Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 100750 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100750 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
The nurse (Nadia couldn’t remember if she’d given her a name or not) laid a hand on her shoulder. “I’m so very sorry for your loss. If you need anything, please press the button.”
If she pressed the button, would her husband come back to her?
Nadia said nothing.
The words, while likely genuine, felt empty.
She didn’t know how long she sat there, staring at him. In her mind, he was in pain and sharing in her grief. Nadia put off calling his parents because any minute now, her husband was going to wake up. He would open his eyes and attempt a weak smile when he saw her.
Any minute now.
Her phone vibrated. Otto’s photo showed on her screen. It was one Nadia had taken weeks ago, with him and the girls. She stared at it for a moment before answering.
“Hi, Otto.”
“Did you find him?” The eagerness in Otto’s voice was evident.
“Yeah, we’re at Mass Gen. You should come now. But, uh . . . can you ask Hazel to watch the girls?” Hazel Pittman was Nadia’s best friend from college and had bought a house a block away from her and Rafe. Hazel’s daughter, Hayden, was Lynnea’s best friend.
“Nadia, what’s wrong?”
“Just come. You and Cleo.”
Nadia hung up and pressed the contact icon for her mom. “Did he win? We’ve been looking for results, but nothing has been put online. I don’t understand why they take forever or why they didn’t stream the race. Don’t they know people from out of town want to watch?” Lorraine Bolton prattled on without taking a breath.
“Mommy,” Nadia said quietly.
“Nadia, what’s wrong?”
She choked on a sob.
“Warren, we need to go now,” she yelled. “Nadia needs us, something happened. Where are you?” she asked her daughter.
“Mass Gen,” she told her mom. “He’s dead, Mom.” Nadia wailed uncontrollably on the phone to her mom. She’d heard the words from the doctor, but they hadn’t registered until she said them to her mother. Strong arms wrapped around her. Without looking, she knew it was the nurse from earlier, the one who’d said she would be there if Nadia needed anything.
She took the phone from Nadia and spoke. “Hello, this is Geri, I’m the nurse assigned to Rafe. I’m sorry to have to tell you over the phone, but he’s passed away from injuries sustained in an accident earlier this morning. Yes, ma’am, we’ll see you then.”
Geri went back to Nadia and held her. “Your parents are on their way. Come on, I’ve got you.”
Nadia cried while Geri held her. She gripped her arms and wailed, asking repeatedly, Why Rafe. Why her? Why her girls. They were good people and didn’t deserve this. None of them did. He just wanted to win the race and have nachos with his family later.
Now he was gone.
“The police need to speak with you when you’re ready,” Geri told her after Nadia had calmed down a bit.
“How much time do I have with him?”
Geri smiled kindly and rested her hand on Nadia’s arm. “As long as you want. There’s a team that will want to speak with you about organ donation when and if you’re ready.”
“Oh.”
“It’s a decision you should make as a family,” Geri said. “Rafe was young, fit, and by all accounts healthy. He could help others. But organ donation isn’t for everyone, and no one says you have to do it.”
“I don’t want to decide just yet. I need time.”
Geri soothed Nadia. “Then time is what we’ll give you.” Nadia generally didn’t like strangers touching her, but Geri was different. She had a motherly quality about her, which Nadia found relaxing.
Geri stayed in the room with Nadia, asking questions about Rafe and the girls. There was a knock on the door; another nurse pushed it open and let Rafe’s parents in. When Cleo screamed and threw herself onto her son’s body, Nadia quietly excused herself to give his parents the time they needed with their son.
FIVE
NADIA
Nadia slept in Rafe’s room. The sound of the machines keeping him alive oddly kept her calm. They made her feel like he was still there with her, even though he wasn’t. Geri, the nurse, offered Nadia a cot, but she refused. She wanted to hold him. Lie next to him one last time. She hadn’t come to terms with what had happened and honestly expected to never understand why her husband had to die. Nadia also hadn’t watched the news and had stopped listening to Otto after he’d said “freak accident.” Accident or not, Rafe had lost his life doing something he loved, but not enough to be ripped away from his family.
While Otto and Cleo had their time with Rafe, Nadia had met with the police. Although the crash investigation was still in its preliminary stages, they told her the car that hit Rafe had lost its brakes. The driver, who they didn’t name, had honked and tried to alert people. Most were able to move out of the way. Even Rafe.