If I Never Knew You (If I Never Knew You Series) by Aubrey Bailey Page B
Authors: Aubrey Bailey
Tags: Romance
Ads: Link
whole way to the hospital. I drove as fast I could while Andy sat frozen like an ice sculpture. For a kid who's prone to fidgeting when he's nervous, his stony demeanor frightened me. In addition, he must have felt tremendous guilt for not letting me know sooner about the danger Madison was in.
This time he didn't run when we got out of the car. He walked as if the hospital held his death. We entered the emergency entrance and were instantly met with a cop who took Andy aside. I went into the waiting room, looking out for Barbara. She arrived ten minutes later, only to be escorted by another cop to where Andy was. I was by myself for almost an hour when Barbara and Andy finally came out and sat next to me, looking exhausted. They told me that Madison was stable and out of danger. The doctors would be running some tests on her, mainly due to her pregnancy. I felt relieved to hear that the situation was under control, but I was so anxious to see Madison as soon as possible. Andy said that the doctors would let us know when we could see her.
After a few minutes of silent thought, Barbara admitted, "I should have kept my eye on her so much more than I did. You know, with her being 18 and working, I considered her an adult, but even adults need guidance sometimes." She began sobbing hysterically and I held her in my arms and reassured her that everything would be alright.
"He asked me how long this had been going on," Andy said, staring at the blank white wall of the waiting room. "How long he had been hitting her, how long he had been with her. I didn't know how long he had been hitting her. He could have been doing it the whole time they were together, for all I knew. I only found out after I learned she was pregnant."
"It'll be okay, buddy. Don't beat yourself up too much," I comforted him.
"Then he told me how bad the situation was when they got there," Andy revealed. I waited, but I didn't think he was able to repeat what the cop had said. "She looks pretty bad, apparently, but she is out of danger, at least. They're going to take a test to see how the baby is doing." He sighed. "We should call Uncle Jack."
"Okay. Until the tests are done, though, we can't do anything but sit and wait," Barbara told us. "Orion, I feel so much better with you here. You do love her. It's so obvious, and I think she loves you, too."
She began crying again and I pulled her in close to me again. She needed to release her own guilt and frustration with Madison, which had been building for so long. Barbara was in many ways the polar opposite of her daughter. While she was calm, low-key and almost overly-cautious about so many things, Madison was impetuous and often made split-second decisions that she regretted later.
Half an hour later, we were quiet once again. The vending machine diagonal of us was humming away and a nurse was scribbling furiously at a clipboard. After a while I just couldn't take it anymore.
"Do you want anything from home?" I asked Barbara and Andy, standing up. "I can't stay here and just wait. This place is creeping me out."
Barbara shook her head and Andy asked for a sweater to battle the drafty waiting room. He had an open news magazine on his lap, but he didn't seem to be attempting to read it. I nodded and told them that if they needed me, or if anything came up, to call my phone.
I drove around for a while, lost in my thoughts and feelings about Madison. The first thing I did when I returned to her house was go to Andy's room, grab a bag and put some things it including a sweater, his Game Boy, some batteries and a few games. Then I stood in front of Madison's room and hesitated before opening the door. If I knew that girl at all, she would want something to do once she was feeling up to it. I put her sketch book and art kit into a bag. Then I grabbed some clothes, toiletries, her brush and some hair ties. I threw the bags into my trunk and Andy's sweater into the front seat, before returning into the house. It
This time he didn't run when we got out of the car. He walked as if the hospital held his death. We entered the emergency entrance and were instantly met with a cop who took Andy aside. I went into the waiting room, looking out for Barbara. She arrived ten minutes later, only to be escorted by another cop to where Andy was. I was by myself for almost an hour when Barbara and Andy finally came out and sat next to me, looking exhausted. They told me that Madison was stable and out of danger. The doctors would be running some tests on her, mainly due to her pregnancy. I felt relieved to hear that the situation was under control, but I was so anxious to see Madison as soon as possible. Andy said that the doctors would let us know when we could see her.
After a few minutes of silent thought, Barbara admitted, "I should have kept my eye on her so much more than I did. You know, with her being 18 and working, I considered her an adult, but even adults need guidance sometimes." She began sobbing hysterically and I held her in my arms and reassured her that everything would be alright.
"He asked me how long this had been going on," Andy said, staring at the blank white wall of the waiting room. "How long he had been hitting her, how long he had been with her. I didn't know how long he had been hitting her. He could have been doing it the whole time they were together, for all I knew. I only found out after I learned she was pregnant."
"It'll be okay, buddy. Don't beat yourself up too much," I comforted him.
"Then he told me how bad the situation was when they got there," Andy revealed. I waited, but I didn't think he was able to repeat what the cop had said. "She looks pretty bad, apparently, but she is out of danger, at least. They're going to take a test to see how the baby is doing." He sighed. "We should call Uncle Jack."
"Okay. Until the tests are done, though, we can't do anything but sit and wait," Barbara told us. "Orion, I feel so much better with you here. You do love her. It's so obvious, and I think she loves you, too."
She began crying again and I pulled her in close to me again. She needed to release her own guilt and frustration with Madison, which had been building for so long. Barbara was in many ways the polar opposite of her daughter. While she was calm, low-key and almost overly-cautious about so many things, Madison was impetuous and often made split-second decisions that she regretted later.
Half an hour later, we were quiet once again. The vending machine diagonal of us was humming away and a nurse was scribbling furiously at a clipboard. After a while I just couldn't take it anymore.
"Do you want anything from home?" I asked Barbara and Andy, standing up. "I can't stay here and just wait. This place is creeping me out."
Barbara shook her head and Andy asked for a sweater to battle the drafty waiting room. He had an open news magazine on his lap, but he didn't seem to be attempting to read it. I nodded and told them that if they needed me, or if anything came up, to call my phone.
I drove around for a while, lost in my thoughts and feelings about Madison. The first thing I did when I returned to her house was go to Andy's room, grab a bag and put some things it including a sweater, his Game Boy, some batteries and a few games. Then I stood in front of Madison's room and hesitated before opening the door. If I knew that girl at all, she would want something to do once she was feeling up to it. I put her sketch book and art kit into a bag. Then I grabbed some clothes, toiletries, her brush and some hair ties. I threw the bags into my trunk and Andy's sweater into the front seat, before returning into the house. It
Similar Books
