“Sober the fuck up, Brett. We leave for home in the morning.” And with that, he slams the door. I can’t hold it anymore and head into the bathroom. I barely make it to the toilet before I puke up my toenails.
I don’t know how long I’ve been in here, lying on the cold tile floor, but I know I need to get up. I slowly move to a sitting position and see if it upsets my stomach. So far, so good. I slowly stand up. Good, my body is cooperating. I head over to the shower and get in. I don’t even wait for the water to warm up, I just get in under the icy spray. The water starts to warm and I soak it in.
When I finish, I dry off and head out to get some clothes from my bag. I dress and sit on the edge of the bed, just as Brian walks through the door. I can tell he’s pissed just by looking at him.
“You let me down tonight, Brett. You let the band down. You let the fans down.” I start to argue that Derek let me down when he holds a hand up to stop me from speaking. “I know you’re hurting right now. I know you think that Derek betrayed you, but you’re a professional. You don’t let your personal feelings get in the way of your job. But that’s exactly what you did. You stormed off, causing all of us to worry about you. And where do I find you? At a bar, getting trashed. We’re flying home in the morning. I had to cancel tonight’s performance and we’ll have to reschedule. You let a lot of fans down tonight. I told them there was an emergency and some of the band members had to leave. Hopefully, that will be enough to satisfy them.”
“Emergency? That’s what you want to call this?” I laugh.
“No. You weren’t the emergency. Kristen and two of her friends were in a car accident. She’s in bad shape and had to be rushed into surgery. Derek left to be with her and the boys went with him. They’re in a car headed for Dallas right now. I couldn’t go because I had to find your drunk ass and make sure you were okay. We fly out at 8:50 in the morning, but we leave here at six. Make sure you’re fucking ready. I ordered you some room service. Eat and drink plenty of water.” He turns around and leaves the room.
I’m in shock. Kris is hurt? Fuck. I lose track of time as I sit here thinking. Room service arrives, and I do as Brian said. I eat what I can and drink the two bottles of water they brought up before I crawl into bed. I guess the alcohol is still working on me and I start to feel sleepy. I turn on the TV and drift off to an episode of Street Outlaws.
I wake to the room’s 5:30 wake up call. I thank the voice on the other end and hang up the phone. I shower and get dressed, and all I can think about is Kristen. I grab my phone and see that I haven’t had another call or text since last night. At 5:55, Brian’s knocking on my door. I grab my bag and we head out to the car waiting for us downstairs.
“Have you heard anything about Kristen?”
“She made it through surgery. She’s in ICU in a medically-induced coma right now.” He’s being very cold toward me, and I don’t blame him.
It’s that way until we land in Dallas. Making our way through the terminal to baggage, we grab our things and head out to the car Brian has waiting for us.
“What hospital is she in?”
“Baylor, but we’re not headed there. I’m taking you home.”
“Brian, I have to go to the hospital. I need to see her.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea right now, not with what happened yesterday. No one needs the added stress. Go home and chill. I’ll keep you updated.”
We pull up in front of my house and I get out and slam the door. I head into my house, but before I shut the door, he pulls away. I’m trying to decide on what to do. My first thought is to get in my truck and haul ass to the hospital. But then, I think about what Brian said and decide to stay home.
I try to think of things to do around the house to take my mind off Kris, and I end up in my music room. I pick up my guitar and start strumming as I stare out the window, watching the day go by. I start to form a melody and grab some paper and a pencil to jot down the ideas. I hear my phone ding and see that Brian has texted me. No change. I go back to making music. It’s what I’m good at.
I’ve waited as long as I possibly can. I can’t stand it, so I head to the hospital. I walk in to her room and find it empty. My breath lodges in my chest when I see her lying there. God, how could this happen to her? What has she ever done to anyone? She looks so helpless hooked up to all these machines, her head wrapped in a bandage, a tube coming out of her mouth. I walk over to the bed. The blankets are pulled up to her chest, but her arms are lying on top. I run my finger up and down her arm, just to feel her warmth. What I wouldn’t give to have her beautiful blue eyes open and see me. See her smile at me.
“Hey, Kris,” I whisper. “It’s me. I just needed to see you. I’m sorry this happened to you. You are the good in this world. Lord knows, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me and I threw it away. What I wouldn’t give to take that night back, but what’s done is done.” I catch my breath and feel the tears sliding down my cheeks. I take the hand that’s not touching her and wipe my face. “I want you to be happy, but I want you to be happy with me, as selfish as that is.”
I happen to catch something out of the corner of my eye. I jerk my head in that direction and see Derek standing there with his arms crossed over his chest.
Chapter 34
Derek
It’s been nearly two days since my world was turned upside down. I’ve been living at the hospital. Kris has remained stable. It’s just hard to see her lying there, not moving, smiling, or talking. The nurse told me this morning that they would be taking her off the medications that are keeping her asleep. She did make sure to remind me that she may not wake up right away. It could be a couple more days before she completely wakes. I’m just ready for her to open her eyes and look at me.
Brian, Jason, and Isaac have been in and out, keeping me company. Mainly, it’s been Brian. Jason’s been up in Mallory’s room, and Isaac’s been with Camryn. Both girls are scheduled to be released today. Neither had to have surgery for their broken bones, just set and casted. Mallory hasn’t had any complications from her concussion, but Camryn had to have her faced stitched up. Her cut went from her temple, down her cheek and to her chin. Luckily, they had a surgeon who trained with a plastic surgeon, so hopefully her scar will be minimal. Jason texts me that the girls have been released, and I head up there to see them off.
Mallory and Camryn were finally able to give their statement to the detective over the case. It just happened to be the same detective that was overseeing Kristen’s stalker. We all have the fear that Mallory may be charged with something, even though she was saving her friend. But a man did die at her hands. The information will be given to the DA’s office to see what will happen.
I head back down to Kristen’s room. I don’t want to take the chance of missing the doctor. I walk to her door and stop short. Brett’s standing next to her bed with his back to the door. I can hear him talking softly to her, but I can’t make out what he’s saying. He reaches out and runs his finger up and down her arm. It pisses me off that he’s touching her. I just want to rip him away and throw him out of the room, but I keep myself in check. He finally looks in my direction.
“You look like shit.” He turns back around to look at Kris.
“Wow, a compliment right out of the gate." I rub a hand through my hair. "I haven’t left since I got here. That couch bed isn’t long enough, or comfortable." There’s an uncomfortable silence in between us. He's the last person I expected to see here after the way we left things. But, then again, this is Kristen we're here for, and he still loves her.
"What are you doing here, Brett?”
“I needed to see her. I can’t believe this happened to her. She doesn’t deserve this.”
“No, she doesn’t, but at least the fucker that did it is dead.” He gives me a questioning look. “Mallory shot him.”
“Wait. What the fuck are you talking about? What do you mean, Mallory shot someone?”
I head over to the sofa
thing and sit down. “What do you know?”
“The girls were in a car accident. Kris was seriously injured, and the other girls had minor injuries.”
“I guess I’ll have to start a little further back. Kristen had a stalker.” I fill him in on everything that has happened, from the beginning to now.
Brett is looking at me like I’ve lost my mind. He’s about to say something when the doctor and the nurse walk into the room. I stand up and head to the bed, opposite of him. Brett walks around and stands beside me. The doctor and the nurse check her over and remove the bandage from around her head. I can see glimpses of where they had to shave a portion of her beautiful hair. They then move the blankets back and raise up the gown she’s wearing to take off the dressing she has on her side. The doctor nods his head at the nurse as she goes to a cabinet on the other side of the room.
“We are going to stop giving her the medication that’s sedating her. We started weaning down the dosage last night. She won’t wake up immediately. The medication is still in her system and will take hours to work its way out. In a few hours, we will turn the ventilator off and see how she breathes on her own. She may not fully wake for a couple of days. That’s normal. Her body is healing, and sometimes rest is the best thing for it. I’ll be back in four hours.” He shakes our hands and leaves the room. The nurse gets new bandages on Kris and tells us to call if we need anything. I think she can feel the tension in the room. She gives us a small smile and leaves.
I don’t know what to say. I don’t want to fight with Brett. I sit back down and grab the remote. Flipping the TV on, I find an episode of Fast N’ Loud to watch. Brett drops into one of the other chairs. I’m not going to tell him to leave, no matter how much it irritates me that he’s here. I’ve never had an awkward moment with Brett, but we’re in uncharted territory.
Time drags by, and I try to keep myself busy. Brian drops by and seems surprised to see Brett waiting with me. He doesn’t say anything, though. He’s carrying my guitar and a bag, and hands it to me. It has some snacks and drinks inside. There’s also a poker set. I glance up at him and he shrugs.
“I figured we could play cards or something to pass the time. Have we heard anything?”
“They took her off the medication that’s keeping her asleep. In a few hours, they’re going to take her off the vent to see if she can breathe on her own. Then we just wait for her to wake up. We don’t know how long that will take, though. It’s all up to her.”
He nods his head. I grab the poker set and set us up on the little table in the room. We gather round and get to playing. It’s almost like old times. It makes the time fly by quicker, at least. Before I know it, the doctor and nurse come back in the room. We wait with bated breath when they turn the vent off. Her chest keeps rising and falling.
“That’s a very good sign, gentlemen. The medication is not repressing her breathing. I think she’ll wake up sooner, rather than later. But we don’t want to rush her. The closer she gets to waking up, the more she will start to move. We’ll keep giving her small doses of pain medication to keep her comfortable. Just be patient. I know that’s easier said than done. Talk to her, she can hear you. I see the guitar over there. You can play it, just don’t get too loud and disturb the other patients.” He gives us a nod and walks back out.
We sit back down and continue to play. Every few minutes, I glance over at Kristen to see if I can see any change. She looks better with the tube out of her mouth. She now has a tube across her face to give her oxygen.
After a few hours, Brian leaves. I know he has other things that he needs to do, but I appreciate him being here for support. I promise to let him know if there are any changes in her condition. I pick up the guitar and start to strum, and Brett starts to hum. Before I realize it, we’re belting out some of our favorite songs. I’m glad that Kristen’s room is at the end of the hall, away from most of the patients.
I start to play one of her favorite songs, Always, by Killswitch Engage. I start off and Brett joins in. Maybe it will reach her, make her come back to me faster.
I am with you always
From the darkness tonight to the morning
I am with you always
From the life until death takes me
Kristen
My eyes don’t want to open. I feel like I’m floating in a fog, and I don’t understand what’s going on. I can hear music playing somewhere around me, and hear a deep voice singing. I know that voice, but I can’t place it. I can make out a rhythmic beeping. I know that sound. I try to open my eyes, but they feel like they’re weighted down. I try to lift my hand to my face, but it doesn’t seem to want to cooperate. What the hell is going on? The beeping gets faster and the music stops. I can hear footsteps moving toward me and someone picks up each of my hands. I try to open my eyes again. Finally, I can see a sliver of light. It’s so bright. I close my eyes again, as it feels like ice picks stabbing me. I say the only thing I can think of.
“Derek.”
And I’m back in the fog.
Derek
I fall to my knees when she whispers my name. I keep hold of her hand and rest my forehead on the bed and cry. The relief is so great, I feel like my heart is going to explode. With that one word whispered from her lips, my world is righted. I feel her lightly squeeze my hand and I look back at her, but her eyes are closed again. I stand back up.
“I’m here, baby. I’m not leaving you. I love you, Kris. Always.”
I can finally breathe again. I say a silent prayer and thank the Lord for not taking her away from me. I see Brett lean down and kiss her on the forehead. He looks at me and gives me a sad smile. With one last squeeze of her hand, he walks out of the room. I sit and wait by her side until she opens her eyes again. I sing that song, over and over, hoping she’ll wake up. Her eyelids flutter, then her hand twitches in mine. Pushing the call button, the nurse arrives and I inform her that Kris said my name and opened her eyes. She smiles, telling me that's a very good sign, and that it shouldn't be long before Kris is fully awake. I fall asleep sitting next to her, holding her hand.
I feel a hand running through my hair. It takes me a minute to realize what it is. I open my eyes and see Kristen looking at me, smiling. My world lights up with that smile.
Brett
With his name falling from her lips, my stomach drops. My heart hurts. I never knew I could hurt this bad. I thought when she left me, that was the worst pain. Or when she told me there wasn’t a chance for us to be together. I was wrong. It was when she whispered another man’s name, the man she wanted.
It may take some time, but I realize that they are good together. I’ll have to learn to forgive Derek because we’re brothers, no matter what. But I’ll make damn sure he treats her right, something I always did before I broke her heart. I lean down and give her a kiss, silently tell her that I will always love her, and squeeze her hand. I look up and give Derek a small smile, then I walk out the door, leaving my heart in the room, shattered on the floor. Now it’s time to move on.
I pass the nurse as she heads that way. "Leaving so soon? He said she woke up."
"She did. Just for a moment, and said his name." I see the look of pity on her face, and I wonder what she sees in mine. "I don't belong in that room with them. It's their time now.”
She gives me a sad smile and continues to the room, while I head toward the elevators. I need some air. I need to clear my head and decide where I go from here.
I text Brian, Jason, and Isaac to let them know she woke up. I figure that Derek is too wrapped up right now to think about it. Brian texts back that he wants me to come to the studio tomorrow. He thinks he has a project I may be interested in. Maybe it'll be the distraction I need, get me on the right track. I walk out into the parking lot and the sun is shining. It's going to be a great day.
Epilogue
Kristen
It’s been four months since the accident, and I was able to go back to work about a month later. I ended up
staying in the hospital for a week. Since the accident, Derek has hardly left my side. The band has put off any tours for a while. They’re going to work on a new album, so that will keep them at home. Derek asked me to move in with him, and of course I said yes. I don’t want to spend a night away from him. I didn’t want to stay in my apartment any longer. It didn’t feel safe. Life has been pretty laid back for the two of us. Brett and Derek are on speaking terms, but they’re not as close anymore. Hopefully, with time, that will change.
I’m worried about Mallory. Apparently, Josh isn’t who we thought he was and his daddy is a rich, vindictive bastard who wants her to pay for killing his son. We’re still waiting to find out what is going to happen, but Jason hasn’t left her side. We haven’t seen hide nor hair of Stephanie, but I still keep my guard up. Derek changed his phone number again, so we haven’t heard anything either. We still need to figure out what role she played in it all, or if it was just a coincidence. But I don’t believe in coincidence.
I look over at Derek, standing at the sink. I can see the new tattoo that he has on his ribs. Always. He says it’s because he was singing that song when I woke up. It’s the way he feels about me, and the feeling is mutual. I will love him always, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us. He glances over and sees me looking at him. He puts the glass down and walks toward me with a panty-melting grin on his face. It always amazes me how a man his size can move so gracefully. He makes his way to the couch, reaches down and grabs my hand, pulling me to my feet as he gazes into my eyes.
Down in Flames (Silver Tongued Devils Series Book 1) Page 17
