“The truck crashed into a tree and I got a little tiny bit impaled by a tree branch.”
The words were delivered in a rush, but I heard and understood every single one. That one sentence made me drive like a maniac, getting pulled over for speeding, and it just about killed me; what happened to Meadow, not the speeding, that just pissed me off and cost me four hundred bucks and four demerit points.
“Thank God,” I muttered, relieved to see a parking space right off the bat. The last thing I needed was one or more trips around the lot finding a park. Slamming the car into gear, I jumped out and bolted for the emergency entrance. The last call from Meadow said that she was being seen by the doctors and should be done by the time I arrive. Doctors, as in plural, more than one. Why did she need more than one doctor, did the branch puncture a vein or an artery? My phone suddenly rang in my pocket just as I reached the automatic doors, a sign stating strictly no mobile phone use emblazoned over in red.
“Shit a brick.” Fishing my phone out, I took a glance at it and saw it was my mother calling. “Not a good time, Mum,” I muttered, then pressed ignore and shoved it back in my jeans. I was going to cop a mouthful for sending her to voicemail, but right at that moment, I didn’t care.
I just wanted my eyes on Meadow and my arms around her.
Racing inside, it took me not more than five minutes of explaining who I was and why I was there for a nurse to let me through the doors that lead to the emergency area. The receptionist at the front desk said Meadow was waiting for me in cubicle nine, and the closer I got, I swore I could smell her amazing scent. Then at the end of the ridiculously long corridor, I saw Ace standing outside of a curtained-off room with Spring. From here, I could hear Spring giggling, Ace too looked relaxed and at ease. Taking this as a good sign, I allowed myself to calm down. The last thing I wanted was for Meadow to feed off my fear. Or, more to the point, lecture me on it. Her independent streak was still a bone of contention with me, one I decided to keep silent on. Ninety-nine percent of our issues were based on the fact that Meadow wouldn’t let me look after her the way I wanted to.
I knew one thing that was going to change; her trips were now going to be driven by me. If she has a problem with it, then that was her deal, not mine. Brecken was a good kid, but his days of driving Meadow around the countryside were officially over. If I have to employ him to stop him, then that’s what I will do. Five days a week, a seven-hour shift would give him no time to pick up antiques or hit trees with trucks.
“Ace!” I shouted as loud as allowed in a hospital.
“Yo, Stallion.”
Fucking arsehole.
“Where is she?” Ignoring the need to hit my best mate in the face now, for a later date.
“That curtain behind you, Lennie and Trish are in there with her,” Spring spoke up, “Brecken is just getting a few stitches in his forehead, Tash is with him.”
My blood boiled at the mention of Brecken, and while I knew that wasn’t fair, I couldn’t help direct my anger at the driver of the truck. The fact that he was my girlfriend’s brother meant I could kick his arse just to maim him a little.
“It wasn’t his fault, Luca, Lennie even said so after hearing the whole story from Meadow. He really did everything to avoid an even worse impact.”
Logic told me Spring was correct, but logic was not fuelling me right then, my fear was. Spinning on my heels, I flicked the curtain back to see my girl sitting on the side of a hospital gurney, a large white bandage on her arm, which was held to her chest with the help of a sling. The second she looked up and saw me, tears welled in her eyes, gutting me right to the core.
“Baby.” Rushing to her, I dropped a knee to the bed and leaned in on her uninjured side, and cupped her face in my hands. “Your call scared the life out of me. Are you sure you’re alright? Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
Meadow shook her head the best she could with my hands holding her. “No, they said I could go home. I have ten stitches altogether, six where the stick entered and four underneath my arm. They gave me a tetanus shot and said I was free to go home as soon as the nurse brings in some papers for me to sign.” Meadow’s voice shook and I didn’t know if it was from shock or the medication they must have given her. One thing I did know she wasn’t as tough as she liked to show people. I loved how she could look after herself most of the time, but at the end of the day, even Meadow couldn’t act nonchalant about a tree branch going through your flesh after the front of the vehicle you are travelling in impacts with a tree.
“Jesus Meadow, my heart is never going to go back to its normal rate. I pushed my car to its limit getting back here to you.” Leaning my head forward, I rested my forehead to hers and breathed in her scent staring deeply into her watery greens.
“I love you, love you so much. So fucking much,” I blurted out in a hushed whisper.
