Author Note:
I have agonized over this installment. Please leave me a review if you liked it.
CH 108-Search & Rescue
As the afternoon wore on and there was no word from the girls, Clay started to worry. Snow was falling and the wind was whipping it into small, blinding squalls all across the parking lot. He knew Emma was a capable woman, but Mother Nature was even more so. He wanted to call her to see what was taking so long, but if she was driving, he didn't want to distract her. If she had decided to camp at Ray and Naima's, surely, she would have called and let him know. Hoping that she was safe and sound at their house, and calling him slipped her mind, he picked up his phone and texted Ray.
It was only a few minutes after his text, that his phone rang, Ray's face appearing on the screen as it rang.
"Hey, man. So, you haven't heard from Emma?"
"No. Not since she sent that picture to all of us earlier. You?"
"Nah, us neither. We're starting to get a little anxious."
"To be honest man, I am too."
"Did you try calling her?"
"Uh huh. It rings and goes to voicemail."
He could hear Ray sigh into the phone.
"But…if she's driving, especially in this, she probably isn't answering her phone."
"That's true. But do you think you can try again?"
"Yea. I'll do that right now."
"Call me back right after, okay?"
"Copy that."
He hung up with Ray and immediately called Emma's phone again. It rang, and rang, five times and then back to voicemail.
"This is Emma, leave me a message."
"Damn it!"
Clay pressed the icon to disconnect the call. Too restless to sit, he got up and began to pace back and forth across the room. Koda could sense his anxiety. The dog made his way to Clay's side and pawed at his hand and whined when he stopped again, gazing out the window.
"I need to find her boy."
Raking his fingers roughly through his hair, he tried her phone one more time.
After the car stopped sliding, Jameelah looked around and called frantically to Emma. But she got no response. This scared the little girl even more. Why wasn't her Aunt Emma answering her? It looked like she was asleep. She started to cry. She was alone and frightened, and it was starting to get cold in the car again. She decided to unbuckle herself and try and wake up Emma. She pulled off the mittens Emma lent her and fiddled with the release buttons on the buckle. Once she was free of the straps, she hopped down and leaned forward to try and wake her Aunt. As she stepped behind Emma's seat and laid a hand on her shoulder, she heard a buzzing at her feet. Looking down she saw Emma's phone on the floor along with other things from her purse that got thrown around when they bumped over the side of the road.
Jameelah picked up the phone. She saw her Uncle Clay's face on the screen as it continued to buzz. She knew how to answer, her Mommy sometimes let her answer her phone when Daddy was calling while he was away at work. She slid her finger across the phone.
Clay was about to give up hope when Emma's phone stopped ringing. She was answering. But even though the call seem to have connected there was no one there.
"Em? Em are you there?"
He could hear some sniffling in the background. He decided to try again.
"Hello?"
Finally, a shaky little voice answered him.
"H-hello."
"Jameelah…is that you honey?"
"Uh huh."
"Honey this is Uncle Clay. Is Emma there?"
He was relieved to have gotten through at last. But he was also concerned why the little girls was answering Emma's phone.
"Uh-huh."
She must have asked Jameelah to answer her phone since she was driving.
"Can you ask her when you expect to get home?"
"I…I c-can't," the little girl sniffled.
"Why? What's wrong honey?"
"We…we slided in the car. Now the car is broke and Aunt Emmie, she…"
"You had an accident? Are you okay sweetie? Are you hurt?"
The little girl shook her head, forgetting that her Uncle couldn't see her. When she didn't answer him, he asked again, this time more insistent.
"Little J…you there? Tell me, are you okay?"
"I'm cold."
"I know you are. But are you hurt?"
"No. But Aunt Emmie won't wake up."
"What do you mean?"
Clay was frantic. But he tried to keep his tone friendly and light, not wanting to scare Jameelah further.
"She's asleep."
He wanted to grill her, to ask if Emma was bleeding, if she was even breathing. But he knew that was too much to expect from a preschooler. He got up and began pacing the floor once again. Fighting back his fear, he took a deep breath and tried to think of what to do next.
"Hey, Jameelah, honey…I want to help you. Can you answer some questions for me?"
"Uh huh."
"Can you see out the windows? Can you see other cars?"
"I don't see cars."
Shit! No one to help. Emma must have taken a different route than the highway. How would he ever find them? He swallowed his panic.
"Okay, okay. Can you tell me what you do see?"
"Trees, trees and some rocks."
"Are there any houses around?"
"No."
"What about signs?"
He knew the little girl didn't read yet, but maybe she could describe them.
"No."
Clay racked his brain. He could hear the mounting fear in Jameelah's voice.
"When are you coming to get us?"
"Well…baby. I don't know where you are."
She started to cry again.
"Shhh. Shhh. It's okay. We're gonna find you and Aunt Emmie. I promise."
Damn it! He would find them. Even if he had to go on foot in the snow down every possible route, he would find them.
"Okay, Little J. Here's what I want you to do."
He needed to know how much battery life Emma's phone had left. Hoping it would hold out.
"You know your numbers, right?"
"Uh huh."
She began counting to prove it.
"Perfect! Can you tell me what numbers are at the top of the phone?"
"Ah…four, four and two."
That was the time. He tried again.
"Okay. That's really good. Are there any other numbers?"
"A eight and a three."
"Great job!"
Eighty-three percent. That should give them some time to work with.
"I'm gonna hang up and call someone to help find you."
"No! Don't stop."
She was petrified of being left alone again.
"Hey…it's okay. Listen, as soon as I hang up, I'm gonna call your Daddy. Then, he's gonna call you. Can you answer for me?"
"Yea."
"Okay. You did a great job sweetie. I'll see you real soon."
He held himself back from asking about Emma once more. He knew the best thing he could do right now was to get them some help and get them out of wherever they were.
Clay phoned Ray and told him and Naima what was going on. He hated telling them that Jameelah and Emma were in danger. They were understandably upset and scared. Ray's reaction was just like Clay's. He wanted to jump in his car and go driving around to find them. But they had no idea where to look. And, if they were going to go out in this weather and have a hope of locating them, they would need more help. Clay told Ray to call Jameelah, and at the same time he would phone Jason and their brothers to help them find their girls.
He hung up with Ray and called Jason. Clay was almost in complete panic mode. Emma was, at the very least, unconscious and lost. He had no idea where the two were. He realized that telling Jason Emma was in a car accident was going to trigger horrible memories for his boss. This was way too close to home. But he needed to know. If they were going to find Jameelah and Emma and bring them home safely, they were going to need the whole family to pull together.
Clay got Jason on the line and laid out the facts as simply as he could. At first, Jason yelled at him. How could he let Emma drive in this? Why were she and Jameelah out alone? As upset as Clay was, he didn't take it personally. He knew his boss was just as worried as he was. And the shadow of Alana's death hung over him heavily.
"Listen, I…I'm sorry. This isn't your fault."
Jason knew that this was no one's doing. He was simply reacting and letting his fears control him. He couldn't lose his little girl. He knew that Clay loved Emma and would never put her in danger. He started to say more but Clay interrupted.
"It's okay Jace, I get it. All I care about it finding Em and Jameelah."
"Yea, yea. What do you know?"
Clay ran through his conversation with Ray's little girl. All they knew was that they weren't on the highway. What they didn't know was when Emma had decided to exit and what road she took. Clay started to outline his plan for calling the guys and splitting up the possible routes to locate Emma and Jameelah.
"Wait, wait! I have…hopefully…"
"What? Jace, what are you doing?"
"When we got Em her phone, Alana put that Finder App on there. I remember Em complained about me keeping tabs on her. But I wanted to make sure she was safe. Maybe she hasn't deleted it. You said her phone was on?"
"Yea, I think Ray's still talking to Jameelah."
"Let me figure out…"
"Jace…Jace, do you have her? Do you know where they are?"
"Just a sec. Yes!"
"Where? Where are they?!"
He was already grabbing his coat and was halfway out the door before Jason could answer.
"They're on State St, about 5 miles West of the highway."
"Got it."
He flew down the stairs and out to the truck.
"Clay…Clay. You're heading to them?"
"Yea. I'm on my way."
"Okay, I'm going to call the police and an ambulance. I'll let you know if they get there before you do. And Clay…tell Em…" his voice trailed off, drowned in the emotion.
"Will do. I'll let you know as soon as I find them. Can you call Naima and let them know we found them? You all can meet us at the hospital."
"Be careful out there."
"I will."
Clay pushed his truck as fast as he could in the current conditions. As he got closer to their location his truck skidded as he took a curve too quickly. He had to admit he hadn't really been paying attention. All his focus was on getting to Emma and Jameelah as quickly as he could. He had to know if Emma was ok. He corrected the tires and slowed slightly. Him getting in an accident too would do nothing to help the girls. He judged he was about two miles away from their location when his phone rang. It came through the Bluetooth in his truck and he answered carefully. He could see the call was from Naima.
"Hey, Naima. What's wrong, is Jameelah okay?"
"Yea she's fine. That's why I called. Jason said you found them."
"I'm not too far from them now and Jace already called the paramedics."
"Ray is still on the phone with Jameelah."
"Let her know I'm almost there."
"I will. And Clay, I wanted to let you know that Emma woke up a little."
"Huh?"
His hands gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles were white.'
"While they were talking Jameelah told Ray that Emma woke up, mumbled something and slipped back out."
He blew out a breath. He wasn't sure what to make of the news. But at least he knew that she was alive and seemed to be coming out of whatever had her knocked out.
"Clay…Clay are you there?"
"Yea, I…I'm here…"
"She's going to be okay."
"I pray you're right. I'll see you guys at the hospital, okay?"
They said their goodbye and hung up. As soon as he disconnected the call, he saw the accident scene ahead. He pulled off to the opposite side and was out and running almost before the truck stopped rolling. As he got closer, the police stopped him.
"Sir, Sir…I'm going to need you to stop right here."
"But… but I need to see…that's my…"
He had to see Emma and make sure she was okay. He wanted to shove past the Cop standing in his way. But he knew that wouldn't go well. Before he could open his mouth again, Jameelah saw him from her perch I the back of the ambulance and called out.
"Uncle Clay!"
Clay shot a look at the officer keeping him back. The man nodded and let Clay through. Jameelah kept calling to him.
"Uncle Clay!"
His eyes scanned over her and she appeared unharmed. They had set her up on the back of a gurney, wrapped in an emergency heat blanket. The little girl was crying in earnest as he stepped in front of her. She reached out for him. He paused just a moment to get the okay from the paramedic before picking her up and holding her.
"Shhhh, shhh. It's okay Little J. It's going to be okay."
"I was cold and scared."
"I know baby, I know."
He hugged her tight and kissed the top of her head, trying to soothe her.
"Where's Daddy?"
"He and your Mommy are going to meet us at the hospital."
She nodded her head against him.
"Are you okay?"
He posed his question more to the paramedic standing off to the side than to the little girl. The First responder stepped forward to answer him.
"She seems to be okay. She's chilled, but thankfully, not fully hypothermic. It appears as though she could have some contusions developing from the straps on her car seat. We do want to take her in and hold her for observation."
Clay was thankful that she was whole and mostly unharmed. He was still terrified over Emma's condition. He sat Jameelah back down.
"Honey, I'm going to go check on your Aunt Emma, okay? I'll see you as soon as we get to the Hospital."
Her face crumpled again.
"Can you," she sniffed. "Can go with me?"
"No honey. I'm sorry. They only have room for you and Aunt Emma. But I'll be right behind you."
He left her with a kiss to her head and hurried over to the car. When he got there, he froze, not just from the cold. He could see the team moving Emma carefully from the driver's seat to the gurney. She had a collar around her neck and had been immobilized. She didn't seem to be conscious. As they laid her down, he moved to her side.
"Sir, can I help you?"
"I…I uh…"
Seeing Emma's unconscious form in front of him stole the words from his lips. He scrubbed a hand over his face and tried to breath.
"She's my, that's my girlfriend. Is she…is she okay?"
"We're going to run some tests as soon as we get her to the hospital. She's still unconscious, but her vitals are strong."
The pulled a silver, emergency blanket over her and rolled her toward the ambulance. Clay walked beside her and bent to give her a gentle kiss on cheek before they lifted her into the back. Tears blurred his vision as he returned to his truck and climbed inside. He would have to wait until they ran their tests to see what was really going on. He called Jason and Ray and Naima to tell them what he knew as he followed the ambulance to the hospital.
He met Ray, holding a sleeping RJ, and Jason in the waiting room. Because Jameelah was a minor, they allowed Naima to accompany her little girl. She promised that she would push for information on Emma too, and let them know as soon as she learned anything.
The restless trio paced across the room, not able to settle down into chairs until they knew their girls were okay. Jason took the time to call the team and fill them in. Assuring them that things were well in hand and they should stay home safe, out of the cold. They would keep everyone apprised of any updates.
Finally, Naima emerged, letting Ray know he could take a turn, going in to sit with their daughter. He hesitated, concerned for Emma, and not wanting to seem uncaring. Jason and Clay both told him to go and be with his little girl. Naima took the baby and guided them to a cluster of chairs, and they sat down.
"Emma is doing fine. The scan didn't reveal any broken bones or other internal injuries. She must have gotten the car slowed down significantly before impact."
Jason blew out a relieved breath, but Clay was still on edge.
"But is she awake yet?"
"She did regain consciousness again, briefly while they were moving her to her room."
"But she's out again? What's going on?"
Naima laid a hand on Clay's arm watching his knee bounce up and down in anxiety and frustration.
"She has a concussion. There is a bruise on her forehead where it appears her head hit the driver's side window."
Clay moved to stand up again, too worried to sit. Naima continued her explanation.
"There doesn't appear to be any bleeding or any other trauma, from what they can tell. Emma just needs to rest. She should wake up soon."
He put both hands over his face and took a deep breath before lowering them and speaking.
"When, when can I see her?"
"I told them to come find me the moment she's settled and can have visitors."
Naima stood and pulled him into a hug. Over his shoulder she saw Emma's doctor appear. She stepped back and motioned for her to approach. The doctor explained the same thing Naima just went through with them. Letting them know that Emma had some abrasions from her seat belt, but other than the concussion, seemed to be okay. She let them know that one of them could go back and see her. Assuming her father would be the one to follow she motioned to him.
"Mr. Hayes, if you'll follow me…"
Jason immediately stood and took a step in her direction. Then, he stopped, looking back at Clay.
"I'll be quick. She'll want you there when she wakes up."
He patted Clay on the back and then followed the doctor down the hall. Thanking Jason, he turned and began to pace again. It was only five minutes since Jason had left, that Clay and Naima looked up and saw Sonny and Lisa hurry into the waiting room. They spied their family and rushed over.
"How are they," Lisa questioned as she hugged the two.
"Jameelah is doing fine. Scared and cold. She just has some bruises."
"And Emma?"
Everyone looked to Clay, but he couldn't force out any words. Naima answered again, catching them up on what they knew about Emma's status.
Sonny stepped forward and hugged Naima and then looked at Clay.
"Princess is gonna be fine. She's tough."
Clay nodded and hung his head as he answered.
"She is. I know. I just…"
"Ya need ta see for yerself. I get it."
Lisa was just motioning to the bag she held indicating that she stopped in the café and got some sandwiches and drinks. Clay thanked her but shook off their offers. He knew that until he could see Emma open her eyes and know she was okay, anything he ate would just come right back up.
After ten minutes, which seemed like an eternity to Clay, Jason reappeared.
"How is she? Did she…"
"She didn't wake up. But…she was a little restless. I don't think it will be long."
Thanking his boss, double timed it to the room Jason described. He found Emma still, unconscious and pale on her bed. He walked up to her immediately, on the side without all the beeping and whirring machines. Taking her hand in his, he leaned down and pressed a feather light kiss to her forehead. He could see the purple and black bruise blossoming near her eyebrow. Her chest rose and fell steadily as he stood up and smoothed the hair back from her face.
"I'm here Em. You're gonna be okay."
He could see her eyelids fluttering.
"You gonna wake up and see me, honey? You can do it Em."
Emma felt like she was floating. She could hear voices, but not what they said. She could feel a hand squeezing hers but couldn't see who it was. It was like she was trapped in some dream and couldn't quite wake up. She fought with her body, trying to open her eyes, trying to say something. Finally, she the words being spoken cut through. Clay…she could hear him telling her he loved her, asking her to wake up. With effort, she opened her eyes. She could see Clay hovering over her, eyes full of worry.
"Where…where…what…"
"Oh, thank God. You're fine, baby. You're at the hospital," he answered, wiping away the tears of relief that fell on his cheeks.
He saw the look of panic on her face and continued.
"You had a little car accident. But you're going to be fine."
He could see her swallowing, trying to take it all in. The bright lights, the machines, the IV line leading to her arm. Then her eyes flew to his. She remembered.
"Jameelah?"
She started to struggle to move. He gently held her in place while he soothed her.
"Jameelah is fine. Just a couple bumps and bruises."
Still, she tried to evade his grip and find the little girl.
"Em, please, stay still. I promise. Jameelah is fine. She's just fine. I need you to lay back and rest."
"But…but the railing…"
Her voice drifted off and Clay was worried she was slipping back into unconsciousness.
"Em, the railing, what railing?"
She reached up to rub her head and winced.
"Does it hurt? Are you in pain?"
He was just about to call for the nurse when she shook her head.
"Not much. I just…it's a little scrambled. Can you tell me…can you tell me what you know?"
Clay related the events of the afternoon as he knew them. Thankfully, she added some context, filling in blanks, the details becoming ever clearer to her. It seemed her memory was intact. Clay told her how he found her and again reiterated that her niece seemed to be relatively unscathed.
"Em, what did you mean about the railing?"
"I could see we were headed off the side of the road. I didn't have much control, but we were going to smack right into the end of the guard rail. It was going to hit the door, right by Jameelah. So, at the last minute I turned the best I could so…so it would hit on my side."
That was what made her hit her head, what knocked her out. She was trying to protect Jameelah. She took the impact so that the little girl would be safe. Clay leaned over and took her in his arms the best he could.
"Oh babe."
"She's really fine?"
"Uh huh. Ray is with her. In fact, I think Naima wants to come in and see how you are."
Emma shook her head and then sucked in a breath.
"No. No, I can't…She's got to be so upset with me for getting Jameelah hurt. She won't want to see me."
"Honey, this wasn't your fault. The weather snuck up on all of us. It was an accident."
Huge drops rolled down her cheeks. In spite of whatever pain she was in, this was the first he had seen her cry. She was devastated that the little girl was hurt on her watch, and by the thought that she could lose Ray and Naima's trust.
He was still calming her down when they heard a familiar voice in the doorway. Somehow Naima had avoided the rules and joined them in Emma's room.
"Sweetie, Emma, I'm not angry, neither is Ray. We're just worried about you."
"But…but…"
"Shhh. We know that you would never let Jameelah get hurt intentionally. You love her like she was your own. Just like I love you."
More tears poured down Emma's face.
"How'd you…"he questioned.
"Having a hospital ID and knowing the staff helps."
Clay nodded and encouraged Emma to tell Naima the story she just told him. Emma did, but downplayed the part about turning the car to try and protect Jameelah. When Naima heard the details, she gathered Emma into a soft embrace.
"Thank you. Thank you for taking care of my girl."
She stood up then and went to leave them in peace.
"I'm going to go to Jameelah and Ray to let them know you're awake. They have been worried."
"Yea, I should probably let your dad come back and see you. Okay?"
Emma nodded and Clay leaned over to place a soft kiss on her lips.
By the time he got back to the waiting room, the whole team had assembled. It looked like Brock and Sonny had bought every stuffed animal in the gift shop for Jameelah. Trent was trying to track down Emma's doctor to get a look at her chart. And Lisa was holding RJ. The minute she saw Clay, she forced him into a chair and made him eat one of the sandwiches she brought.
"That's an order Petty Officer."
"Yes ma'am," he joked.
Ray came back out and took over with the baby. He and Clay thanked the guys for coming. They could probably go in and see Jameelah if they waited a little bit, but they were still limiting Emma to one visitor at a time. It could be a long night. Clay let them know that they were free to return home. He would let Emma know they had all been there to check on her. But each refused with a good-natured shrug. At a time like this you needed family, Sonny reminded him.
Eventually, everyone made their way back to check on Emma. They kept their visits short, trying not to tire her and keeping in mind that Jason and Clay would be chaffing to get back in to see her. As visiting hours drew to a close, they guys and Davis went home, one by one, promising to check in the next morning to see how everyone was doing. Brock took Jason's key to the apartment and promised to go get Koda.
Now that Jason knew Emma and Jameelah were going to be okay, he could feel himself crashing as the adrenaline in his system receded. Knowing that Clay wouldn't leave the hospital without Emma, he was assured that she wouldn't be left alone. So, he bid her goodnight and told her he would be back first thing in the morning. Both Clay and Emma were relieved he decided to go home and sleep in his own bed. They could see the exhaustion and worry on his face. The accident brought up so many emotions for them all. They couldn't help but feel the parallel with what happened to Alana.
Last, Ray came in to say goodnight. Even though the doctors were certain Jameelah was fine, they wanted to keep her overnight for observation. Naima was staying with her and Ray was taking RJ home for some well-deserved rest. With tears in his eyes, he thanked Emma for protecting his little girl.
With the last well-wisher gone, Clay pulled the lone chair in the room as close to Emma's bed as he could and settled in. She tried to convince him to go home and rest. But after the fright of today, the worry of thinking he could lose her; he wasn't going anywhere. He simply grasped her hand tighter and smiled, telling her that he couldn't sleep without her next to him anyway. They just finished their conversation when her night nurse came in to check her vitals and pain level.
"You know, visiting hours are over," she declared loudly.
Clay clung to Emma's hand. He just couldn't leave her right now. Before either of them could object, the nurse continued on, more quietly this time.
"Hey, Naima talked to me and…if you guys can keep it quiet, you can stay in here tonight."
Clay sat up and immediately agreed.
"Okay then," she said smiling at the young couple. "I might even be able to find you a blanket and pillow to make you more comfortable in here."
"Thanks ma'am. We really appreciate it."
She made a note on Emma's chart, winked at them, and pulled the curtain behind her.
Emma shifted in her bed and let out a small wince of pain. Clay was on his feet in a flash.
"Are you okay, babe? Does something hurt?"
She smiled despite her discomfort, touched by his concern.
"I'm sore, that's all. And I can't seem to get comfortable."
Clay reached for her pillows and tried to help her arrange them into a better position.
"Are you warm enough? I could probably find you another blanket."
"I'm fine."
Clay scanned over her, his hands tucking and arranging. She took his right hand in both of hers.
"Clay, I'm fine. I'm going to be fine."
"You sure don't need anything?"
"Well…I can think of one thing I need before I can sleep."
"What, what can I get you?"
Emma smiled at him and tugged on his arm.
"A goodnight kiss."
Clay returned her smile and shook his head as he leaned down over her. Just as his lips touched hers, the curtain slid back, and the nurse was standing there. Clay stood back up and the two of them looked at her sheepishly.
"She's supposed to be resting, you know."
She laid a blanket and pillow on the foot of the bed and then turned to go.
"Good night you two."
As soon as she left, they both laughed and Clay leaned to kiss her again. It felt so good to laugh after the events of the day.
They spent a restless night in the hospital. Emma was hoping her doctor would come by soon and release her. There was no getting comfortable in the bed. Jason called and said he was on his way with some "real food" for both of them. While they were waiting, Naima poked her head in the room.
"Are you up for a visitor?"
Emma sat herself up more, with Clay's help.
"Sure. Who…"
Naima waved to someone out in the hall. Soon, Ray wheeled Jameelah through the door. When the two saw each other, they burst into tears.
"She was worried about you. I promised that we could come see you today as soon as the doctor gave the okay."
"Jameelah, honey. I'm so sorry."
The girl nodded and wiped at her tears.
"I was scared. You didn't wake up."
"I know, I know baby. But I'm fine."
Emma was desperate to hold the little girl. Ray lifted her up and placed her carefully beside Emma on her bed. After a long hug Emma spoke again.
"I need to thank you honey."
Her big brown eyes swung to Emma's full of questions.
"Uncle Clay told me how brave you were. And how you talked to him and to your Daddy to help them find us. You're a hero sweetie."
Jameelah looked to Ray and Naima who were nodding their heads in agreement.
"A hero? Like Daddy?"
"Mmhmm, like Daddy and Uncle Clay."
Her eyes were full of wonder as she looked at her parents and Uncle. Naima chuckled as she reached for her daughter.
"Come on. We need to get back to your room and Aunt Emmie needs to rest."
Emma was much more peaceful, having seen for herself that Jameelah was going to be okay. Clay went out to meet Jason and let him get a chance to go back and see his daughter.
The day dragged. Clay and Jason took turns sitting with Emma. It meant so much to both of them to get to be near her, even if it was just watching her breath. The exhaustion caught up with her and she finally slept. She ended up sleeping most of the day, waking up in time for dinner. But she pushed away the table when she saw the food on the tray.
"Ugh! I want to go home. I'm fine. Why won't they let me go?"
"Honey…"
"They let Jameelah leave earlier."
"Jameelah doesn't have a concussion."
"But I'm okay," she winced as she tried to change positions.
Clay looked at her knowingly but didn't say a word.
"To be fair, them cutting Little J loose may have had more to do with stopping Sonny from racing her up and down the halls in her wheelchair."
That pulled a laugh from her. Just the reaction he was hoping for.
"You should go home. At least one of us should be able to get a shower and a decent night's rest."
"Are you saying I smell?"
She looked at him and tried not to smile.
"No. I...ugh…I want to go home and sleep in my own bed."
"I know. I do too. It's just one more night."
She arched her eyebrow as she looked back at him skeptically.
"You hate hospitals. Why the sudden urge to stay?"
He took her hand and leaned over, smoothing the hair from her forehead.
"You scared me, baby. When Jameelah said you wouldn't wake up. I didn't know if you were hurt or…or worse. And then," he paused and swallowed thickly. "Then I saw them putting you in the ambulance on that stretcher, and you were unconscious…I…I was so afraid."
Her eyes were glistening with tears and her chin quivered as she pulled his hand to her lips.
"So, as much as you hate it, if staying another night means that we're sure you're really going to be fine then…"
He trailed off as his voice got low and raspy with emotion.
"Okay. Just one more night. But tomorrow I want to go home. And then I want go to sleep in our own bed with you holding me."
He kissed her tenderly and then promised.
"I'm going to hold you, Em. I'm never gonna let you go."
