Touch by Touch (Riggins Brothers #4) - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,82
call from the security company telling her that there were indications of a fire and that the appropriate personnel were en route,” Grant explains solemnly.
“I tried to call her,” Aurora says through her tears. “I tried over and over again, and we couldn’t get through.”
“We got in the car and drove over. I called Mom and Dad on the way. They called everyone else.”
“I was awake,” Marshall adds. “When Dad called, I was awake, so I told him I would come and get you.”
“Royce and Owen have the little ones, so we told them to stay home until we know more. Royce wanted to be the one to call you,” Mom explains.
That sounds like my big brother. He’s always looking out for us, and I know that phone call was hard on him. I could hear it in his voice, but that’s the bond of brothers. He needed me to know he was there for me.
“How is she?” I look away from Mom to find Owen and Royce standing in the waiting room. They left their families to come and support me.
A sob rattles my chest as I stand and rush to my brothers. I grip Royce in a hug so fierce I’m surprised either of us can breathe. I move to Owen and give him the same treatment. I fucking love my family, and I know without a shadow of a doubt I would be losing my shit right now if I didn’t have them here with me.
Royce, Owen, and I take a seat, and I nod at Grant. “When we got there, the flames—” He shakes his head, swallowing hard. “It was bad, Con. Luckily, when the alarm company called, we were able to tell them Aspen was inside. We told them which room was hers, and when we got there, they were placing her on a stretcher and loading her into the back of an ambulance.”
“Was sh-she okay?” I ask. It’s a stupid fucking question. Of course, she wasn’t okay, but I know that he knows what I meant.
“I don’t know. The ambulance was racing off before we could get answers. All they would tell us is that they were bringing her here.”
“The family of Aspen Steele,” a nurse calls out.
I stand and rush to her. “Conrad Riggins,” I announce. “How is she?”
“How are you related to Ms. Steele?” she asks.
“I’m her sister, Aurora. Conrad is her fiancé,” Aurora says, coming to stand next to me. “And they”—she points behind her—“are our family too.”
“Oh my. Okay, let me see if I can find a private waiting area that will accommodate everyone.” She turns to leave.
“Wait!” I call out. “How is she?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t have an update. The doctor asked me to get the family.” She gives me a sad smile and walks away.
We go back to our seats. I can’t sit still. My legs are bouncing up and down. My heart feels as though it could thump right out of my chest. I need answers. I need to see her.
“Family of Aspen Steele,” the same nurse calls out about five minutes later.
We all stand and follow her down a long hallway to a small waiting room that reads Private. It’s barely large enough to hold all of us, but we make it work. “The doctor will be right with you.”
I open my mouth to bitch about having to wait yet again when the door opens, and a tall, older gentleman in a white coat steps into the room. “Hello, I’m Dr. Black. Are you all here for Aspen Steele?” he asks, glancing down at the tablet in his hand.
“Yes. I’m her sister, and this is her fiancé, Conrad,” Aurora answers.
He nods. “She’s stable. When they found her, she was unconscious, so they intubated her to make sure she had a clear airway. I’ve just reviewed her X-rays, and her lungs look clear.”
“Is she awake?” Aurora asks.
“No.” He shakes his head. “We’ll need to leave her intubated for several hours. We need to watch her for flash pulmonary edema. We’re working on getting her admitted to a room.”
“Doc.” My voice cracks. “Is she going to be okay?”
“Like I said, she’s stable. Her vitals are good and her lungs are clear. The next few hours will be the test to see if she develops FPD. We’ll monitor her closely over the next several hours and then do another X-ray. If that comes back normal, we can begin to extubate and bring her out of sedation.”