"Come on, just this one more store. Please?"
Lester looked like I'd asked if I could remove all his fingernails with pliers.
I put my hands on my hips. "Hey, you were the one who volunteered for taking me out shopping."
He held up several bags. "This isn't shopping, Beautiful. This is insanity. You tried on like ten dresses at that last shop. Five times."
I shrugged. "I couldn't make up my mind."
"Apparently," he muttered.
Then I thought I heard him grumble something about crazy pregnant women, but I decided to let it go. This time. I was probably torturing him enough.
We walked along the storefronts until I found a boutique that looked promising. Les heaved a weary sigh as I held the door open for him.
I grinned deviously. "Payback's a bitch, huh?"
"I'll say." His expression said it all.
Midway through trying on a sundress, I heard a knock on my dressing room door.
"Steph, we've gotta go," Lester said.
"But I'm not finished…"
"Tank just sent me a text to bring you back to the hospital."
My heart stopped. "Did he say why?"
"No."
"Jeez! You guys really need to work on your communication skills. Details, people! They're not that hard."
I grabbed all my things and joined Lester in the hall. "Well, don't just stand there! Let's go!"
He shook his head and smiled. "As soon as you put your pants back on, Beautiful."
I rolled my eyes and went back in to pull on my pants.
###
I barely let Lester finish parking the car before I took off racing through the lot in front of the hospital. I rushed through the main doors and considered taking the elevator for all of two seconds before deciding on the stairs. They were faster.
Twenty seconds later, I was panting and sputtering my way over to Ranger's room in the ICU. The door was already open, so I let myself in.
Only to find an orderly putting new sheets on the bed. No sign of Ranger anywhere.
Oh God.
"Where is he?" I blurted, already feeling frantic.
"I'm sorry, where's who, ma'am?" the orderly asked, obviously oblivious.
I whipped the hanging curtain back and forth trying to decide if this was all some sort of optical illusion or something.
"My husband!" I yelled. "Where's my husband?"
A nurse appeared at the door. "Mrs. Manoso, I'm…"
"Don't 'Mrs. Manoso' me. Where's my husband?"
"If you'll just come with me," the nurse said, gently taking me by the elbow.
I ripped my arm from her grasp. "I will not just come with you! Tell me where my husband is!"
"He's…"
"Don't you dare start with all the sugar-coating shit," I growled, shoving her up against the door.
A security guard started making his way over to the room.
The nurse's eyes widened. "If you'd just give me a minute to…"
"Jeez, lady! What is so damn hard about the sentence 'Your husband is…'?"
"Excuse me, ma'am," the security guard cut in. "I'm going to have to ask you to come with me."
"No!" I yelled, shoving him back.
He grabbed my arms. "Just until you can calm down a little."
"I can't!" I screamed. "No one is telling me where he is!"
I yanked my arms from his hold and ran toward the nurse's station. I started frantically grabbing at paperwork and tossing clipboards willy-nilly trying to find anything with Ranger's name attached. Nothing! What did that mean? I hoped it didn't mean…
"Alright, missy, sorry about this." The security guard grabbed my arms again, but this time added a fancy pair of cuffs too.
"No!" I shrieked. "I just want to know where he is!" I sobbed. "Please! Would someone please tell me where he is?"
"Oh, good grief!" the nurse from the room exclaimed. "He's downstairs!"
Oh God!
"In the morgue?" I croaked.
"No! He's in recovery!"
I took my first real breath since I'd set foot in the ICU. "Really?" I almost whispered. The tears were so thick I could barely see.
"Yes! That's what I have been trying to tell you."
"Oh."
The security guard sighed. He looked over at the nurse. "I'll make sure she gets where she needs to go. What room number?"
"206."
He nodded, and we headed for the elevator.
