To Forgive & Hold Safe (The Broken Men Chronicles Book 4) Read Free Page B

she should be fine?” he inquired.
    “She was unresponsive to our efforts for longer than I would have liked.”  Regardless of that dire news, the health professional had the audacity to continue his mechanical speech.  “We’re not sure if she’ll wake up.”
    “No,” the man whispered.
    I saw the signs before anyone else.
    Before he could collapse to the floor, his wife nowhere near strong enough to hold him up, I rushed to the man’s side and stabilized him before leading him to a nearby chair, crouching down beside him along with his wife.
    “But she can wake up, right, Doctor?” I asked.  I’d be damned if I let this quack leave these folks without an ounce of hope or optimism.
    “Well, sure.”  The man met my stare.  “It’s always good to remain positive about these things.”
    I straightened to my feet, then faced off with the man who held all the answers.  “What did the neurological tests say?” I questioned again.
    “They…they showed some activity,” he sputtered, but regained his composure.  “Listen, I understand that you were there to help, but I believe that this matter should be-”
    “Can we see her?” Hannah’s mother cut in, her hand squeezing my forearm in a gesture of appreciation.
    “Right this way.” Caruthers made an abrupt turn and proceeded to walk down the corridor without waiting for them.
    My feet stayed glued in place as I watched the sixty-something couple get up and walk away, clutching at each other like they were each other’s lifelines.
    My ass made contact with the nearest chair, and my head hung in my hands as I leaned my elbows on my knees.
    A relieved breath escaped my lips.
    She’s alive.
    It could have been a minute like it could have been hours, I don’t know, but when I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder, I looked up. Hannah’s mother stood before me and offered her hand.
    “Thank you for being there,” she said with a tearful gaze.  “What’s your name?”
    “Ben Carpenter, ma’am.”
    “Benjamin,” she said, and somehow I didn’t cringe at my full name being used like I had so many times in the past.  Only my parents got away by calling me by my birth name.  “Would you like to see her?”
    “I…” I swallowed the ball of dust that had formed in my throat.  “You and Mr.…” I realized that I had no clue if Parsons was their name or Hannah’s married name.
    “Donner,” she supplied, with a sad smile.  She wrapped her arm around my elbow and started tugging to get me to my feet.
    Standing in front of her, I said, “You and Mr. Donner should take this time with Hannah.”
    “But you promised her.”
    My head snapped in her direction.  “How’d-?”
    “The nurse at the desk.” She looked toward where Marie had been.  “I came back to ask her for your contact information to thank you for all that you’ve done. She said you hadn’t left yet, and pointed me in your direction.”  I nodded.  “Call me Anne.” She paused just outside a door and looked at me as if she was waiting on something. “Well, aren’t you going to go in?”
    My mind was so far off that I hadn’t even realized we’d been walking.  I looked at the room’s number and took a fortifying breath.  Gesturing with my arm, I said, “After you.”
     
    When my feet crossed the threshold, I came to a halt.  The tubes, the wires, the bandages, the mechanical beeps from the monitoring machines – they all brought back so many horrible memories.
    “Benjamin?” Mrs. Donner said.
    I forced my eyes from my feet, Hannah’s parents both fixing me with worried gazes.  I managed to put one foot in front of the other and made it halfway to their side before I caught sight of Hannah’s sleeping face.  And I froze again.  “I-” I shook my head. “I’m sorry, I can’t.  I can’t do this.”  I turned and high-tailed it out of there with no further explanation.

Chapter 5
    I’ve never run away from anything or anyone so damn fast in my