“Yeah, all of us,” Jaxon says.
“Besides me. I’m pregnant. I’m sorry, Grayson,” Quinn sounds disappointed as she speaks to me. She holds the round basketball of her belly, stroking it lovingly.
“Don’t apologize. It’s okay.”
“Let’s get this show on the road, then.” The nurse sets down her supplies, and one by one everyone gets their cheeks swabbed instead of giving blood. It’s quicker. When she puts the Q-tip in the vile and twists the top closed, she picks up her cart and hurries out the door without saying a word.
“One of us has to be a match,” Heaven says, hopeful.
Another knock on the door interrupts us, and it’s Doctor Gladstone. I can’t wait to get the hell out of here and never want to see a damn doctor again.
“You might want to head home, get some rest, and eat. The tests won’t be done for at least twenty-four hours,” he informs me.
“I’m not leaving,” I scoff.
“It will do you some good to come back tomorrow. He’s about to be in and out of tests all day, and he hasn’t woke up yet. I don’t think he will until tomorrow, so you’re good to go, Mr. Campbell.”
I’m conflicted. I wring my hands together and sigh. “I can’t leave him.”
“I’ll call you if anything changes; I promise. Please, the best thing you can do is take care of yourself too. Your stress will stress him. Go.”
I can tell by the tone of his voice that I don’t actually have an option. I bend down and brush a hand over Dillon’s brown hair. He’s so pale. The dark circles under his eyes look like pools of ink and his lips are chapped. I pat my pockets but find no Chapstick like usual. “Does anyone have lip balm? His lips are dry.”
“Yeah, I do,” Quinn says, reaching into her purse. “It’s strawberry flavor. I hope that’s okay. Here you go.” She tosses it to me, and I catch it with one hand.
I take the cap off and twist the knob at the bottom, then spread it over his lips. “There you go, buddy.”
“You can keep it. He needs it more than I do,” Quinn says.
“Thank you.” I lay it on the nightstand and bend down to whisper in his ear, “I’ll be right back, okay? The doctor is telling me to go home and shower, but I’ll be back. Don’t think I left you. I swear I’m coming back.” I kiss his cheek, and Finley does the same to his other side.
I’m a fucking mess.
No one prepared me for this. No one said it would be this hard. Why the hell didn’t this shit come with a warning label?
Finley walks around the bed and holds out her hand, and I take it. Every step I take is like I’m leaving a piece of myself behind. It doesn’t feel right. How do parents do this for years with a sick child? I don’t know how I’d cope.
“I’ll stay with him,” Owen volunteers and takes the seat I was just at. “I can work from my phone. I’ve showered and eaten already.”
“Thank you, Owen. Thank you so much,” I say, wanting to give him a hug, but I hold back.
“He’s my nephew. Someone has to stay. I’m glad to do it. Now go; you fucking reek.” He waves his hand in front of his face, and I lift my arm to do a sniff test.
My eyes water. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
“We didn’t want to seem like we were being rude in a time of stress,” Jaxon says while pulling Quinn to his side.
“Whatever, don’t listen to them. I wanted to tell you straight up, but they wouldn’t listen to me. They were worried about your feelings. As if your feelings would be hurt more than they already are because the little chipmunk isn’t doing well. I told them you wouldn’t care. See? Didn’t I say he wouldn’t care? You guys have got to start listening to me,” Zeke rambles on as he exits the room.
“When is he leaving?” Heaven says as we mosey down the hall.
I take one quick look at Dillon before I can’t anymore, and Finley’s hand never leaves mine. Owen bends down to get something out of a bag, and I see it’s a children’s book. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.
Knowing he is in good hands, I can breathe a bit easier and start my journey home. Maybe I can paint his room and put his bed together. When he comes home, because he will, I want him to be comfortable. If he is going to die, he is going to die in comfort, not in some cold hospital room where he isn’t surrounded by the things he loves.
I pass a few nurses and the closer I get to the automatic doors, the heavier my feet feel. I rub my eyes to stay awake and when I step outside, the warmth of the sun only makes my fatigue worse.
“Come on, big guy. Let’s get you home,” Jaxon says.
I open the door for Finley to climb in first, and when she’s safe and secure, I start to climb in but not before my hackles rise. I look over my shoulder and survey my surroundings to see if there is anything out of the ordinary.
Maybe I’m just paranoid from being overtired.
I climb in the truck and close the door, but the instinct of staying alert and awake overcomes me. I pull Finley to my side and tuck her against me. Leaning my head against the
