Page 65 of Until He Confesses

With a sigh, I leaned into the chair to rest since I was certain that I would also need the energy to help her out the way that was needed as soon as we arrived back in the city. We flew straight to Boston, and Michael was able to arrange a car for us on the tarmac.

I wanted to be in control so that Callie would feel a little more consoled, so I took over from the driver, and in no time, we were on our way to the general hospital.

Anna was still there so it didn't take long for her to find her mother and receive details. Through it all, I kept my eyes on Callie to ensure that she had recovered her emotional stability, at least to some extent.

She looked calm and had been since the moment she emerged from my bedroom a few hours after I told her to go in. She had taken a shower, changed, tied her hair up and out of the way, and returned to the cabin as if she was ready for battle.

I suspected she had slept a little bit, but I didn't insist she try to sleep any longer. I was certain that she would have rejected the idea, so I cajoled her into having some food, and then we landed. Now, she had the same stoic expression, and I could tell that she was trying not to panic. She was trying to be strong, and I completely understood her. I experienced this exact thing just a few years ago when my brother passed away. We hadn't been close due to the different paths our parents' divorce had led us down, but there were enough memories from our younger years to ensure that I still felt the fear of his hospitalization and eventual loss. I had to grieve about him all on my own, and it had hardened me and turned me colder than I could have ever imagined. That was the only way to manage the fear and prepare for the worst. So, I couldn't help but go over to her. I didn't touch her, but I did stand close enough for her to feel my warmth. To my surprise, she leaned into it. Anna watched us as she spoke and then sent me a little smile.

“I need to leave now so that I can clock in for work, but please keep me updated,” she said.

“Of course,” Callie replied in a weak and faint voice. “Thank you so much.”

She held her friend's hand, and in response, Anna hugged her.

“You know there's no need to thank me, but I'll let it slide now because you're all sorts of fragile,” Anna said, which induced a smile from Callie. Then she watched as Anna went on her way.

I led Callie over to a waiting area and we took our seats. We had already seen the doctor, who explained that her mother had come in earlier in the week with a breathing complaint. Since she had asthma, she was given medication and sent on her way, but it didn't get any better. Suddenly, she had a heart attack and had to be rushed in for a coronary artery bypass graft. That was all they knew so far, so we had to wait for the rest.

“You don't have to be here,” Callie said, with an unexpected choice of words.

“I know,” I said, and she stared at me until it occurred to her how that sounded, and her eyes widened in shock.

“I’m so sorry. I meant-”

“I know what you meant,” I said and lightly squeezed her shoulder.

Suddenly tears filled her eyes, and she buried her face in her hands to hide.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “It’s just that I’ve forced you through so much but I’m okay now. I want you to rest. I must have ruined all your plans.”

“Yes, you did,” I said, and she was slightly startled at this. I couldn’t help but smile at her expression. “You did ruin them, but I don’t mind. If it was someone else, I wouldn’t have bothered doing this, and being here is a choice. You didn’t force it on me.”

She stared at me, and the tears just seemed to roll down from her eyes so I pulled her closer for an embrace.

“I think you being here is making me weaker than I should be,” she said, and I smiled. That was such a Callie thing to say.

“It’s good for you to be weak now since I’m here. Conserve your energy so that after I leave you can be strong.”

At this, she nodded, pulled away, and wiped her face.

“You always knew the exact right things to say.”

I kept my arms around her shoulder, and she leaned into me to rest. A little while later the food I had sent for was brought over and we found an area to eat in. Once again, she nibbled on her meal but managed to eat enough to convince me she wasn’t going to faint out of the blue.

Just then the doctor walked toward us, so we hurried over to meet with him. She held my hand as he came over to us in his scrubs and her hold, it was so tight that I could feel the dig in my skin.

“How did it go?” I asked and he nodded, looking between the both of us until his gaze finally settled on her.

“It went fine,” he said. “She’ll be fine. The surgery was successful, so we expect her to make a full recovery. But some lifestyle and dietary changes need to be made now and if they are strictly followed then this should greatly minimize the risks of this ever happening again.”

I could hear the deep, trembling sigh of relief that she let out by my side, so I shook her slightly to console her. He gave some more details on her mom’s condition and then he went on his way.

I took my first deep breath in hours, greatly relieved that the worst had been avoided and she was the same. She took her seat, and stared straight ahead, still in shock.

I didn’t interrupt her. I just remained by her side so that she could process all that she needed to until she was able to convince me to go on my way. I tried to object at first but eventually, I was forced to give in.

31