Page 97 of Plan Interrupted

Nick placed his hand on her shoulder, and gave a little squeeze.

“That’s not what I meant. You didn’t do this. This isn’t your fault. I really need to get going.”

Her mind reeled. She wasn’t sure what to think or do. “I’m going to stay here. I want to be here when he wakes up.”

Tony nodded. “I’m going to leave now, too. Molly only has a half-day today, and the bus will be dropping her off soon. I’ll call you in a bit to see how everything is going.”

Elizabeth took a seat in the chair next to Joe’s bed. For over an hour she watched his chest rise and fall with every breath he took as she willed him to wake up.

The anxiety and guilt swirling in her stomach made her nauseous. She buried her face in her hands and wept. Those poor children nearly lost their dad, too, and I would have been to blame.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Elizabeth’s soft, soothing voice sifted through Joe’s head. Wanting to see her beautiful face, he fought to open his eyes.

Why is it so difficult?

She whispered his name again, and he finally managed to pop open his left eye. The white walls seemed so bright, yet the lights were off. The odor of rubbing alcohol stung his nostrils. Something was beeping.

Am I in a hospital room?

He tried again to open his right eye, but it appeared to be clamped shut. He shifted his head to the side. A sharp pain shot through it as if he’d been stabbed in the skull with a butcher knife. In his mind, he screamed but no sound escaped through his dry throat. His blurry vision zoned in on Elizabeth sitting on a chair next to his bed. The whites of her eyes were stained red. Had she been crying?

“Elizabeth?” His voice squeaked out in not much more than a whisper.

She sprang to her feet and leaned over him, aligning her gaze with his. He could see the concern in her eyes.

He struggled to squelch the unbearable pain in his head, preventing him from speaking. The distressed look in her gaze nearly broke his heart, and let him know he’d better find a way to say something, anything, to let her know he was okay.

“Are you okay? Are the kids okay?”

“We’re fine. The question is, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I guess.” He glanced around the room again. Confusion filled him. “How did I get here, and what time is it?”

Elizabeth looked at her watch, “It’s a little after 11:00 a.m.”