Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 119005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
I winced and held it out to her. “She wants to talk to you.”
Ainsley took it but immediately burst into tears. She brokenly explained to her mum what had happened. When she hung up, she sucked in a breath. “Mum’s having a meltdown, but a coworker is there. She’s going to get her to the hospital.”
“Good. That’s good.” I snagged her hand again, curling it in mine. “It’s all going to be okay.”
It had to be.
Baird McMillan was a bright shining light in this dreary bloody world, and no fate could be so cruel to take him away so soon.
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
CALLAN
They took him away.
Baird.
They wheeled him onto a stretcher and through doors and I couldn’t follow. No one would tell me anything. John and the gaffer arrived minutes after us. The gaffer tried to get some information, but we were still waiting for someone to update us.
As we sat in the hard plastic chairs, I wanted Beth.
No.
I needed her.
John had brought my gear so I could change and that included my phone, but there was no signal inside the hospital.
I was afraid to leave the waiting room in case someone appeared with news. But I really wanted to go outside and call Beth. To ask her to come. Just to sit with me. Keep me from falling apart.
This game me and Baird loved … I couldn’t bear the idea that it might take Baird from us all.
He was going to wake up.
He had to.
I couldn’t go through this again.
Feeling like I couldn’t breathe, I bowed my head, my fingers digging into my skull almost painfully.
John patted my back but didn’t say anything.
“I’m looking for my brother,” a harried, frantic voice I recognized cut through the reception. “Why can’t you tell me where he is?”
“Miss, please calm down—”
“Calm down? I’m not some fucking stupid creepy football fan. Baird is my brother. Do you need ID?”
I shot up out of my chair and strode around the waiting area to the reception.
There she was.
Beth stood, an arm around Ainsley’s shoulders as Ainsley glowered at the receptionist.
My eyes were on my girlfriend even as I approached. “She is Baird’s sister.”
The receptionist scowled. “Fine. ID. Then I’ll see if I can get an update for you.”
“Callan.” Ainsley’s face crumpled and she walked into me, planting her head against my chest.
I embraced her, eyes on Beth who stared at me like her heart was breaking.
For me.
It probably was.
“Ains … Ains …” I didn’t know what to say.
John appeared and gently extricated Ainsley. Arm around her, he led her to the receptionist who took her ID.
I strode determinedly to my girlfriend and yanked her into my arms. Burying my face in her neck, I shook against her as Beth hugged me tight.
“I’ve got you, Captain,” she murmured, soothing a hand down my back. “It’s going to be okay.”
I held on tighter, inhaling her, breathing her in, and hoping like fuck she was right.
We got a short update from a nurse that Baird was going through some tests and they’d provide more information as soon as they could. His mum Gwen arrived before the next update.
I watched her and Ainsley as they huddled together on the hard plastic waiting room chairs. Their hands were clasped like mine and Beth’s were. They looked pale and shell-shocked.
And terrified.
They looked how I felt.
Before Gwen arrived, the gaffer had gently told us he suspected a skull fracture. It made sense. We’d all seen a few of those over the years in football, though I’d never witnessed it at one of my games.
It depended how bad the fracture was.
Skull fractures had killed. And when they hadn’t killed, they’d ended careers.
Beth and John went in search of drinks and snacks at some point. I took a coffee, but I couldn’t eat. My stomach was churning too badly.
Finally, a woman in a white doctor’s coat strode over to our group. “Mrs. McMillan?”
Gwen stood. “Ms.,” she corrected her as if on autopilot.
“Ms. McMillan.” The doctor nodded. “We used a CT scan to determine if Baird suffered any fractures in his injury. His spine is fine. But we found a linear fracture on the right side of the skull where his head impacted the other player’s.”
“Oh God.” Gwen’s face crumpled as my heart almost stopped.
The doctor held up a reassuring hand. “The good news is that the linear fracture is a thin break that hasn’t depressed or splintered or crushed. It doesn’t require surgery, just some pain management and observation.”
I let out a shaky sigh of relief.
“Baird has regained consciousness. He has a nasty concussion so he’s a bit confused and disoriented, which is perfectly normal. And he’s suffered some bleeding from his ear. We’ll keep an eye on him over the next forty-eight hours, check his motor skills, his speech, all of that. But for now, we’re not concerned.”