Redemption Road (Roughneck #3)

by Nicole Hart

  “Can you give me just a minute? Please?” I asked Jill, but unable to take my eyes off of Mackenzie.

  “For just a minute, ok?” she said, and I shook my head without looking in her direction. I listened for the door to open and close again before I spoke.

  “Sweetie?” I whispered to her, and grabbed her warm hand with the only arm I could move. The other was in a cast and strapped against my chest.

  “Baby, please answer me,” I pleaded, but the only answer I got was the beeping of the monitor.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, as I tried to scoot closer to her, putting my head against her arm. I ignored the stinging pain that pierced me as I tried to lie against her. I needed to feel her.

  “I’m sorry you were in the car. I’m sorry for not thinking. I’m sorry, baby. Please, wake up,” I begged. But she didn’t. She didn’t move.

  My mind started to fuck with me, giving me the worst possible outcomes. I sat arguing with myself at every fucked up scenario.

  What if she didn’t wake up? No, that wasn’t acceptable. She would wake up. She had to wake up. What if she didn’t remember me? I would remind her. What if she blamed me? I would win her back. What if she wasn’t the same? I would stay by her side no matter what. I wasn’t going to lose her. It wasn’t going to happen.

  “Mackenzie, please,” I said again, but she still didn’t move.

  “I won’t leave you. You have to wake up, baby. I need you.”

  Her finger twitched under me. I raised my head quickly, ignoring my pain, watching her eyes.

  “Baby?” I said quietly, squeezing her hand, waiting.

  But she didn’t move again. She didn’t open her eyes. I sat there watching her, hoping. But the only movement was the rise and fall of her chest.

  I heard the door open and the sound of the wheelchair coming closer. I wasn’t ready to leave her. I needed to stay.

  “Mr. Bennett, I have to take you back to your room now,” Jill said, with a sad smile.

  “Just a little longer,” I said.

  “I can’t, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have let you come in here,” she said.

  “I’ll go,” I whispered.

  “Listen, they are planning on releasing you tomorrow, just be a good patient and then you won’t have to leave her, I’ll make sure of it,” she smiled.

  “Ok,” I said, as I kissed Mackenzie’s hand.

  “I’ll be back soon. I promise, baby,” I whispered against her hand.

  “Do you think she can hear me?” I asked Jill as she started to wheel me out.

  “I like to think so,” she said, as she opened the door. I looked back at my baby once more before she was out of my line of sight.

  The next morning, I sat up on my bed as the nurse took out my IV, and went over my discharge paperwork. I didn’t want to be rude, but she needed to hurry the fuck up.

  The cops had paid me a visit this morning also. They asked a few questions, I stuck to my story, and that was the end of it. Case closed. One less troublemaker on the road, according to one of the officers on his way out. He had no fucking idea.

  “Can I just sign, please?” I asked as nicely as possible, and held my hand out for the pen.

  “Yeah,” she said, and handed it over. Jill had filled her in on the situation, and she was nice enough to put a rush on my release. I really was trying to be nice, but I needed to get to Mackenzie.

  “Here are the clothes you had on when you got here,” she said, as she handed me a plastic bag. I grabbed my wallet out of it and closed it, noticing the blood stains on the shirt. Luckily my mom had brought me extra clothes this morning, hoping to take me home. But I wasn’t leaving this hospital, not without Mackenzie.

  “Thank you,” I said, as I signed all the highlighted areas the best I could with my left hand.

  “Ok, you’re free to go,” she said, and gave me a smile. “I’m sure we will be seeing you.”

  “I’m not leaving without her,” I said, as I grabbed the bag and headed to the door. I dropped it in the trash can on my way out of the room.

  The nurses were all staring again as I walked down the hall, trying to get to Mackenzie as fast as possible. I stared at the room numbers all the way down the hall, not wanting eye contact with any of them.

  Room 327.

  I opened the door, and it was a little brighter this time. There was a light on in the corner now, over the recliner. She wasn’t alone this time. There was a woman sitting there. She was older, her dark hair was in a bun and she was wearing a long black skirt. She looked up from the book she was reading, and as soon as I saw her eyes, I knew who she was. I got angry as soon as I saw her face, but didn’t want it to show. This is the woman who threw Mackenzie out, the one who expected her to be something she wasn’t. The one who turned her back on her.

  “Hello,” she said quietly as she shut her book, and stood up.

  “Hey,” I said, turning all my attention to Mackenzie. She looked the same as yesterday, but her bruises were a little lighter. But no other change.

  “Hey, sweetie,” I said, as I walked over to her and kissed her cheek gently, afraid of hurting her. I held her hand and just watched her breathing, hoping for some kind of movement.

  “You must be the driver,” she said as she stood beside me, and I could feel her staring at me.

  “I’m Kash, Mackenzie’s boyfriend,” I said, and glanced in her direction. She would fucking know that if she had a damn thing to do with her own daughter.

  “I assumed,” she said quietly.

  “How did you know she was here?” I asked bluntly.

  “The police called us, they got our number from her cell phone,” she said, as her voice cracked.

  I continued to stare at Mackenzie, stroking her arm with my good hand.

  “I assume Mackenzie has told you about our situation,” she said quietly.

  “Look, I don’t want to talk about this now,” I said honestly. I didn’t want to do this, not here.

  “The only thing that matters now is Mackenzie and getting her to wake up, and come home to me,” I said.

  “I understand,” she said, and walked back over to the chair.

  “The doctor said it’s just a waiting game. They expect her to wake up; they just don’t know how long it will be. They just don’t know,” she said quietly, her voice cracking.

  “I’ll wait as long as it takes. I’m not leaving her,” I said.

  “I’m glad she has you,” she said quietly.

  “I’m the lucky one,” I said, as I pulled up a chair and sat it next to her bed.

  We sat in silence for at least an hour. The only noises were the monitors and my occasional pleas for her to wake up.

  My next step hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew what I had to do. It was the only thing left.

  “Please, don’t leave her until I get back,” I said, as I walked towards the door, knowing I had only one thing left to do. It was my only hope.

  “I won’t,” she said, as she gave me a little smile.

  Chapter 31

  I walked up to the single door and took a deep breath before walking inside. I looked at the sign to make sure I was in the right place.

  Chapel.

  I opened the door and peeked inside. The room was empty and dimly lit. There were a few rows of chairs, and an altar at the front. I walked slowly to the front of the room. I looked around before getting down on my knees.

  “Maybe if I say this out loud you’ll hear me, I need you to hear me,” I said with a shaky voice.

  “I know I don’t talk to You very much anymore, I don’t even know You that well anymore. I’m sure You know me, and I’m begging You not to hold it against me. Because she knows You. She talks to You, I know it, she’s told me.”

  I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat. I had to get this out. I had to ask. I needed help.

  “Please, please save her. Please help her. I need her. I need her to wake up.”

  I slumped down, putting
my face in my hand, trying to keep the tears away.

  “She came into my life and changed me. I love her. I didn’t think I could love any woman, but I do. And I’m fu… I’m begging you to please help her. If I could switch places with her, I would, in a second. If you could take me instead, do it. But please don’t take her.”

  The tears started to fall and I couldn’t stop it. I hadn’t cried since I was twelve years old. I didn’t even think it was in me. But Mackenzie changed everything about me.

  “I love her. Please. Please. Please,” I begged, as the tears continued to fall.

  After the tears finally dried up, I picked myself up off the floor. I had to believe this would work and that God heard me. I didn’t have much else to hang on to.

  I walked back into Mackenzie’s room and there was a man standing next to her mother close to the door.

  “I’m sorry, dear, I can’t accept it,” he whispered, before he looked over at me as I walked inside.

  “Excuse me,” I said, as I looked down and walked past the both of them. I didn’t care what they were talking about, it wasn’t important to me. She was the only thing that mattered. There was a young nurse standing next to Mackenzie’s bed, holding a chart and scribbling things down.

  “Hello,” she said, as she looked up and gave me a big smile.

  “No change?” I asked, without giving her a second glance.

  “Not yet, I’m sorry,” she said, as she hit a button on one of the machines and walked towards the door.

  “I’m sorry, but there are only two people allowed in here at a time,” she said quietly.

  “I’m not leaving her,” I said. I didn’t care what they thought. It wasn’t happening.

  They both just stared at me, but didn’t say a word.

  “I’m not trying to disrespect either of you, but I can’t leave her,” I told them.

  “I’ll be in the waiting room,” her father said, and turned on his heel, leaving the room quickly.

  I sat in my chair next to her bed, grabbing her hand and pressing my lips against it.

  Mackenzie’s mother walked over to me and put her hand out.

  “My name is Karen,” she said. I took my hand out of Mackenzie’s and stood, putting my hand in hers, giving her the best smile I could manage, which wasn’t very much.

  “I apologize for my husband’s demeanor. He has his beliefs, we both do,” she said, with a sad smile.

  “But I love my daughter.”

  My mind went back to the morning Mackenzie gave me all the details about her relationship with her parents. It pissed me off the way they treated her. It wasn’t fair for her. She didn’t deserve what they did.

  I walked away from the bed and over to the corner of the room, Karen followed me.

  “Mackenzie is the most amazing woman I have ever met. I don’t understand how you can love someone, but throw them away. Y’all are the ones who are missing out by turning your back on her. She never deserved it, but in the end, it’s your loss,” I whispered, not wanting Mackenzie to hear any tension. I was holding on to the fact that she could hear my voice.

  “You’re right,” Karen said, as she wiped a single tear from her cheek.

  “I wrote my number down on the notepad over there,” she said, as she nodded her head to the table in the corner. “Will you please call me if she wakes up?”

  I nodded my head as I walked back to the bed.

  “I’ll be back tomorrow,” Karen said, as she walked towards the door, her voice trembling.

  “I’m right here, sweetie,” I whispered, as I kissed her hand.

  “I really need you to wake up. I need to see those beautiful eyes of yours. I know you’re a fighter, and I know you can hear me. Please, baby,” I begged.

  I stared at her, waiting. I was watching for some sort of sign that she heard me. But nothing came.

  I must have dozed off with my head on her hand because the sound of the door opening jerked me awake.

  “Hey,” Sam said quietly, as she walked through the door.

  “Hey, what are you doing here?” I asked.

  “I took off early,” she said, as she held up a fast food bag. “I’m sure you haven’t eaten, so I brought you food.”

  “Thanks, Sam,” I said, as I rubbed my fingers back and forth over Mackenzie’s hand.

  “Did you get your pain meds filled?” she asked.

  “No, I’m fine,” I said. She was being way too nice, for Sam, anyway.

  “You need to take your medicine, Kash. Where’s the prescription? There’s a pharmacy downstairs, I’ll go fill it,” she said.

  “Why are you being so nice?” I asked, cutting my eyes at her, but knowing our relationship had been better for a while, now.

  “Shut up, you’re my family. Both of you,” she said. “I could slap you upside your stitches, if it would make you feel better,” she said, as she held her hand up.

  I let out a small laugh, but then looked over at Mackenzie, and I instantly felt guilty for even smiling, while she laid there.

  “Kash. She’s going to wake up,” Sam said, as she patted my back.

  I just nodded. Hoping. Praying. Pleading.

  “Uh… Also, Lainey and Emma made the trip with me. They’re in the waiting room,” Sam said, nervously.

  “Who’s Emma?” I asked.

  “Lainey’s baby,” Sam said, waiting for my reaction. I had completely forgotten than Lainey was married with a baby now.

  “Oh,” I said, not paying much attention, just looking at Mackenzie.

  “Is it ok if she comes in to see Mackenzie, just for a minute?” she asked. I knew what she was asking me, without saying it out loud. That was a lifetime ago, I was a teenager. None of that mattered anymore. Mackenzie was the only one that mattered.

  “It’s fine,” I said with a little smile, nodding my head.

  “Emma can’t come in here, so I’ll stay in the waiting room with her. You’re sure?” she asked.

  “Trust me, it’s fine.” Damn, she was such a mother hen. That woman needed kids one of these days.

  “Ok,” Sam said, as she grabbed my prescription from the stack of paperwork on the table and walked out the door.

  A few minutes later, Lainey walked in, looking a little nervous.

  “Hey, Kash,” she said quietly, looking at me quickly, then turning her attention to Mackenzie.

  “Hey,” I said, hardly giving her a second glance.

  “Oh, my goodness,” she whispered, as she stared at her.

  “You need to wake up, girlfriend,” she said, as she rubbed Mackenzie’s arm, trying to fight back the tears.

  “She will. She has to,” I said from my side of the bed.

  “She will,” Lainey repeated, and gave me a sad smile.

  “I better get back to Emma,” Lainey said after a few minutes of silence.

  “Thanks for coming to see her,” I said.

  “Of course, I love Mackenzie,” Lainey said.

  Me, too.

  I just smiled as she waved goodbye.

  Chapter 32

  4 Days Later

  It had been four days of waiting. Four days of hoping. Four days of pacing back and forth in this room. There was still no change, and the doctors were getting more concerned that she wasn’t going to wake up at all. Of course, they didn’t say those words, but I could tell by the way they spoke to the nurses. I wouldn’t accept it. She would wake up, she had to.

  Sam came down a couple of times, bringing me clothes and fast food. Karen came every morning around ten. She would stay a few hours and leave. We never really spoke, but she was cordial, and I was just surprised she kept coming. The nurses were nice enough to bring me food, although it usually remained untouched. I didn’t have an appetite. The knot in my stomach seemed to grow by the day. I spent my nights on a cot they brought in for me. They figured out I wasn’t leaving, and were nice enough to try and make me comfortable. It didn’t, but they tried. Nothing would make me comfortable until I had
her arms around me.

  It was almost dark outside. I sat in the recliner, trying to ignore the pounding in my head. I hated taking the pain medicine, it made me tired. I didn’t want to sleep. I needed to be by her side when she woke up.

  The beeping on the monitor picked up a little, which caught my attention, and I went to her bedside. The change was making me nervous - I didn’t know if it was a good or a bad change. I didn’t know whether to call for a nurse. But all those thoughts disappeared when I watched her hand twitch. This had happened before, so I kept my eyes glued to her, waiting.

  Her fingers started to move.

  “Sweetie? Mackenzie? Can you hear me?” I asked. Please God, let her hear me.

  She moved her head back and forth, just slightly, but I saw it. A little moan came from her throat.

  “Baby?” I said, and I grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

  Her eyes started to flutter. I grabbed the red button beside the bed and pushed it.

  “She’s waking up. I think she’s waking up,” I said, without waiting for them to answer.

  “Please, tell me you can hear me,” I begged, as I grabbed her hand again.

  “Kash,” she whispered, so quietly it was almost silent. But I heard it. I heard it.

  “Oh, Mackenzie, baby,” I said, as I leaned against her and started to kiss up and down her arm.

  “Can you open your eyes?” I asked, as I watched her face.

  “Kash,” she whispered again, and wiggled her fingers. I brought her hand to my lips and kissed it over and over.

  She smiled weakly and licked her lips. Her eyes started to open. I could tell she was struggling, but she was fighting. I knew she was a fighter. She blinked, one, two, three times. Then held her eyes closed for a few seconds before opening them again. I let out the breath I didn’t even realize I was holding.

  I stood and hovered over her face, trying my best not to put any of my weight on her. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her.

  “I missed those eyes,” I said, as she stared at me. I leaned in and kissed her lips gently.