The car began to move, pulling out of the private airport and leaving the rest of our family behind. It was late enough in the evening that we missed the rush hour traffic, and it took us less than an hour to get to the hospital. Patrick had checked his phone several times during the drive, but we hadn't heard anything from his mom.
"Thank you for coming with me, love,"
"There is nowhere else I would rather be." Not while he needed me.
"Your dad's going to be all right. We have to keep telling ourselves that until we hear different." Patrick nodded. "I keep telling myself that, but then I start doubting. You tell me, I'll believe you."
I locked my eyes with his. " Your dad's going to be all right." I leaned closer to him, kissing him. Then, we were out of the car, and I took his hand as we made our way into the hospital. I texted the guys that we had made it to the hospital and that I'd be in touch as soon as we had news on Patrick's dad.
They responded quickly. They had to wait for another car, but they were almost back at the house. I knew if the news at the hospital were bad, Drew would have the driver turn around and take them to the hotel we were staying at. They would be there for Patrick just like I was.
Patrick led up into the hospital lobby. To my surprise, I spotted a familiar face. Patrick's mother was waiting for us as we stepped inside, and Patrick released my hand to catch his mom's hug.
She murmured to Patrick, and I stayed back, wanting to give them some space. I had never had a parent to worry about, but I wasn't going to dwell on that. I was here for Patrick and his family. "How is he?" Patrick asked.
"He's still in surgery," she answered. "I'm sorry I didn't get back to you with more details, but the police were here wanting to speak with all of us. I was only able to get away about ten minutes ago." "Don't worry about it, Mom. We are here now." Relief flooded her eyes as she looked at me.
"Emmy, I'm so glad you could come with Patrick," she said, embracing me with a tight hug. "Now, come on, you two. You can call the guys after we see your dad, Patrick."
The tension in Patrick's frame seemed to relax a little as his grip on my hand flexed.noveldrama
"Can you tell me what happened? All Dad said was that Michael had a broken leg, and Liam was in surgery with a collapsed lung and other injuries.
"I'll tell you everything," Shannon said as she pressed the call button for the elevator. "I promise."
A car accident. Patrick's dad's had been driving on the interstate when a tanker truck rolled over, spilling its contents onto the road and turning all four lanes into a slippery mess that caused a major pile-up. The challenge hadn't just been the pile-up, though. Their SUV had been in the middle of the accident, and it had taken time for the emergency crew to get to them.
"How long is the surgery?" Patrick asked.
"They said it could be up to twelve hours, but they had to run some more tests before they put him fully under," Shannon told us.
When the elevator reached our floor, I walked with Patrick and followed Shannon to the waiting area. Shannon went to check in with the nurse while Ian came over and hugged us both tightly. He led us back to where he had been sitting. Shannon returned a few minutes later, giving us both a warm smile, and Ian pulled her into his lap.
"Liam is in recovery, and the surgery went well. They did have to put a couple of rods in to keep the bones in place, and he's going to need physical therapy after he's healed-at least six to ten weeks of little to no work. "He's going to hate that," Ian muttered.
"Probably, but he will do it," Shannon said confidently, and I knew that between Patrick's mom and his other dad's, Liam wasn't going to have much of a choice but to do as he was told.
"Once the surgeon comes out to talk to us, we can go back to the hotel and get you settled; you're probably both hungry. We will get some room service once you check into your room. Liam won't be awake for a while, and Michael is already asleep. Connor is going to stay with them tonight.
My stomach growled loudly, and Patrick grinned.
"You know I'm always up for food," I grumbled, glaring at him.
"It's one of the things I love about you," Patrick said, grinning at me. "But yeah, once we talk to the surgeon, let's head to the hotel."
A few minutes later, the surgeon came out and repeated what the nurse said. I left Patrick and his parents with the surgeon while I texted the guys about how things were going. Jake said they had made it home and would get to work on a surprise for me. He wouldn't tell me what it was but promised to give me a hint soon. He also said I should send him a nude picture since he missed me so much.
When I showed Patrick the message, he sent Jake a picture of his middle finger and said, "Maybe I will send one later." There was laughter in the group chat, but Patrick seemed more relaxed, so I was happy.