Page 10 of Remember Me

It feels like forever has passed, when in reality, it’s been no longer than about forty-five minutes when someone enters the room.

“Mr. Smithson? I’m Dr Carter, I’ve come to give you an update on Miss Bennett.”

Fuck, come on Doc. Give me some good news, give me something. My pulse is thundering through me like a steam train, and my blood pressure is probably through the roof.

“I’m going to cut to the chase. Miss Bennett is lucky to be alive, and the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours will be critical.” Critical? He’s talking like it’s life or death here. I can’t lose Lottie, I can’t. Ringing starts in my ears, and I can’t focus on a damn word he’s saying. I need to sit back down before I fall down.

“Mr. Smithson? Can you hear me?” The doctor's hand is on my shoulder, which breaks me out of whatever panic I was in.

“Ah yeah, sorry. This is all too much to handle.” My voice is shaking as much as my body.

“Miss Bennett is currently in surgery and is likely to be there for a while. She has multiple injuries and, until we get a good look inside, we can’t determine how serious they are.”

Dr. Carter gives me a run-down of Lottie’s injuries that they know of, and with each one, I feel my heart shattering even more. Ruptured spleen, internal bleeding, broken femur, a punctured lung, broken ribs, and swelling on the brain. Once she’s out of surgery, they’re placing her in an induced coma for her body to heal and to get the swelling on her brain to go down. They can’t determine if there’s any damage until then.

It’s a waiting game right now, so the only thing I can do is wait for her to come out of surgery and see what the state of play is. All I know is, I am not going anywhere; I will stay by her side for as long as it takes. They’ll have to forcibly remove me.

Drinking what must be my sixth cup of stale coffee, I finally pull myself together enough to check my phone, where there’s a text waiting for me from Alyssa.

Alyssa - Got Bella, what’s going on?

Jake - Lottie’s been in a car accident.

Jake - Her parents were in the car too.

Alyssa - OMG are they ok?

Jake - They didn’t make it.

Alyssa - Jake….

Alyssa – Right, me and mom are on our way.

Jake – No!

Jake – Please, just stay with Bella. I just want to wait here on my own. I’ll call when I have news.

Alyssa – Are you sure? Let us be there for you.

Jake – No, honestly I’ll be fine here on my own. I promise.

Shit, I haven’t called Wren. Running my hands through my hair, I dial her number, and she answers on the second ring. “You better be calling because my girl is in an orgasm coma and can’t come to the phone.”

The word coma stabs me through the heart all over again, and I manage to choke out “Wren…”

“Oh my god, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” She cries down the phone.

“It’s Lottie, she’s been in a car accident.” I manage to grit out. I relay what I know, which still isn’t a lot, as she sobs.

I hear her tell Sawyer to prepare the jet, whoever he is, and then she’s back on the line. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Which hospital are you at?”

“San Diego General, call or text when you’re here. I’ll come and find you.”

“Ok.” she sniffles. “I’ll see you soon.”

And just like that, I’m alone again in the waiting room.

Closing my eyes for a brief moment, I reflect on the past twenty-four hours, how things could have been so different. It’s at that moment I make the decision, as soon as Lottie wakes up, I’m telling her how I feel. I can’t go on like this any longer.