Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
I wasn’t even sure how, but we got out of the barn before the whole thing collapsed.
“Maverick!”
The sound of Nathan screaming caused me to look back at the barn, at the pile of burning timber. I rolled from my side to my back and stared up at the sky. The slightest bit of blue shone through, from where the smoke had cleared. Reaching under my shirt, I grabbed the kitten.
Nathan dropped to the ground in front of me, his eyes filled with panic.
“I’m okay, Nate. Take her. Help her.”
He reached out for the kitten and clutched it to his chest. I started to cough—and the most excruciating pain I’d ever felt hit my chest. I clutched at it, grimacing.
“Promise me you’ll protect her,” I said, still more concerned about the kitten.
Tears filled Nathan’s eyes. “I promise. I promise, Mav!”
He looked down at me, and his panic turned to fear. Whipping his head to the side, he screamed, “Help us! Someone help us! Help him! Please!”
I closed my eyes…and the pain finally stopped.
The next time I opened my eyes, I was in the back of what I thought was an ambulance. The two medics talked so fast that I couldn’t understand anything more than bits and pieces.
“Male. Twenty-six, possible broken ribs. Smoke inhalation.”
My eyes drifted shut again when an oxygen mask was placed over my mouth and nose.
“His name is Maverick.” The voice belonged to Tanner. “Please hurry. I can’t lose him! Please!”
People were talking all around me, but they sounded far away. I opened my eyes, frowning when a blonde woman smiled at me from above. “It’s okay, Mr. Prescott. You’re at the hospital. We need to do some X-rays, so stay still for me, okay?”
I tried to speak, but nothing came out.
She walked away, and I heard random mechanical noises. Several minutes later, she reappeared. “You have some broken ribs, and it looks like one of them punctured your lung. Are you in a lot of pain?”
“Y-yes. Chest.”
Nodding, she placed her hand over my arm and gave it a light squeeze.
I closed my eyes again, and the next time I opened them, more people stood over me.
“Hey, Maverick, I’m Dr. Hansen. Your broken rib punctured your lung. We need to put a chest tube through your ribs into the area surrounding your lung to help drain the air. I’m going to leave it there for a bit, so afterward, it can help re-inflate your lung. I know you’re in pain, and this isn’t going to feel good, so we’re going to put you under.”
I nodded.
“Do you know if you have any allergies to any medicines?”
“Don’t. Know,” I managed to get out.
He patted my shoulder. “Okay, don’t talk. I’m going to get you fixed right up.”
“Lil…Lily.”
The doctor looked up. “Wife?”
I couldn’t respond, but I heard the doctor talking to someone. “Let them know what’s going on and that, when I’m done, I’ll come out and talk to everyone. Make sure to ask if a Lily is there.”
Another person appeared. “Maverick, this is going to make you sleepy.”
Before I could even attempt to speak, I felt myself drift into a blissful, pain-free darkness.
Chapter Eighteen
LILY
My mother stood. “Lily, sweetheart, you need to stop pacing and come sit down.”
I’d hardly been able to breathe since getting my father’s call that they were taking Maverick to the hospital. He’d ridden over in the ambulance with him and had kept me and Mom informed. When I looked over my mother’s shoulder, I saw my poor brother Nathan curled up on the small loveseat, covered in soot, sleeping. He’d been so upset, and was blaming himself for letting Maverick go into the barn.
Dad had shown up at the house to tell us we needed to leave when Brock called him. They’d managed to pretty much stop the fire on the east side of the ranch, thanks to the winds dying down, but the old barn near Grams and Granddad’s house was on fire. We didn’t evacuate Brock’s place after all, since they were confident they could contain the barn fire. My first thought had been about the animals, but Dad said they’d all gotten out in time.
“I’m okay, Mom. I just can’t sit down.”
Mom exchanged a look with Grams, who had driven over here with us. “Would you at least like to go get some fresh air?”
“I’m good, Mom. I want to wait for the doctor.”
Nathan stretched and sat up, scrubbing his hands down his face.
Mom walked over to my brother and handed him a bottle of water. “Nathan, why don’t you head on home? You need a shower and a bed.”
He shook his head and got to his feet, eyes tired. “Not until I know Mav is okay.”
“He’s going to be fine,” I said, wrapping my arms around my waist. I felt sick to my stomach every time I thought of Maverick not being okay. He had to be fine. My father promised he’d be fine.