by Carian Cole
Worried, I decide the best thing to do is give him what he keeps asking for—time to think. As hard as it is, I refrain from sending any more texts or attempting to call him.
My fingers reach up to touch the necklace hanging against my chest, remembering his words when he gave it to me on Christmas Eve. I'm always with you.
I silently pray that's still true.
34
ASIA
I'M LYING in bed reading, unable to sleep, when my cell phone rings from my nightstand. I don't even care that it's almost one a.m. I'm just relieved he's finally calling me. An entire day has passed since his last text when he told me he needed to think, and it's been torture for me waiting for him to get in touch.
But when I pick up my phone, it's Asher's name flashing on the screen.
"Hello?" My insides go cold as I hold my breath, hoping Talon is using his brother's phone for whatever reason, like maybe the battery is dead in his.
"Asia, it's Ash. I'm sorry to call so late…" Shit.
"It's okay. Is everything all right?" I sit up in bed, my book falling to the floor.
"No. Talon fell off the stage tonight. We've been at the hospital, and they're running some tests, but I think you should come. I'm getting the feeling something serious is going on."
A little gasp escapes me as my heart jumps into overdrive. "Oh my God, what happened? Is he okay?"
"We're not sure. He may have blacked out. It all happened so fast. One minute he was on the edge of the stage playing, and the next, he just fell right off. He's a little banged up and he smacked his head on the floor."
"Oh God…" I jump out of bed and run to the closet, frantically pulling out random clothes and throwing them onto the bed.
"He's been kinda off the past few days. He thought he had an ear infection. If he does, then he definitely could’ve gotten dizzy and lost his balance. It happens."
"That's true. He's been complaining of headaches since Christmas, too."
"Right. An ambulance brought him to the ER, and I've only talked briefly to the doctor so far. I'm waiting to hear more. I just think you should be here."
"Of course."
"I checked into some flights for you. There's a 5:30 a.m. flight out of Manchester, and you'll get here a little before noon. I'll arrange for a driver to pick you up at the airport and bring you here, and I'll book a hotel room for you. I'll text you all the info when we hang up."
"Okay. Thank you so much. Have you called your parents?" Noon is so far away; that's almost twelve hours before I can actually get to see him.
"Yeah, they're in California discussing a movie deal for one of Mom's books, but they're going to try to get out here tomorrow night."
"Okay. I'm going to pack a few things, then I'll leave."
"Are you gonna be okay to get yourself to the airport?"
"Yes, definitely." I'll drive the shit out of that car to get to my husband and get on that evil plane.
"Drive safe. I'll send that info now, and I'll see you when you get here. Try not to worry."
"Thank you for all your help, Asher. Please stay with him."
I end the call and toss the phone onto the bed, my entire body trembling with fear and worry. I try to steer my thoughts over to Asher's words—if Talon has an ear infection, he may have gotten dizzy and lost his balance. But he also said he had a feeling something serious is going on, and that's the part I can't stop hearing over and over again in my head.
I pull my small, beat-up suitcase out of the closet and start piling my clothes into it, when Pixie jumps on the bed and steps into the suitcase, circling in my clothes.
Oh no! What am I going to do with her if I'm leaving?
Retrieving my phone, I call Kat, hoping she'll answer at this time of night, and she does, on the fifth ring.
"Asia?" Her voice is scratchy and muffled.
"Kat, I'm so sorry to call you so late, but I need a huge favor."
"Sure…of course. What time is it? Are you all right?"
"Yes. No… Talon is in the hospital in Florida, and I need to go there right away. But I need you to watch Pixie for me. Do you want to stay here and house-sit for me?"
"Oh no! Is he okay? What the hell happened?"
"'I'm not sure." I lift the cat out of my suitcase and snap it shut so I don't end up taking her with me by accident. "Asher called me and said Talon fell off the stage."
"Holy shit. Was he wasted?"
"Kat! No, he doesn't do that! They think he may have an ear infection, but Asher sounded worried. Talon hit his head when he fell. I need to get there, and my flight leaves at five a.m."
"Your flight? You're getting on a plane?" She doesn't even try to hide her shock.
"I have to. I need to get to him, Kat. He hasn't been right since the fight we had. I feel terrible. If anything happens to him, I'll never forgive myself." I choke on my words as tears well up in my eyes.
"Okay…anything you need, hon. Please don't cry. Should I come now?"
"If you can, that would be great. I'm so sorry to do this to you."
"For God's sake, Asia. Don't apologize. I'll be there in half an hour."
"Thank you! You're a doll."
While I wait for Kat, I scribble a list for her about what and when Pixie eats, the alarm code, and leave her a few hundred dollars left over from the cash Talon set aside for me when he went away in October.
I read over the text Asher sent me, which has details for everything I need about the flight, the hospital, and hotel. He also noted at the end that he hasn't yet talked to a doctor, but he’ll text me if he hears anything before I get there.
"I'm so excited to be staying at Chateau Valentine!" Kat exclaims when she arrives, throwing her arms around me in the foyer. "Don't worry, Asia. He's going to be fine. You're pale as a ghost."
"I appreciate you coming over so fast. I'm not sure when I'll be back, though—"
She waves her hand at me. "No worries. I can stay as long as you need me to. Rob can come here if he wants to hang out at night. I promise we won't trash your beautiful house."
"I know that, Kat. There's food in the fridge, I left you cash in case you need anything for Pixie or yourself… The guest room is clean—no one's ever slept in there. Help yourself to anything you need. I left the alarm code on a note in the kitchen, too. If you don't set it before midnight and when you leave the house, it will send us a text message."
"Swanky."
"And don't drive the monster truck," I tease.
"Well, damn, now you've wrecked my day. I was planning to go off-roading."
I scoop up Pixie from the floor and give her a little kiss. "You be good for your auntie." I stroke her little head and put her back down before turning back to Kat. "I can't thank you enough."
"Stop. Do you even know where the airport is? I could drive you."
"I actually do know where it is, and that's okay. I can leave my car in the lot."
"Do you want a sedative for the flight?"
"Why are you always offering me pills?"
"Because you're a nervous wreck and you've never been on a plane."
Sighing, I grab my purse and my suitcase. "I'll be okay. I need a clear mind when I see him."
She hugs me before I get to the door leading to the garage. "Call or text me when you get there. And don't worry."
The airport is only about forty minutes from our house and I find it with only one wrong turn, thanks to one of those epically confusing traffic circles. I follow the signs to the long-term parking area and trek to the terminal.
After collecting my ticket, I check my bags and go through security, then wait until I can finally board the plane. My fear of flying is totally confirmed when I see how tiny and close together the seats are. It’s seriously ridiculous and frightening to be in such a cramped space, with total strangers—thankfully not many on this flight—up in the freaking air. I'm really rethinking my decision to take Kat up on her sedative offer right now. Between worrying about Talon an
d being in this claustrophobic space, I feel like I'm going to have a meltdown.
Breathe.
I finger my necklace, which usually helps me calm down, and it does now. I'm always with you.
Closing my eyes, I say a silent prayer, Please let him be okay. Please help him forgive me for being so stupid. Please give us the strength to get through this.
AS PROMISED, there's a driver waiting to take me to the hospital when I get off the plane. Half an hour later, I'm walking through the lobby doors, texting Kat as I walk, and I literally run right into Asher.
"Good timing," he says, kissing my cheek hello.
"How is he? I've been worried sick."
"Let's go sit down." He motions to a couch in a secluded waiting area off the lobby, but I don't want to sit down. I want to see my husband. Now. He puts his arm around me and leads me to the couch, motioning for me to sit.
"I spoke to the doctors about half an hour ago. They've run a bunch of tests and are pretty sure they have a diagnosis."
A diagnosis. That sounds bad to me. It isn't, "Hey, it's just an ear infection." It's something that's been given a name and required testing. And it's obviously something Asher wants to speak to me about alone first.
I swallow hard and wait for him to continue, my legs shaking.
His eyes soften and he touches my hand, just like Talon does. "You look petrified. He's going to be okay, Asia." His voice is so deep and calm, it soothes me instantly like a verbal sedative, taking the edge off the fear that's been racing through my veins.
"So what's wrong with him?"
"They're pretty sure it's something called Ménière's disease."
Disease. Disease. Disease.
"Wh-What's that?" I've never even heard of what he just said. Which probably means it's rare.
"I didn't understand all the technical mumbo jumbo of what the doctor said, but from what I did understand, it's a sort of disorder of the inner ear. It causes episodes of severe dizziness, ringing in the ears, exhaustion, irritability, a pressured feeling in the ear, like when you want to pop your ear, ya know?" I nod, hoping that's the end, but it's not. "The other symptom is fluctuating hearing loss. If all that isn't bad enough, he'll most likely go completely deaf in that ear. He already has partial hearing loss, according to the tests."
I blink at him, feeling dizzy myself just absorbing that horrible list of symptoms my husband is going to experience. Talon will go completely insane if he loses his hearing; there's no doubt in my mind about that.
"Does it only happen once? Like, after this, is it over?" I ask hopefully.
He shakes his head. "Unfortunately, no. I did a quick web search while I was waiting for you, and from what I've read, he'll continue to have random dizzy spells. Some will come on very suddenly, like what happened last night on stage. Other times, it might be mild but last hours or days. There's usually vomiting caused by the vertigo, which he's had all night and this morning."
"He's getting sick? And he'll have this for the rest of his life?" That can't be. He was totally fine just a few days ago. Yeah, he's been tired and distracted and had a few headaches. But nothing like this.
"Yes. The ENT specialist said sometimes, after a few years, the symptoms will diminish, but there isn't a cure. But, he did say that each case is different. Talon may only have a few episodes per year that may last a few hours or a few days, and then he might not have another one for years. Or, in bad cases, the person has episodes weekly or monthly. It's too soon to tell."
"Oh my God, Asher. This can't be happening to him. He's such a happy, active person. This will make him miserable."
He nods slowly. "I know that, trust me. He'll be okay. We have to be positive and help him get through it."
This must be why he was so unusually harsh with me over the Danny disaster. He must have been starting to feel sicker.
"Did the doctor talk to him?"
"The doctor spoke to him, so he knows what's wrong with him now. I gotta warn you, he's pretty pissed off. I can tell he's scared."
I rub my forehead, overwhelmed with all the horrible info Asher just described. How is Talon ever going to get through this? This will destroy him.
"What do we do next?"
"They're running a few more tests, then they'll start some meds until he can see an ENT back home. He did hit his head last night, so he has a concussion. They think they might release him in two days. They're a little worried about dehydration since he's vomiting so much, so he's got an IV for fluids. He's not gonna be able to fly, the cabin pressure will make this way worse for him, so we're going to have to find a better way to get him home."
"Oh my God." My body starts to tremble, and I break out in a cold sweat.
"Let me get you some water. Stay put."
I sit in a shaking daze while I wait for Asher to return. How can this be happening? Talon is so young, healthy, and happy. He works out every day. He practices his music every day. He listens to music constantly. I can't even imagine how this is going to affect his music—or his life, for that matter.
"Here ya go." Asher hands me a paper cup of water and sits next to me again. "Asia, I know this is hard, but we have to look at the bright side. He's alive, he's going to be okay, and he can find ways to cope with this. Yeah, it sucks, but you two can get through this. He's a good kid, and he's always been very driven. He'll learn to deal with this."
"He doesn't deserve this…"
"No, he doesn't. But bad things happen to good people. It's horrible, but it's fuckin' true. No one knows that better than me. It's how we choose to deal with this shit that matters. And it helps to have someone fight with you, and he's got you. When you love someone, what happens to them, happens to you. You either fight it together, or you let it tear you apart. Right?"
I nod tearfully. "That's right. I'm not going to let this beat him. I'll be there for him through every step of this crap."
He winks at me. "I know you will. Why don't we head upstairs now? I think he'll be glad to see you."
God, I hope so.
ASHER ENTERS TALON'S room first to let him know I'm here, while I wait outside the door. While we were in the elevator, Asher told me they were able to get Talon a private room, as there was quite a ruckus at the concert last night and the local fans know he's here since some of them actually followed the ambulance.
After a few moments, I hear his voice. "No. I don't want her seeing me like this."
"She's your wife, Tal."
"I don't fucking want her here." His words cut through my heart like a knife, and I honestly don't know if I can take any more. I feel emotionally drained from our fight, the flight, and now the horrible news of his disease.
"Don't make me remind you how lucky you are to have a wife who can fucking be here. Cut the shit or I'll put another bump on your head." Asher's serious voice is a force to be reckoned with.
"Just go the fuck away. Please." In the months I’ve known him, I’ve never heard him sound so disgusted and angry. He sounds like a completely different person.
Asher comes out into the hall and grins at me, completely unaffected. "He's a little cranky. You can go in now. All the guys are at the hotel, so I'm gonna head over there too to take a shower. Call my cell if you need me. I'll be back in a few hours."
"Thanks, Ash."
I walk into the room slowly, not prepared for how awful Talon looks. He's pale and looks unusually small in the thin green hospital gown hanging off his shoulder. He's half sitting up, propped against a pillow, with a stainless steel bedpan on his lap that apparently he's been vomiting into, and he has an IV running into a vein in his muscular arm. His hair is stringy and clinging to his damp forehead that's got a bandage taped across it.
"Talon…" I rush to the side of the bed, tears already falling down my face as I lean in to kiss his cheek.
He turns his head away from me, not letting me touch him. "You shouldn't be here," he rasps.
"Yes, I should. There's nowhere else I should be ri
ght now." I sit on the edge of the bed and take his hand in mine.
"How did you get here?"
"I got on a plane."
His eyes close for a long moment. "You're scared to fly."
"You're right. But I'm more scared to not be with you."
He finally turns to face me, and his eyes are twitchy, moving side to side, and it's one of the scariest things I've ever seen in my life.
"Talon…"
He pushes his arm out against me as he leans forward and vomits into the pan, then collapses back onto the pillow, letting out a deep breath and closing his eyes again, his hands gripping the sides of the bed. "I'm so fucking dizzy…" he chokes out. "It won't stop…"
I never had anyone to care for me when I was sick. I literally crawled across the floor to my bathroom many times with the flu, heaving over the toilet, or lay in bed for days with a fever, wishing I would just die. I would have done anything to have someone take care of me, even a tiny bit.
I take the pan into the adjoining bathroom and rinse it out, then bring it back to him.
"Asia, please—"
"Just rest," I say softly, going back to the bathroom to retrieve a washcloth that I soak in cold water. I return to the edge of the bed and gently lay the cold cloth across his eyes.
"Does that feel a little better?" I ask.
He nods slowly. "Yes… Thank you."
"I'll be right back."
I wander out into the hall to the nurses' station and wait for one of them to look up at me.
"Yes?"
"Hi. I'm Talon Valentine's wife. I was wondering if he could have a ginger ale, maybe? I was hoping it would help him feel better and get the nasty taste out of his mouth."
