Cowgirl Up Three ✔️

Chapter Thirty Nine

Hello everyone!!
I hope everybody's had an enjoyable Christmas and New Year!
My Christmas was spent with a few family members and I spent New Years with my old Dog who gets beside himself with anxiety during storms and fireworks and my Brother's two Dog's while He went out 🤣🤣
Let me know what you got up to and of course let Me know your thoughts on this Chapter 😍😍😍

The trip to the Currency Creek District Hospital was mostly a blur.
I remembered clambering into the ambulance after the Paramedics got Blayze onto a stretcher bed and hauled Him into the back of the Ambulance Van.
The actual drive itself, was a fog of blended memories.
Driver Paramedic had kept the Siren's wailing and the noise had echoed in my head the entire, excruciatingly long drive.
I remembered demanding if He could make the stupid car go any faster.
But He'd ignored Me like I hadn't even spoken, concentrating on the road ahead, communicating with the other Paramedic in the back with Blayze and answering calls through the radio.
The now basically familiar landscape between Riverston and Currency Creek had sped by the windows as we'd driven down the road, basically cruising at the speed Blayze tended to drive at any time we were on the outback roads.
We were forced to wait in the Intensive Care Unit's waiting room while Doctor's examined Blayze somewhere behind a thick set of dark blue painted double doors.
My heart was pained.
My head was a mess.
I couldn't think straight.
"Drink this."
Blinking, I realised that Noah had arrived in front of Me.
Wait...
I looked around the semi full waiting room of ICU.
When did I sit down on one of the hard plastic chairs?
"Bailey!"
I turned my head, to look at Noah and tipped my head back to look at her face.
My friend swooped down to take the vacant seat to my left.
"Drink this."
She insisted, cranking the top off a bottle, with a gentle snapping sound of the plastic seal giving way.
"I don't want a drink."
I muttered, turning my gaze back towards the dark blue double doors, which at this point in time, I wanted nothing more than to Hulk my way through them and find Blayze.
"Well I'm not taking no for an answer!"
Noah retorted, thrusting the cool plastic bottle into my chest.
I looked down to find She was holding a bottle of Coke.
I really didn't want a drink.
But if it might shut her up...
With a weak feeling, lightly shaking left arm, I lifted my hand from my lap and grabbed the drink.
Noah nodded and took her own hand away.
My eyes locked back onto the offending dark blue double doors, I eased the bottle to my lips and took a sip.
The fizzy buzz and the hit of caffeine and sugar tasted surprisingly good!
Reflexively, I tipped the bottle just slightly to take another sip.
And another.
Then another two.
The burn of the fizzy gas and the bubbles made my eyes suddenly sting, then water.
Pulling the bottle away from my lips, I coughed and used the back of my right hand to wipe at my eyes.
"Atta Girl!"
Noah praised, her lips curving up just slightly at the edges.
She probably didn't really feel like smiling, but was trying to.
Movement out the corner of my eye made both Noah and I turn our heads.
Codie paced the shiny Hospital floor, his hands stuffed into his inky black hair and a troubled look on his tanned face.
Finally remembering there'd been more than just Noah, Codie and Myself at the scene, I scanned the waiting room, searching for familiar faces.
Uncle Lukas sat in a chair nearly opposite Me, but a good twelve to eighteen feet away, in a row that was up against the wall, his back against the back rest and his head resting against the stark white wall, inches below a framed painting of a Willow Tree that draped across a reflective blue lake and rich green field capped with purple flowers.
Heath sat three seats down from Uncle Lukas, leaning forward in his seat, with his elbows propped on the knees of well worn faded denim jeans and his face buried into tanned, scuffed knuckled hands.
Joel sat two seats down from Heath, leaning forward as well, with his elbows braced on dark wash jeans clad thighs and his phone gripped in his left hand, his green eyes staring seemingly unseeingly in front of Him and his lips pressed into a tight line.
Kyle sat alongside his Brother, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded across his Riverston Hotel polo work shirt and a tight lipped frown on his face.
My heart skipped a beat, noticing the two missing members of our group.
I turned back to Noah, who was indeed still sitting beside Me.
"Where's Hayley and Peyton?"
I croaked, my voice deciding to not work so well after spending so long going unused.
Noah shifted forward in her chair, until she could prop her elbows on her thighs and her chin on top of her hands which She'd cupped onto one large fist.
"Slipped our to make phone calls."
She informed Me.
It made sense.
We'd all been expected to return Home tonight.
Or was it by now last night?
I had no clue what the time was.
My three Babies were waiting at Home, hopefully sleeping blissfully unaware about anything that had happened.
Luka, Brodie and Dale's sweet, innocent little faces flashing in my mind, I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply.
Big mistake.
The burning of what felt like a fire spread across my face, starting from the bridge of my nose and racing right across my cheekbones.
I was tempted to fold over forward and hold my face in my hands, but remembered last second that holding my face did not make the pain go away.
"You okay?"
Slowly I peeled my stinging eyes open, to find that Noah's worried expression matched the concerned note of her voice.
Was I ok?
My face was once again throbbing.
I guess with the panic of Blayze collapsing and remaining unconscious, my own pain had temporarily taken a back seat.
Blayze was somewhere behind the dark blue double doors of ICU and we were none the wiser to his condition.
I definitely wasn't ok.
I opened my mouth to answer Noah, but was cut off by the dark blue double doors swinging open with a groan that indicated the hinges were regularly used.
My spin seemed to go as stiff as a steel rod when the familiar brown head of hair and green eyes walked into view, the Doctor peeling off disposable gloves with a snapping sound.
My heart began to once again sprint inside my chest.
Doctor Legend drooped his gloves into a lined bin and scanned the waiting room with his practiced well honed gaze.
His green met my blue and He began to walk towards Me, His face schooled into the professional expressionless mask He was highly renowned for.
What I knew even more, was that if Doctor Legend was the one coming to give Me news, He wouldn't sugarcoat anything.
"It will all be ok."
Noah's voice sounded far away to my ears, but I felt her hand overlap mine and only just then realised that my hands were shaking like the leaves on a tree in the wind.
Silence seemed to fill the Waiting Room.
The soles of Doctor Legend's shoes squeaked on the shiny Hospital floor as He walked.
Air was getting caught in my chest as I tried to breathe.
I felt like I was quite literally trembling in my seat, waiting for Doctor Legend to give Me answers.
His intuitive green eyes roamed over my face, then widened and He hurried to get in front of my seat and bend down so we were more or less at eye level.
"What the hell happened to your face?!"
Doctor Legend demanded.
It took my frazzled mind a few moments to understand two things.
1) Blayze must be alright if Doctor Legend was asking Me about Me first.
2) The pain in my face must be visible as well as physical.
"Tell Me about Blayze!"
I insisted, clenching my hands into fists.
I tried not to wince at the twinges of pain that speaking brought on.
Doctor Legend cringed, like He might swear if swearing in front of conscious people wouldn't cost Him his job.
He straightened up, ran his hands over his face and moved to take the seat beside Me, opposite to where Noah was sitting.
"Sorry."
He apologised, locking His gaze with mine once again.
"Guess I'm so used to everyone else being worried about You."
Yes, in the last couple of years I'd found myself in this Hospital a little too often for comfort.
"He suffered at least one severe blow to the head. Most likely from something solid, like a bat or bar."
Doctor Legend explained.
My cringe made my whole body shudder.
"We've glued and stitched His head."
Doctor Legend went on.
"Scans of his brain show there's no swelling or anything untoward like that."
Something along the lines of relief coursed through Me.
"So is He alright?"
I pulled my gaze off Doctor Legend's face to find that Uncle Lukas, Heath, Codie, Joel and Kyle had migrated over.
"He's still unconscious, as He has been since his arrival."
Doctor Legend explained.
"The Paramedic's who brought Him in said He didn't gain consciousness from the time they arrived on sight."
Or before then.
I wanted to say, but bit my tongue.
"So what does that mean?"
Heath asked, frowning.
Codie visibly swallowed, His complexion uncharacteristically pale.
"It means bad news, that's what."
He all but whispered.
"It means we're playing the Wait And See game."
Doctor Legend clarified.
Uncle Lukas closed his eyes.
Codie turned away from us all, sliding his hands into his messy hair.
"But He'll be alright. Right?"
Heath asked, his tone vulnerable.
"His Blood Pressure and Heart Rate are strong."
Doctor Legend stated.
"But it is a bit concerning that it's now been six hours since He reportedly lost consciousness, yet He's not stirred once."
My stomach seemed to fall away, like a pebble dropping in the depths of the ocean.
I closed my eyes.
Not Blayze.
We can't lose Blayze!
"Once He's moved into a room, You can of course sit with Him."
I snapped my eyes open at Doctor Legend's words.
Blayze is in ICU, but they'll let us sit with Him?
"But first."
Doctor Legend's gaze turned to meet mine.
"We need to take a look at you."
"I'm fine."
I gritted through my teeth.
All I wanted was to see Blayze.
To hug Him.
Kiss Him.
Tell Him how god damn much I love Him!
"She was punched. By a Man."
Noah spoke up, ruining my chances at deflecting Nate's concerns.
Frowning, Doctor Legend wrapped His left hand around my right bicep and pushed himself back onto His feet.
"C'mon."
He ordered.
"I need to see Blayze!"
I protested, standing up on shaking knees.
"You will see Him."
Doctor Legend answered.
"After We sort out your face."
"But-"
I protested, anchoring back on my heels.
Doctor Legend shot Me an irritated glance.
Uncle Lukas gently patted my back.
"You know Blayze's only concern would be You getting looked at."
He insisted.
"That punch was the sole reason He left Home."
Once again, the crippling pain of raw, unforgiving guilt filled my heart.
It was my fault Blayze left Home.
It was my fault He was currently lying unconscious in a Hospital bed, in ICU.
The stinging behind my eyes rapidly gave way to a flooding of tears that quickly blurred my vision.
Pressing my trembling lips together, I tried to swallow past the thick lump that had wandered into my throat.
"C'mon."
Doctor Legend's smooth voice was little more than a whisper.
His tug on My arm was gentle, but I still stumbled on my feet as I followed Him.