Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
We ate, then played some yard games, like we had when Knox and I had the barbecue. Amanda seemed to be having a good time, and when Charlie forgot she was supposed to hate me, she’d let go and almost act like she liked me.
When it started to get dark, Knox built a fire in the pit. We toasted marshmallows and made s’mores. The kids were laughing, Knox and Amanda chatting, and I stood back a little and let myself take it in.
I couldn’t help smiling. This was how it could be—this life, Knox and me; firepits, dinners, laughter and friendships. It was perfect.
I was closer to Logan than Knox was and I suddenly heard the familiar sound of wheezing. I looked over, and noticed something was off with the color of Logan’s skin. Dale was rambling to him and acting something out, and Logan was trying to keep up with him. I could see he was attempting to play it off, that he didn’t want his friend to know something was wrong, but it only took me a moment to realize it was.
Logan started coughing, his deep wheeze growing worse. I rushed over to him, felt his pockets for his inhaler that wasn’t there.
“Knox!” I shouted. “Watch Logan!” I shot into the house for the other inhaler and the peak flow meter I knew they kept in a bowl on the kitchen counter. My heart was racing. I was sweating and felt like I couldn’t breathe myself, fear clawing and ripping at my insides.
I grabbed his medication, and by the time I got out, Knox was calmly trying to calm him down. His breathing was worse, making quick, short panting sounds mingled with his cough. I handed the inhaler over and he sucked the albuterol in, then held his breath before doing it again a minute later. He was still coughing and wheezing, so Knox put the peak flow monitor to his mouth and instructed him. Knox looked at me and shook his head.
“Take him in,” I rushed out. “Shh. You’ve got this, buddy. You’re doing good. Try to calm down.” Knox’s hand was running through Logan’s hair as I spoke.
We all rushed to the front of the house. Knox’s truck was blocked in by my car and Amanda’s. The fire was still going out back. I didn’t know if the grill was on and Frankie Blue was out. Charlie was crying hysterically, so I tossed him my keys. “Take my car.”
He looked back and forth between me and Charlie. “Cal,” Knox said, panic in his voice.
“I got Charlie. You take care of Logan. We’ll meet you there.”
“We can drive you and Charlie,” Amanda told us.
“Thank you.”
“Call Carol,” Knox added before he and Logan climbed into my car and drove away.
Amanda added, “I can keep Charlie—”
“No!” Charlie cut her off, crying. “I want to go. Please don’t make me stay, Callum. Please let me go with you.”
“Shh. Hey, it’s okay. You can go with me. Are you kidding me? Logan needs his sister, and your dad needs his girl. Can you get your phone for me? So I can call your mom?”
She ran into the house.
Dale was crying, so I told him, “He’s going to be fine. They need to get some oxygen in him, and he’ll be just fine.”
I went for the backyard, turning on the hose to put the fire out. I checked the grill and got Frankie Blue in the house.
Amanda was hugging Charlie when I got there again and I tried not to wish that was me. Now wasn’t the time.
She pulled away from Amanda and handed me the phone. “Get in the back seat with me, okay, sweetie? Put your seat belt on.” She obeyed.
Amanda and Dale got into the front.
I called Carol first and told her what was happening. “I’m sure he’s fine. He’ll be okay.” And while she was appreciative, she still said she was getting a flight out. I figured that was a mom thing. Plus, I wasn’t sure if Logan had an attack this bad before. Knox hadn’t mentioned emergency room visits.
The drive seemed to take forever. “Thank you,” I told Amanda when she let us out at the hospital.
We got to the ER. Charlie held my hand as we rushed to the counter. “Logan Wheeler was brought in with his dad a few minutes ago. I’m…” His dad’s boyfriend? I couldn’t say that. I wasn’t Logan’s stepfather or uncle or anything else. “A friend. This is his sister. Can we—Actually…” I turned to Charlie. “Come over here and sit down for me, okay? Let’s get you comfortable in the waiting room while I find out what’s going on with your brother.”
“Sir,” the woman at the counter said, “is his mother here?” I shook my head. I worked in the medical field. I understood how all this went. They always limited how many people could go back in the ER and they mostly wanted it to be family. Still, being on the other side of it stung. I suddenly wished I worked there instead of at the Havenwood clinic so maybe they’d make an exception. “We can’t tell you anything. Not yet. They’re working on him now.”