Bound

Ryke and Kate

We hadn't even made it to the tapioca pudding when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I said a silent prayer that it was Kate.

But it was Jean's name on my screen.

"I'll be right back, okay?" I said to Deacon. He'd overcome his shyness and was telling me about his favorite alien TV show.

"Yeah?" I said into the phone.

"Where are you?" Jean asked.

"Where am I? At St. Mary's Hospital, why? What did you find out about Kate?"

"She was in a car accident, Ryke. She was taken to the same hospital you're at. Go down to the emergency room."

The sick, lightheaded sensation I had was horribly familiar. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know. Get down there."

I hung up and stumbled toward the desk, muttering an apology to a nurse there for Deacon. This couldn't be happening to me again. It should've been statistically impossible. Not again.

The elevator wasn't even an option. I had to move. Standing still would allow the weight pressing against my chest to crush me. I shoved the stairwell door open and ran down the five flights of stairs, searching frantically for a sign that would lead me to the emergency room.

I had to get to her. Every second felt like an hour as I rushed past people, stretchers and anything else that got in my way. Nothing was keeping me away from Kate. If she was hurt, I needed to be with her. And if it was worse . . . I couldn't even allow the thought to form in my mind. I prayed silently again, hoping God still listened to people who rarely came to Him. I couldn't lose Kate. Not now. Not like this.

***

Kate

I looked down at my foot, wondering when I'd started tapping it to the rhythmic beep beep beep of a machine in the room.

"Okay!" a perky nurse exclaimed as she flew into the room and glanced at the machines, grinning. "Everything's looking real good, Kate."

"Look, I need to go upstairs," I said. "I was supposed to meet someone here, and I haven't been able to call him and he's probably worried sick."

"You can't leave quite yet, dear." Her eyes were wrinkled at the corners, probably from the nonstop smiling.

"At least send up a message. I asked someone when I got here and they blew me off."

"I'll see what I can—"

"Shh," I said, straining to see if I was hearing what I thought I was.

"Kate!" It sounded like . . . "Kate!" The booming voice was Ryke's, and I slid out of the bed and rushed to the curtain that stood for a door here.

"Ryke!" I yelled. "I'm here!"

The happy nurse grabbed my shoulders. "Oh, no you don't. Back into bed."

"Let go! Ryke!"

"Kate, is that you?" He'd heard me, and he was close.

I gave the nurse my best threatening glare. "You need to let go. I'm going out there."

"I'll get him for you. Lay down."

I wrestled out of her hold, her fingers still grasping at my hospital gown when I pushed through the curtain into the hallway.

"Kate!" Ryke's voice was a deep wail, and I'd only caught a glimpse of him when he collapsed to his knees at my feet, pressing his face against my chest and wrapping his arms around my back.