin that made his skin look even whiter. He had a tube coming out of his mouth that was attached to another that went to a big machine beside the bed. An IV ran into one arm and three bags of liquids and medications hung from the pole. He had a sling on the other arm, and his ribs were wrapped with tape or bandages. Another thick tube came out of the side of his chest and attached to a machine that sat on the floor next to his bed. Other machines beeped and dinged around him. The sight of it all was almost too much for me. I felt like my heart was breaking.

Ariana let go of her dad and stood next to the bed looking down at Conner. She leaned over the railing and placed a soft kiss on the side of his face. “I love you, baby. Mom’s here…you keep fighting…we need you, baby. Dad’s here and Grandpa…we all need you. You keep fighting to wake up. Please wake up.” One of her tears splashed off her face and onto Conner’s. I watched as it rolled down his cheek.

I leaned down where my mouth was close to Conner’s ear and said, “Dad’s here. I won’t leave until you go with me. I’m so sorry, son. I’m so damned sorry! I love you so much!” I felt the burn of hot tears in the corners of my eyes. I stepped back and let Max step up beside the bed.

“Hey buddy! It’s Grandpa. Open your eyes and tell your Mama that you’re okay so she’ll quit worrying, okay?” Max was fighting through the tears too, as he leaned down and gave his grandson a kiss on his cheek. “I love you, Conner…so damned much.” His voice cracked and he had to turn away too. Eventually Max took a seat in one of the chairs. Ariana stayed in her spot next to the bed, holding Conner’s hand, and I paced again, almost wearing a hole in the tile.

I finally couldn’t stand the deafening silence in the room. “Does anyone want coffee?” Ariana almost imperceptibly shook her head.

“Sure,” Max said. “Maybe a bottle of water for Ariana.”

I nodded and went over to where Ariana stood and rested my hand on her back. She melded into my side; I held her there for a minute before I kissed the top of her head and said, “Are you sure you don’t want anything, baby?”

She nodded, and I felt her squeeze her arms around me for a second before letting me go. That made me feel a little better, but feeling good again was a distant hope. Conner would have to wake up and be okay and whoever did this to him would have to pay.

I left Conner’s room and started down the hallway full of glass rooms. When I got to the end of that, I went out the exit doors and followed the signs toward the cafeteria. On the way, I passed a small chapel. I wasn’t a particularly religious man. I hadn’t been to church since my mother died. I stepped inside and looked around. It was like a dollhouse in comparison to my size. I closed my eyes for a second and tried to breathe in a feeling of reverence. Then opening my eyes, I sat on one of the tiny pews and looked up at the statue of Jesus on the cross in front of me. I didn’t utter a sound out loud, but in my head, I spoke to God.

              “I know that it’s been a really long time since I’ve been here. It’s been way too long since I’ve spoken to you, but what I’m asking isn’t for me, it’s for my son and Ariana. I missed so much of his life. He had to grow up without a father, and although he had the best mother he could ever ask for, it just wasn’t fair. He’s such a good kid, God. He’s smart and funny and he has everything going for him. Please don’t let him die like this. He’s too good for that. Please help him, God. Please don’t take him away from his mother. She loves him so much…”

TYLER

              I got the coffee after I left the chapel and on my way back I saw Sam, Ryder, and Abrahem in the ICU waiting room.

“Hey buddy, how are you doing?” Sam asked.

“I’m okay.”

“Some of Conner’s friends are downstairs. I promised to keep them posted. Any news?”

I told him what we knew so far and then said, “Thank you all for being here.”

Abrahem shrugged and said, “Where else would we be?”

Ryder clapped me on the shoulder and said, “Blake and Leif are looking into a few things.”

“That woman who stalks Blake, she was there,” I told him.

He nodded. “Yeah, Blake is wondering if maybe he’s been wrong about her stalking him this whole time. Maybe the black car was the one stalking him and she was stalking it.”

My brain hurt too much to process all of that so I simply nodded. When Conner was better and out of here, I’d do whatever it took to find out who did this and make them pay. Sam surprised me suddenly by giving me a hug. I hugged him back and thanked them once more before heading back to Conner’s bedside. I weaved slightly as I walked. I was exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally.

I did my best to shake it off before I got back. Ariana didn’t need to see me fall apart. She was still standing next to the bed. I gave her a kiss on the cheek and the bottle of water and then handed Max his coffee. We all sat there in silence for God only knows how long before Ariana finally urged her father to go home. At some point later, she and I both fell asleep in chairs on opposite sides of the bed. We were in and out as the medical staff came in and out. It was about twelve hours after his surgery when the doctor came in and removed the breathing tube. We were told at that time that the fact he was able to breathe on his own was a good sign, and that they’d stopped giving him the meds to keep him in the coma so he should be waking up soon.

I went back out at about the sixteen-hour mark to get Ariana a coffee. When I got back to the door of Conner’s room and saw Ariana crying again, I wasn’t sure I could take whatever it was she had to say. I felt like one more thing might just put me over the edge once and for all.

              She looked up and saw me. Through her tears, she smiled and said, “He’s awake!”

              I nearly dropped the coffee as I raced to the bedside. I sat the cups down on the table and looked down at my son. “Hey Buddy!” Conner tried to smile, but it looked painful. I reached out and stroked the side of his handsome face. “I’m so happy to see you. I love you so much.”

              Just when I had been ready to give up, just when I didn’t think that I had an ounce of fight left in me, that dark blanket that smothered me was lifted and replaced by bursts of light. Ariana’s smile…Conner’s eyes…My heart was so full right at that moment that it physically hurt, but it was a good hurt. Our son was awake. He was going to be okay. Waves of relief and happiness washed through me and I felt it soak deep into my bones. I was almost dizzy with it, and for a second I closed my eyes and savored this moment, thanking God while I was at it. Conner was going to be okay, and I knew that I could handle anything else the world threw my way.

*******

              About a week after Conner got out of the hospital, I went over to Max’s house to see him and Ariana. Ariana smiled and stepped up on her toes to kiss me as I came inside. God, I loved that. I loved the way she always greeted me so warm and lovingly. “Hey baby, how is the boy?”

              “The boy is almost a man. You’re going to have to think of a new name for me.” I looked over and saw Conner in the doorway. He still had spots on his head where it had been shaved for surgery where the hair hadn’t grown back in yet. He had a black eye and his bottom lip was still swollen. His right arm was in a sling, but the only thing that I saw at that moment was the smile. My boy was happy and healthy, and I loved him so much that I was overwhelmed by it.

              “I will call you whatever you like, if you promise never to ride your dirt bike in front of a moving vehicle again.”

              Conner laughed. “I’ll do my best,” he said. “Did you bring my ice cream?” I handed him the bag that I held in my hand. Ariana laughed.

              “You asked him for ice cream?”

              Conner shrugged. “He texted and asked if I needed anything.”

              “Spoiled,” she said.

Conner winked at his mother and turned around and carried his ice cream toward the kitchen. She was shaking her head, but she was smiling. When Conner was gone, I pulled her into my chest and dipped my head down. She brought her lips back up to meet mine and this time the kiss was long and deep. When we came up for air I said, “So what would you say about you and Conner moving in with me?”

              “Living with you?”

              “Yeah, that’s what ‘moving in’ means.”

              She laughed. “I would love nothing more, but you’ll have to ask your son yourself.”

              “Not a problem. I’ll hit him up as soon as he has a mouthful of mint chocolate chip.”

              Giggling, Ariana took my hand and led me into the kitchen. We sat down with Conner and Ariana said, “Your Dad has something he wants to ask you.”

              “What’s up?”

              “I asked your mother if the two of you would consider moving in with me.”

              “Moving in? Like living with you?”

              I laughed. “What is it with you two? Yes, would you like to live with me?”

              Conner grinned. “Sure. Can I have Grandpa’s old room?”

              Ariana laughed. “You are pushing this sympathy status, mister. No, you cannot have the master bedroom.”

              Conner grinned again. “It was worth a shot. Thank you for the ice cream, Dad. It’s amazing.” That was the first time he actually called me “Dad.” I was trying to blink back the tears. I didn’t want my kid thinking I was a wimp. I was saved by the bell when my phone rang. I took it out and saw that it was Blake calling.

              “Hey Sarge, what’s up?”

              “Can you come out front?”

              “I’m not home; I’m at Ariana’s.”

              “I know.” Jesus, sometimes it was creepy how much these guys knew about me.

              “Okay, I’ll be right out.” I told Ariana and Conner I’d be right back. When I stepped out the front door, I was surprised to see the blue mustang parked next to Blake’s black SUV. As I walked toward them, the door opened and a blonde woman stepped out. She was wearing pink yoga pants and a pink and white workout shirt. Her muscles were all well-defined and her skin was smooth and tanned. She had the healthy glow and muscle tone of someone who works out, a lot.

              “Tyler, this is Dana Stanton. Her brother was one of my men in Afghanistan. I don’t know if you ever met him, his name was Dawson.”

              There was that “was” word again. I cleared my throat and said, “I do remember Dawson. He was always the life of the party in the chow hall. It’s nice to meet you, Miss Stanton—and I’m sorry for your loss.”

              “Thank you,” she said.

              “Now, can I ask you a question? Why were you watching my house?”

              She looked at Blake and then back at me and said, “I was watching Blake.”

              “Why?”

              “I’m an ATF agent.” She said that as if it explained why she was following Blake. It only confused me further. I was going to ask another question when she said, “The car that hit your son was aiming for him; it was no accident.”

              “Do you know who was driving and where we can find them?”

              She shook her head. “I’m sorry, I was hoping one of you could tell me.”

“I didn’t get a good look at the car,” I said.

“There were so many witnesses that we got the plate numbers of the car but they were stolen so that was a dead end. Do you have any enemies, Mr. Petit?”

I shrugged. “Who knows after everything I’ve done in my life? You think they were trying to hurt me?” God please don’t let me be the reason my son got hurt.

“Or me,” Blake said, “Which is more likely. I’m sorry that Conner got caught in the cross fire.”

“So am I,” I told him. “But it’s not your fault.” I looked back at Dana and said, “I am confused about why the ATF is watching us. Should I be concerned about the business?”

“No,” she said again. Damned government agents with their one-word answers. “Not about us anyways. I have to run. If you do think of anything you may have witnessed but forgot that night, Mr. Donovan has my card.”

We watched her go, and I looked at Blake and said, “Is there something you want to tell me?”

“It’s a long story,” he said. “For now, trust me when I say this has nothing to do with the business. We’re okay and you’re not investing your money in gun-running or moonshine.”

I laughed. “Good to know. Okay, I’ll let it go for now. But if I find the guy that hit my son and left him there to die before she does…I can’t promise that I’ll turn him over easily.” I was trying to be PC about it. I wasn’t sure if Blake knew me well enough yet to come right out and tell him I intend to do some serious damage to whoever it was if I caught them first.

He just nodded and said, “Go spend time with your family.” My family…I loved the sound of that.

********

ARIANA

From where Tyler and I sat in the swing on the front porch a week later, we had a perfect view of the sun as it dipped behind the crests of the mountains off in the distance. The sky was awash with the colors that can be found at the heart of a fire. I watched them and thought about how well they meshed with the colors of the fire that burned in my core with love for Tyler. I took a sip of my beer and looked over at Tyler. Taking ahold of his hand I said, “I love you.”

He squeezed my hand and smiled. “I love you, too.”

“I’m so happy. This is the way that things were supposed to be all along. Your parents would be so proud of you.”

He looked back at the sunset and took a drink of his beer. “I hope so,” he said.

“They would be. Look at me.” He looked at me, and I said, “You served your country for over a decade. You stepped up to your responsibility to your son as soon as you knew about him. You forgave me for lying to him. You’re strong and loving and smart and you’ve overcome so much. They would be so proud. I know that I am.”

He slipped his arm around me and said, “I’m glad that you are. All I live for is you and Conner now. Your opinions of me are all that matter.”

“Conner is crazy about you, you know.”

“It’s easy to tell with him. He’s like his mother, and he doesn’t hold his feelings back. I’m so happy he’s accepted me. I can’t even describe how happy that makes me. I’m overwhelmed by it.”

              “You don’t have to explain it to me. I feel the same.”

“You did an amazing job with him. I’m proud of you, and you should be of yourself.”

I giggled and said, “I am.”

He pulled me in for a hug and then leaned down to kiss me. Conner walked out just in time to see our lips touch. “Ew! Get a room, will you?” We looked up at him and laughed. He came over and hip chucked his dad and sat down in between us. “I was thinking about joining the army.” I felt my chest tighten up. I could hardly stand the idea of him so far from home—and with people shooting at him and trying to blow him up. I didn’t say that though. It was his life, and I’d have to get used to the idea of him being an adult and making his own decisions.

“Awesome,” Tyler said. “You’ll make an awesome soldier.”

“Thanks,” Conner said. “Maybe you and I could start working out together after the doctor signs off on my therapy.”

“I’ll look forward to it,” Tyler told him.