toward the living room, “I found her. Go grab the keys to my truck. We have to get her to the emergency room.”
“I’m on it,” Colton called as he ran back out of the house.
Chris leaned down over Julie. “Julie, Butterfly, can you hear me? We’re gonna take you to the ER.” He gingerly reached under her and picked her up, but there wasn’t any sign of consciousness from her at all. His own pulse pounded in his ears as panic threatened to overwhelm him. She had to be okay. He pulled her tightly to his chest willing her to be okay.
He strode out the front door and Colton was there with a handful of wallets, keys, and shoes.
Colton’s eyes darted to Julie’s pale still form in Chris’s arms before he ran in front of Chris to open the passenger door of the truck for him.
As Chris settled into the truck seat, he studied her translucent skin. She had a grey cast to her pallor, which scared him to death. Cradled in his arms, she felt and looked way too fragile to him. He brushed her hair off her forehead and brushed a kiss across it. She was so damn hot. Her fever was way too high.
Colton started the truck, but they weren’t moving fast enough. “Hurry, Colt.”
“I know, but it won’t do her any good if we get in a wreck on the way.”
Chris pulled her to his chest. This may be the last time he got to hold her like this. Panic surged through him. “Hang on, Butterfly. Just hang on. We’re gonna be there soon. You just have to hang on. You can’t leave me. I need you. Please, hang on, Julie.” He was rambling, but he needed something to sink into her subconscious. She needed to know that he needed her. He knew that she’d been in a really dark place lately and the thought that she might not have something to live for wasn’t acceptable. She needed to come back to him. He needed her to come back to him.
Without warning, she tensed up and a rattling cough shook her entire body.
Colton cast a worried look at them and pursed his lips. “That doesn’t sound good.”
Chris stayed focused on Julie. “Butterfly, can you hear me?”
Her eyes fluttered open, but they were glazed with fever and she looked right through him. “Stay with me, Julie. We’re taking you to the hospital.”
She shuddered. “No, not the hospital. Aaron’s dead.”
Chris’s heart broke as she sobbed quietly, her breaths coming as shallow gasps. “Shh, it’s okay, Butterfly. It’s going to be okay.”
For a moment she stilled and seemed to recognize him as her eyes met his. Her hand reached up to touch his face. “Chris?”
“Yeah,” he gave her a soft smile, “it’s me. Hang on for me, okay?”
She shuddered and closed her eyes as another cough shook her. “Love you so much.” Her voice was barely there as she seemed to drift in and out of consciousness. “Always been you. Poor Aaron. He died, but it’s only Chris. Always,” she said with a soft sigh. “But Chris died, Aaron died, Nugget died. Everyone dies, but I always loved you.” Her voice drifted off as she fell back into unconsciousness. Exhaustion and sickness had overtaken her.
He jumped when Colton touched his right shoulder. He’d been so focused on Julie he didn’t realize they’d arrived at the emergency room.
“Come on, Chris. They have a gurney for her.”
Two nurses stood behind Colton, waiting to take Julie from him. He climbed out of the truck, kissed her softly on the forehead, and laid her on the gurney. While they rolled her away, he began to sink to the ground, until Colton grabbed him up.
Oh God, she’d needed him and he hadn’t been there. She could die. Panic and helplessness reverberated through every cell in his body.
Colton’s voice was low and cajoling, “Come on, Chris. She’s going to be okay. They’ll get her taken care of. Let’s go park the truck, you can put some shoes on, and then we can see how she’s doing.”
Colton guided him back to the truck and into the seat. Chris leaned back against the headrest and closed his eyes, while Colton drove and parked the truck. Julie loved him.
His stomach rolled. If he hadn’t been drunk, he could have gotten to her sooner. He didn’t have time to deal with the stupidity of his hangover. He slipped on his shoes.