Page 61 of Colton’s Inferno

“Now here’s where it gets troubling. Your grandfather has a slight bleed in his brain. It’s consistent with where he hit his head on the steering wheel. We also discovered Troponin in his system. That’s an enzyme the body releases following a heart attack.”

Did a heart attack cause Rusty to wreck the truck? Guilt clawed at her gut. Her grandfather never wanted to go to the doctor for anything. And what’s more, she didn’t make him.

“What does all of that mean?” she asked.

Dr. Palmer said, “It means that I’m going to keep your grandfather in a medically induced coma for the next few days. Then, we’ll have to see how, or if, he recovers.”

Bile rose in the back of her throat. Her pulse started to race. She swallowed, focusing on the chair at her back. The tiled floor. The wall of glass and metal. She drew in a breath and exhaled.

“If he recovers?” she repeated, her voice coming out as a croak.

“I wish I had better news,” said Ryan, getting to his feet.

“When can Lucy see her grandpa?” Aiden asked.

“He’s being moved to a room now. He’ll be settled in the next thirty minutes or so.”

And then, Ryan left.

Lucy’s vision turned blurry, and her ears filled with a buzzing. The chair rocked, like a boat on a stormy sea.

“Hey.” Aiden placed his palm on the back of her hand. That’s when she realized he’d spoken before. “Are you going to be okay?”

If her grandfather died, Lucy would be alone in the world. She would never be okay again. “I’m dizzy,” she said. “Lightheaded, I guess.”

“It’s the shock,” he said. And then, he asked, “When did you last eat?”

How was Lucy supposed to care about something as mundane as food? Her grandfather was lying in a bed, fighting for his life. Then, she thought about the platter of pancakes sitting on the table and the pot of coffee that was now certainly cold. “Dinner,” she said, the word seeming to come from someone other than Lucy. “Last night.”

“You have to get something to eat. Otherwise, you won’t have the energy to face what’s happening.” Aiden stood and held out his hand.

It was as if her soul were tectonic plates that had been moving little by little over the past two days. But now, there had been a seismic shift. Lava flooded her veins, and she started to sweat.

Ignoring his outstretched hand, she said, “Not everything can be solved with a sandwich, Aiden.”

“I’m not saying it will fix anything,” he said. “It’s just that you need to eat.”

“I don’t need someone telling me what to do all time, especially you.” She drew in a shaking breath. “Why don’t you just go. Besides, you’re the reason Rusty got hurt in the first place.”

His mouth hung open. “Wh-what?”

“Leave,” she said, immediately regretting the word. But she’d come too far to go back now. “I don’t need you here.”

“I’m your ride. How are you supposed to get home?”

He had a point. She didn’t care. “I’ll figure it out.”

“But…” he began.

“Aiden,” she said, suddenly too weary to fight. “Just go.”

He stared at her. She hoped he was going to argue. And if he did, she decided, she would relent and let him stay. Then, he shook his head. “If that’s what you want, then I’ll go.”

It wasn’t what she wanted. She searched for a way to take it all back, but she couldn’t find the right words.

Aiden gave her a sad smile. Then, he walked away, leaving Lucy alone.

Chapter 16