Time ticked by second after miserably long second while she checked her computer. The baby behind him screamed. Ryan raked a frustrated hand through his hair and was ready to climb over the counter to check the screen himself when the receptionist finally said, “Room five. Go through the double doors—”
He turned and waited for her to buzz him though. Pungent institutional cleaners cut through the hallway air. A crash cart was pushed up against a wall. Medical staff chatted around the nurse’s station.
Terror clawed through him as he checked doors, frantically searching for room five. When he finally found it, the muscles in his chest tightened, and he whipped around, heading for the nurse’s station.
A blonde intern leaning against the counter looked up. “Can I help you, sir?”
“Room five’s empty.” Panic made his voice crack.
The blonde looked over at a redhead in blue hospital scrubs seated behind the counter. “Didn’t they take her up to surgery?”
Surgery? No, no, no. Ryan caught his breath.
The redhead checked a chart. “I think so. Car accident, right?”
“Where?”
“Um, let me see.” She flipped papers on a chart.
Good God, couldn’t they see he was dying here?
“Wait,” the redhead said. “That was the woman in six. Five’s in X-ray.”
Sweet Jesus, did they take classes on how to torture family members? “Where’s that?”
The blonde pointed down the hall. “Take the first left, go all the way to the end and turn right. You can’t miss it.”
He was already jogging down the hall before she finished talking.
The air choked in his throat when he rounded the last corner. Kate was seated on a chair in the hall, bent over at the waist, her head in her hands.
“Oh, my God, baby.” He dragged her out of the chair and pulled her tight against him. His heart thumped out of control when her hands slid around his waist.
Grasping her face, he pulled back enough to look down. Her eyes were red and bloodshot, her cheeks streaked with tears. A square bandage covered a wound above her left eyebrow.
He swallowed, his eyes locking on the bandage. “Are you…?”
“I’m okay,” she said, gripping his elbows. “It’s just a scratch. I hit my head. I’m okay.”
Her voice was weak, but her eyes were steady. On a relieved sigh, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close again. “Thank you, God.”
She wasn’t hurt. But she was alone. Reality settled in. Followed by a gut wrenching shot of fear.
“Where’s Julia?”
Tears filled her eyes. “They’re X-raying her. Oh, Ryan, I told her to get in the backseat. I thought she’d be safer there.”
He took a calming breath. X-rays were no big deal. CT scans, MRI’s…those were the things to worry about. “You did the right thing. Tell me what happened.”
“The brakes weren’t working. I didn’t notice until we were on the coast highway. I wanted to get a few things from the house. I…I didn’t think anything would happen.”
“It’s okay. I’m just thankful you’re both okay.”
He pulled her tight again, drew in her sweet scent. When the police had called about the accident, his heart had all but stopped. Losing them was not an option.
“Ryan, your car,” she said against his shoulder.
“You think I’m worried about my goddamn car? That’s the last thing on my mind.”
“Oh, good,” she breathed against him. “Because I think the interior’s shot.”
She was cracking jokes. Jesus, he’d nearly had a heart attack at the thought of losing her again, and she was cracking jokes.
He held on tight, rocked her back and forth. Tried like hell to steady his racing pulse. “Locking you in the house is looking more and more appealing.”
“You don’t think this was an accident?” she asked quietly.
He didn’t want her worried any more than she already was. Swallowing the fear, he eased back and brushed a wet curl from her face. “I think it’s just a bad car. I never should have let Hannah talk me into getting it.”
The door behind them opened, and they both turned as a nurse wheeled Julia out.
Ryan let go of Kate and stepped up to the side of the bed. Her face was bruised, her right arm wrapped in towels, and exhaustion tugged on her little body. “Daddy.”
“Hi, baby.” He ran a hand over her curly head, fighting back the panic at seeing her so broken.
Her eyes closed. “I have a headache.”
“I bet you do.” He glanced up at the doctor and held his breath.