Page 90 of Last Chance
“No,” he blurted. “Never.”
She gave him a wicked grin.
Sawyer scowled. “Not nice.”
The lady laughed. “Couldn’t help it. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near one either.”
A doctor walked into the waiting room. “Moran family?”
Sawyer helped Janie to her feet.
“I’m his sister. How is David?”
“We had to remove part of his skull to relieve the pressure on his brain and get to the bleeder. He survived the surgery, Ms. Moran, but I won’t know how much damage was done before he wakes up.”
“He’s still comatose?” Jesse asked.
The doctor studied Jesse for a moment. “It’s Jesse Phelps, right?”
“Yes, sir. I’m a friend of Janie’s.”
“I see. Yes, Mr. Moran is still comatose. We got him into surgery quickly, which saved his life. The question remains if he’ll have lingering repercussions from the brain bleed.” He pulled a phone from his pocket and scanned a message. The doctor sighed. “I’m sorry. I have to go. The nurse will give you updates and let you know when you can see Mr. Moran again.” And he was gone.
Janie turned to Jesse. “What did he mean by lingering repercussions?”
“You want the truth or a cleaned-up version?”
“The truth. I’d rather know so I can prepare myself.”
“Look, the doc is right. You’ll have to wait until David wakes up before you know the extent of the damage. However, depending on where the bleed was located, your brother could have paralysis, vision problems, memory loss, and coordination issues, among other things.”
She stared.
“The good news is he was in the hospital when the bleed occurred. That means he received immediate treatment, which gives him a better chance of recovering fully.”
“But not a guarantee of full recovery,” she murmured.
Jesse shook his head. “When he wakes, we’ll see how he is. The doctors here are among the best in the nation. We also have some of the best rehabilitation facilities in the country. David will have many options available to help him recover as much as possible.”
Janie sighed. “In other words, I won’t know anything for a while.”
“I’m sorry.”
“At least he’s alive, so I have hope. The brain bleed is the result of the beating, isn’t it?”
Jesse inclined his head.
“I wish I could get my hands on those jerks,” she muttered.
Sawyer held back a smile. His lady was fierce. Good for her. “You’ll have to get in line behind me and the team. You can have what’s left.”
She pointed at him. “I don’t think so. I get first crack. You and the Texas Team can mop up.”
Jesse grinned. “Nice. Sawyer, she reminds me of Simone. I’m impressed.”
An hour later, a nurse walked into the waiting room. “Ms. Moran, your brother is back in the ICU if you’d like to see him for a couple of minutes. He’s still in a coma, but his vitals have stabilized.” She glanced at Jesse and a big smile curved her mouth. “Hey, Jesse. Good to see you again.”
“Thanks, Daisy. You’re David Moran’s nurse?”