Page 82 of Controlled Burn

“Yeah, we have no idea where he came from, but we couldn’t leave him there.”

“Of course you couldn’t,” I insisted. “Can I keep him with me for a bit while we wait?”

“Sure you can.”

I carried the puppy with me, and we walked back over to the rest of Keith’s family where I found Giles sitting there with my dad, waiting for me. When he saw me, he hopped up and wrapped me and the puppy in a hug. “Are you okay?”

I looked over his shoulder at Keith’s mom and my dad. “Yeah, I will be as soon as I find out Keith’s okay.”

Chapter 29

Caleb

“Is the family of Keith Brooks here?” A deep voice asked from across the room.

Keith’s mother, father, and sister stood up, but I didn’t know what to do, so I hesitated. I wanted to go and hear the update, but I wasn’t his family, so I didn’t know if I should or not until my dad reached over, gave me a pat on the back, and gave me a nod. “Go on, son, you should go with them.”

Then his mom turned to me. “Are you coming?”

I nodded and stood up, handed the puppy to my dad, and went with them out in the hall to meet with the doctor. I could barely breathe I was so worried about what he was going to say. Was Keith okay? Was it good news or bad news? He pulled down his mask, and he was smiling. That was good, right? Surely you didn’t smile when you came to deliver bad news.

“You’re Mr. Brooks’ family?”

“Yes,” Micheal said. “I’m his father. This is his mother, his sister, and this is his boyfriend, Caleb. How is he?”

“Very lucky is how he is. We were concerned about head trauma since he lost consciousness, but all the tests are clear. He’s going to be fine. He woke up at one point, but we had to sedate him so we could take care of that right leg. Luckily, it had a clean break, but he also had a nasty gash on that leg that required multiple stitches. Other than that, and a few minor cuts and a lot of bruises, he’s in good shape. We’re getting him situated in a room, and then you can go see him.”

“Is he awake?” I asked.

“He’s conscious, but he’s still really groggy. He’ll probably be in and out of it for a while still. We’ll keep him overnight for observation, but he’s going to be okay.”

Micheal pulled his wife into a massive bear hug that reminded me so much of Keith. Becca smiled at me with glistening eyes. She’d barely said two words since I got here, but I’d heard someone say she’d been the paramedic on scene, so she was probably in shock.

His mother took a step back when Micheal released her, and she turned to me. “Come here.” She pulled me into a hug. “See, he’s going to be fine.”

“I’ll send a nurse down to let you know when you can go see him.” He looked over our shoulder at the crowded room and shook his head. “But let’s just keep it to family and maybe one or two close friends for now. He’ll be home tomorrow, and everyone can see him there.”

He left, and we went back into the room. Everyone was standing there waiting to hear the news, and his father stepped forward.

“He’s going to be okay. He has a broken leg, but other than that, he’s alright.”

It was like someone popped a balloon, and all the tension left the room with one big collective sigh. If we’d been anywhere but a hospital, I thought they might have cheered, but instead, there were smiles all around.

“They’re going to keep him overnight, and they’ve requested that only family go in to see him. I think we kind of overwhelmed them with the number of people who are here,” he said with a chuckle. “Robert, Samuel, you can stay. The rest of you, thanks for coming and waiting with us. Now get back to work.”

I grinned at the way he’d taken charge, ordering them around. It was easy to see the respect they still had for him as their former chief. Not a single one argued or asked any questions. They just shook his hand or gave him a hug as they all filed out.

Giles stopped, pulling me into a hug. “I’m going back to work, but if you need anything, you call me.”

“I will. Thanks for coming up here and sitting with me.” I watched him go. He was a good friend, and I was lucky to have him.

Andy was at the end of the line of people who were leaving, and as he went by, I noticed my dad hand off the puppy and say something to him. He nodded and left. Then they were all gone, and it was just the six of us left in the room.

“Did the doctor give you any idea how long he would have to stay in the hospital?” my dad asked.

“He said they were keeping him overnight for observation, so I’m assuming he’ll be discharged sometime tomorrow,” his mom said.

“Okay, Caleb, I assume you’ll be staying up here with him?”