"You can see the cuts and bruises all over his head and face. The MRI results were inconclusive, so it's a matter of being better safe than sorry."
"Is he going to be okay?"
"Of course he is," Vinny said before the nurse could respond. "Keep talking to him. Give that man a reason to sit up and order the nurses to release him."
Tiffany turned back to her grandpa, her throat nearly closing. She ran her hand along his face and whispered in his ear, telling him how much she needed him to wake up. She did her best to keep her voice steady and sound cheerful. Eventually, her voice cracked and she knew she couldn't keep up the facade anymore.
Tiffany held his hand and leaned against his arm, sobbing. Seeing him like that made it hard to imagine him ever returning to normal. What if he never came out of the coma? Or what if he couldn't take care of himself any longer?
She heard footsteps around the room, but couldn't bring herself to look up. It was probably just more nurses.
Someone asked who she was, and another person said, "The only granddaughter."
Tiffany squeezed his hand and tried to control her sobs. More shuffling of feet. She shook, afraid she was going to lose it right there in front of all the nurses and Vinny. Maybe it didn't matter.
She felt a hand on her back. Assuming it to be Vinny, she continued crying until there was nothing left. He handed her a tissue. When she was done blowing her nose, Tiffany looked around the room. Aside from Grandpa, she was alone. She looked around, confused. She stood up and threw the tissue away.
Vinny walked in. "Sorry. The head nurse had a couple questions, and it took me longer than I thought."
Tiffany's eyebrows came together. "Wait. You weren't just here?"
He looked concerned. "No. Is everything okay?"
Blood drained from her face. Who had put his hand on her back and handed her the tissue? She tried to speak, but no words came.
"You look like you've seen a ghost."
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up again. She whipped around and stared out the door, not seeing anyone unusual. She grabbed the curtain and closed it.
"Do you need some rest, Tiff?" Vinny asked. "We can come back later."
Tiffany sat in the nearest chair. "I don't even have a place to stay."
"Of course you do. In my guest room. In fact, Luisa's been talking nonstop about you staying with us. It's been years since we've spent any time with you, and she wants to catch up."
Tiffany nodded, unable to shake the feeling of being watched. "How safe is Grandpa here?"
"Couldn't be safer, really. Nurses come and go, checking this and that every few minutes."
Tiffany looked back at Grandpa. "I don't want to leave him, but I feel like I'm going to pass out."
"You know he wouldn't want that." Vinny texted someone. "I just told Luisa to get some food ready. We'll feed you, and then you can get some rest."
"Thank you, Vinny." Tiffany went back to Grandpa's side and ran her hands over shaved head, trying not to look at the stitches. "I'll be back, Grandpa. I'm staying in town as long as I need to. Rest up." Tears blurred her vision. "Vinny's going to take care of me. I love you." She kissed his forehead, and then turned around. "I'm ready."
As they walked through the halls, she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. She stood as close to Vinny as she could without being weird. He must have sensed her anxiety because he put his arm around her and spoke about her grandpa's strength and iron will.
The drive home went by in a blur. Tiffany couldn't focus on anything except the image of her grandpa and all the tubes. There had even been one in his mouth, forcing him to breathe. He wouldn't have liked any of that, but it was as if any of them could do anything about it. All of that stuff kept him alive.
"Do you think Trent did that to him?" Tiffany asked, even though she was pretty sure it was him.
"No one knows, but we'll find whoever it was and put him away for life. And if the cops won't take care of it, someone else will. I promise you that much."
"Thanks, Vinny."
"The good news is that he's going to wake up, so he might be able to tell us."
"Might? Why wouldn't he?"
"The nurses and doctors are pretty sure he won't remember the event itself. I have more faith in him than that, though."
"Me, too," Tiffany said. She wasn't sure if she believed it, but she had no other choice. She had to have faith for Grandpa's sake.
Twenty Five
Jake's phone woke him. He rolled over in bed trying to find it. It was twisted up in the sheets.
"Cruz? What's going on?" he asked into the phone. His voice sounded like a frog.
"I need some sleep, man. It's time for you to take over the shop."
Jake groaned. "At some point, I'm going to need to sleep for three days straight. I can't keep this up. Can't Rafael work the till for a while?"
Cruz laughed. "You're kidding, right? The Hunter Family Shop is beneath him."
"Right. He's probably counting the minutes until he gets back to LA so he can direct some bigwig fashion show." Jake closed his eyes, hoping to fall back to sleep.
No such luck.
"Dude, tell me about it. But at least there's help now."
Jake squeezed a blanket. "Oh, right. You hired those kids. How'd the first one do?"
"She was great. Fast learner."
"Okay. Can you wait for me to at least get a shower and some coffee? Strong coffee."
Cruz yawned on the other end of the phone. "Do whatever you need to. Just don't take your time. I'm about to fall over, and I'd prefer that to happen in my old bed."
"Yeah, I'll hurry." Jake got off the phone and into the shower, but first he set up the coffee maker. Despite his promise to hurry, he stood unmoving as the hot water ran over him. It massaged his aching muscles but couldn't reach his frayed nerves.
When the water cooled, he rinsed off and got out. When he stood near the door, he could smell the coffee. It made his mouth water, and he perked up a bit. After dressing and brushing his hair, he went into the kitchen and pulled out a couple travel mugs. He prepared coffee for both him and Cruz. It was the least he could do after taking so much time in the shower.
His stomach rumbled, but he could grab a bite to eat at the shop. It was a convenience store, after all. Jake balanced the two cups and locked the house up before hurrying to the shop.
"Took you long enough." Cruz gave him an irritated look.
Jake shoved a coffee in his face. "Peace offering. Even though I got some sleep, I'm still exhausted. Sue me."
"Thanks." Cruz took the cup and sipped. "Mmm. This is good. You've gotten better at making coffee."
"It was one time," Jake said. "I'm never going to hear the end of it, am I?"
"Nope." Cruz took another long sip. "I'll never know how you managed to burn coffee."
"Go home." Jake waved toward the door. "Wait. Any news on Dad?"
"Oh, yeah. Thanks for reminding me. I almost forgot to tell you. The short story is they've got him on medications for the seizures and he's doing a lot better. He's back to wanting to walk around again, but they want to keep a close eye on him."
"He's probably going to get up as soon as the doctors turn around."
"No probably about it." Cruz went around the counter. "I'll leave my phone on, but only call me if there's an emergency. I need some sleep. Oh, and if you want to go to the hospital later, I'll leave my keys on the kitchen counter. I'm not going back today. I gotta sleep."
"I can take Mom and Dad's car."
Cruz shook his head. "Brayden has it."
Jake rolled his eyes. "He would. I wasn't even aware he'd been to the house."
"You know how it goes. See ya." Cruz turned around and headed for the door.
"Bye." Jake went around to the register and looked through it. Cruz had made a mess of it, but Jake couldn't complain. At least Cruz was helping. That was more than he could say for any of his other relatives.
A gro
up of kids headed for the counter. Jake took a swig of coffee and prepared himself for a long afternoon. He hoped Elena would stop by. He really missed her. Had she already stopped by? Cruz would have mentioned it, wouldn't he?
After the lunch rush died down, a kid in a powder-blue polo shirt and khaki shorts walked in, heading straight for the counter.
"Can I help you?" Jake asked.
"I'm Calvin."
Jake raised an eyebrow. Customers didn't usually introduce themselves. "Jake."
"Right. Cruz mentioned a brother. What do you want me to do?"
"Do?"
The kid looked deflated. "I'm supposed to work here." It sounded more like a question than a statement.
"Oh. Right." Jake looked at him again. He didn't even look old enough to drive, but maybe he would helpful around the shop. "Sorry. It's been a really long week."
"That's what Cruz said. How's your dad?"
"He appears to be turning around. Thanks for asking. Have you worked in a convenience store before?"
Calvin shook his head. "My parents bought a summer home here, and I'm bored out of my mind already. I figure I may as well do something useful and build my resume."
"Okay. Let's start by learning how to use this thing." Jake slapped the register. "The afternoon rush is going to slam us soon, and if we can both check people out, it's going to make life easier on everyone."
Calvin was a fast learner, and even quicker getting customers checked out. He appeared to enjoy himself. Before Jake knew it, the kid's shift was over, and Jake was back to manning the shop himself. Only then did he realize that he still hadn't seen Elena.
There was a lull, so he walked around the shelves picking up items that had been knocked over and put back in the wrong places by hungry customers. Another rush hit—why couldn't they ever just trickle in?—and then Jake closed up shop. It was a little early, but they had made more money with the two new employees.
He locked the shop and then held his head and twisted it, stretching the sore, tired muscles in his neck.
"You okay, Jake?"
Jake turned around to look at Dimitri. "Yeah. Just tired of being tired, you know? I wish life would calm down for a bit. I can't catch a break."
"At least you have a pretty lady." Dimitri smiled wide, showing some gold teeth near the back. "She really likes you."
Jake couldn't help doubting. He hadn't even had a text from her all day. What if pouring his heart out had pushed her away? They'd connected, but then maybe his brokenness had scared her. She probably wanted someone stronger—she must think he was weak. There was a reason the girls always wanted his brothers over him.
"Are you okay?" asked Dimitri.
"Yeah." Jake shook his head to clear it. "I need to take a walk, and think."
"That'll do you good." Dimitri nodded knowingly. "Then take the girl for dessert."
"I'll do that." Jake walked away, lost in thought. He went over every detail of the time spent with Elena on the beach. She hadn't seemed upset or put off by anything, at least that he could remember. He shrugged and decided not to worry about it. She had enough going on in her own life, and she was probably busy with something that had nothing to do with him.
He stopped at a crosswalk and realized he was in front of Bobby's auto shop. Had he gone there on purpose? Either way, it would be helpful to find out what Bobby knew. He went inside and looked at tires until Bobby's line died down.
"Hey, dude." Bobby held out his fist.
Jake bumped it. "How's it going?"
"Busy as always. I think this is the year I'm finally going to add that extension to my house."
"Awesome. You'll have to have me over."
"Yeah. I'm going to have a huge party."
"I wouldn't miss it. So, have you heard from Elena today?" asked Jake.
"No. I've called both her phone and her gramps'. The car was easy enough to fix, so hopefully they don't get too pissed that I fixed it without his approval. I was supposed to talk to the old man before touching it." Bobby shrugged. "It's purring like a kitten now, so they should be happy. Hope that doesn't put a damper on your plans, dude."
"We hit it off, but I don't know if I've convinced her to stay any longer."
"Then go wherever she's going."
Jake frowned. "I wish. There's so much going on right now with my family. My dad's in the hospital, and the shop won't take care of itself."
Bobby pushed Jake's shoulder. "Man, you gotta think about yourself for a change."
"Maybe."
"Dude." Bobby stared him down.
"Text me if you hear from her." Jake frowned, and turned away.
"Sow those wild oats."
Jake grunted, and then reached for the door. Wild oats? Him?
He wandered the busy streets, wondering what he could do that would be exciting. Maybe tattoos, like Bobby and Cruz. He didn't want some dragon that took up an entire leg. That had been Cruz's first one—much to their mom's horror. Jake would never forget the look on her face, or the sound of her shrill screaming. She had eventually come around and accepted the body art, but it had been a difficult time for everyone involved until she did.
Jake looked around and saw the tall hotel where Elena was staying. He didn't even know what floor she was on, but maybe he could leave her a message. Of course, he could call or text, but if he went into the hotel lobby, he actually stood a chance of seeing her.
Once inside, he went to the main desk. An older lady looked at him from above the rims of her glasses. "May I help you?"
Jake cleared his throat. "I'd like to leave a message with one of your guests."
"Sure, dear. What's her room number?"
Jake looked around, feeling gazes from strangers on him. "I'm not sure. I just have her name."
A younger lady looked at Jake from behind the counter. "Do you mean the cute brunette you were with the other evening? You two make the cutest couple. Where'd she go to in such a hurry?"
Jake's heart sank. "When?"
The two women exchanged a look.
"You mean you don't know?" asked the younger one.
"Apparently not." Jake frowned.
The younger one leaned forward, her eyes wide. "She jumped in a cab, and I swear the tires left rubber on our pavement, the way they squealed away."
Jake stared at her for a minute. "I think I'd be better off calling her. Thanks for your help." He turned around and went back outside, slouching in defeat.
When had she taken off like that? And why? At least Elena's car was still in Bobby's shop. She had to come back. Right?
Twenty Six
"Tiffany. Tiffany, wake up."
She mumbled and rubbed her eyes, not wanting to open them. "What's going on?"
"They're going to wake your grandpa, honey."
Tiffany sat up and stared at Luisa, Vinny's wife. "When?"
"They called hours ago, saying that they were starting the process. He's expected to wake in about an hour or two."
"Why didn't you wake me sooner?"
Luisa kissed the top of her head. "You needed your rest. By the time you get cleaned up and I feed you, we'll have just enough time to get to the hospital to see him wake."
"They didn't say anything about waking him when we were there. I didn't even know they could do that when someone's in a coma."
"That was yesterday. Besides, didn't they tell you it was a medically-induced coma?"
Tiffany tried to remember, but her brain was still in a fog. "I don't know. Maybe."
"Well, get ready, sweetie. I'm going to make you some good food. I'll bet you haven't had any since you left, have you?"
"Nothing like your home cooking."
Luisa beamed. "Hurry, hurry. Oh, and I washed your clothes for you."
Tiffany threw her arms around the lady who was as close to a grandma as Tiffany would ever have. "Thank you."
An hour and half later, Tiffany was in the car with Vinny and Luisa. Her stomach was stuffed with delicious, authen
tic Italian food.
"What do you think is going to happen when he wakes?" Tiffany asked.
"I expect it won't be like the movies," Vinny said. "It would be nice if he sat up and put on his running shoes, but I imagine he'll be groggy and confused. He won't remember what happened or know why he's there."
Tiffany's heart pounded in her chest. "You don't think he'll forget us, do you?" Suddenly, she felt like a little girl. What if her only family member didn't know who she was? She wasn't sure she could survive it.
Luisa looked at Vinny. "They said the part of his brain with long-term memory was fine, didn't they?"
"Yeah. It was the part that runs motor skills they couldn't get a good reading for."
Tears filled Tiffany's eyes. She couldn't imagine Grandpa unable to walk or feed himself. Not only that, but he would hate living like that.
Luisa looked back at Tiffany. "He's going to be fine, honey. We have to believe, and if anyone can beat his, it's our Alfy."
Tiffany nodded, afraid to speak.
Vinny turned up the music. The Byrds sang about different seasons of life. Tiffany hoped she and grandpa were about to enter a good season. She'd just left Trent—and managed not to think about him obsessively for a while—so it was time for a happy season. Grandpa needed it, too.
Before long, they parked at the hospital. Tiffany's pulse raced. As much as she hated seeing her grandpa in the coma, she was even more scared of what was to come. The unknown was a cruel beast, not even giving her the chance to prepare. Should she get herself ready for the worst, or the best? Oh, what she wouldn't give for a crystal ball to see into the future.
Luisa put her arms around Tiffany as they walked through the maze of hospital halls. Tiffany looked around. It didn't even look the same as it had the day before. Were they really in the same place? Maybe she was the one who needed to be sedated.
When they got to the critical care unit, everything looked familiar. Vinny and Luisa spoke to a nurse, and Tiffany walked over to a large fish tank. Strange, brightly colored fish swam around without a care in the world. She wished she could trade places with one of them. At least for now. She watched a little pink fish swim around near the bottom, poking the gravel every so often.
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