Never Too Late Read Free Page A

trying to reach for him.
    But he didn’t come closer. His hands were plunged into his pockets and he kept his distance but he looked so perfectly at home, at peace. “You have to go back, Clare. You have things to do.”
    â€œI want to be with you! All I’ve ever wanted was to be—”
    â€œI can’t stay, and neither can you. I’ll see you next time.” And he turned his back on her and began to walk back into the fog.
    Terrified of losing him a second time, she screamed. At first nothing came out, then only the weakest groan. When she tried to reach out to him, to follow him, she was prevented. The force that held her was filled with fear and anger and though she tried to escape it, it held her fast.
    So she screamed again—but had no voice.
    The fog began to thin, then lift. A light was beginning to penetrate from above and she struggled against it, pinching her eyes closed. The power that was drawing her away from Mike was so jagged, so raw with emotion—not pleasant at all—that she began to thrash in protest. Then her eyes suddenly popped open and there above her was the face of her son.
    â€œMom!” he said. “Oh, Mom!”
    Jason was instantly pushed away, out of her line of vision, while people in scrubs moved in and took over. Awoman was injecting something in a tube that dangled above her, the surface she was lying on was being jostled and a man was shouting, “CT’s positive. Give her a hundred mics of fentanyl and send her upstairs, stat.”
    And the world went dark again.
    Â 
    The next time, she woke from a dreamless sleep and looked up into the face of her older sister, Maggie. Nothing was ever more beautiful to her; Maggie always made her feel safe, even when she was chewing her out for something. She tried to smile, but wasn’t sure she had succeeded.
    â€œWe’re all here, Clare,” Maggie said. “Dad, Sarah, Jason, Bob. But we’re not going to crowd around your bed.”
    Clare tried to explain that she’d seen Mike, but only a guttural sound escaped.
    â€œDon’t try to talk. You’re going to be fine, but there will be pain. Just let them drug you out of your mind and try to sleep. Bob and I will take care of Jason. We’ll be here.”
    That woman, who she now knew must be a nurse, was fiddling with her tubes again, and then sleep came. The tube was magic.
    She was in and out from then on, having no idea of the length of time in between. Once she lifted a hand to see how much her nails had grown, wondering if it had been days or weeks, but they looked the same. She became increasingly aware of pain, in her throat, back, pelvis, gut, legs.
    The last thing she could remember was not getting a speeding ticket. Had she done something wrong? she wondered.
    The pain was terrible, but just as terrible was not having any idea why she was here. She opened her eyes and there was Maggie again. Maggie was so busy—too busy to be sitting around the hospital for hours. Or was it days?
    â€œHey, ’bout time,” Maggie said.
    Her hand rose shakily to her neck. “Ugh. My throat.”
    â€œI know. It’s from the intubation. Here, have a little sip of water.”
    The cool liquid was welcome but swallowing was very hard. “What? What?” she asked.
    â€œA car accident, Clare. Do you remember anything?”
    She shook her head.
    â€œYou got broadsided in an intersection. Your injuries were the worst—you lost your spleen and your pelvis is cracked. You’re lucky to be alive.”
    â€œOh, God,” she moaned.
    â€œYou’re going to make a full recovery, but it’s not going to be an easy road.”
    â€œWho hit me?” she was able to ask. “Drunk driver?”
    Maggie shook her head. “Nothing as cut-and-dried as that. A young woman in an SUV was fussing with her baby in the car seat while her light was green. When she looked back at the road, it