The door creaked as it opened behind me and footsteps sounded. It wasn’t the sound of a nurse’s sneakers, but Quinn’s heavy boots.
“How’s it going, partner?”
I sighed. “Still no change.”
“You want me to wait with her? Get yourself a decent dinner.”
“No.”
“Breathe some fresh air. Take a shower.”
“No.”
“Josh, you need to—”
“What if she wakes up for two seconds and I’m not here?” I snapped.
“What if she wakes up for two seconds and you smell like old salami? She’ll go back to sleep just so the smell will go away.”
I shook my head, my eyes feeling raw and heavy. “I can’t leave her, Quinn. I can’t …” My head fell, and my breath caught. I gripped the blanket, my knuckles turning white.
Quinn gripped my shoulder. “I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine what you’re going through. But she’s going to need you to take care of her when she wakes up.” He exhaled. “You can’t take care of her like this, man. You need rest.”
I took Avery’s hand in mine and kissed her fingers, closing my eyes. “Okay,” I said, standing. “You won’t leave her?”
Quinn sat in my seat and held her hand. “Not even for a second. Not even to go to the bathroom. I’m right here until you’re back. Don’t forget to shave and brush your teeth. Seriously. This is the grossest I’ve ever seen you.”
I nodded, trying to laugh at his joke. If Avery didn’t wake up, I wasn’t sure I’d ever laugh again.
I picked at my fingernails, nervous about seeing Quinn. The last time I’d seen him wasn’t the last time he’d seen me, and I wasn’t sure how to greet him. It was confusing trying to decide how well we knew each other.
I thought back to my time in the ER before the crash. Quinn and I had traded a few smart-ass remarks. He’d flirted with me a handful of times until he’d partnered up with Josh. After that, he didn’t speak to me as much. I had to treat him as if we barely knew each other, and that was going to be difficult. Quinn was practically family.
A quiet knock sounded on the door. Deb walked in first, followed by Quinn. He looked nervous, too, and strangely, that made me feel more relaxed.
“Hi,” I said simply.
“Hi, Jacobs,” Quinn said, his voice sad.
“You can call me Avery,” I said.
He was wearing his paramedic uniform, the navy-blue T-shirt and matching cargo pants with boots. I wanted to reach out and hug him, if just to feel that fabric against my skin again, but I continued picking at my nails.
Quinn’s knee bobbed up and down, and he cleared his throat. “I was glad to hear you woke up. Gives me hope for Josh.”
“He’ll wake up,” I said, unsure where the confidence came from.
One corner of Quinn’s mouth twitched. “I heard you had quite the dream.”
“Weird news travels fast.”
“Josh would love to hear that. He was into you. He talked about you a lot before …” Quinn sighed. “I knew he liked you, but … when I rolled up on that wreck—” he shook his head and lifted his hands, pressing against an invisible ball of metal “—your driver’s side hit his driver’s side, and your open windows were welded together. The damnedest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“I shouldn’t have pulled out before looking. That was stupid,” I said.
Quinn switched between expressions, unsure of which to use. “He called me from the scene. He sounded confused and out of breath. The last thing I heard him say was get her, and help Jacobs.”
“He called you? From the scene?”
Quinn nodded. “I called nine-one-one, but I got there a few minutes before they did. I was still at the hospital, trying to score a date with Nikki Liberty.”
I smiled. “She’s pretty.”
Quinn frowned. “When I pulled up, I ran up and had to look through your back window to see you both. His arms were around you, Avery. He held you until he was unconscious. I still can’t figure out how your Prius was thrown back into his car—on that side—in that way. It doesn’t seem physically possible.”
My eyes burned, and I nodded. None of what happened was possible, yet it had happened. All of it.
“So, I think it’s nice that you dreamed of him. I don’t think it’s weird at all. Matter of fact, I bet he’s dreaming of you, too.”
I blinked, letting tears fall for only a second before wiping them quickly away. “Have you heard any news? They won’t tell me anything.”
Quinn sighed. “His dad wanted to try to take him off the ventilator today. He has brain function, but he didn’t do well off the machine. They’re considering how much longer to keep him going.”
“They’re going to pull the plug?” I asked, sitting up.
“They don’t have a lot of money, Avery. Josh had minimal insurance. They’ll keep him alive as long as they can. I know. It makes me furious. The guys have started a fundraiser.”
I bit my lip. Desperate times … “Quinn? Mind if I ask you something incredibly weird?”
“Sure,” he said, amused through his sadness.
“Is your last name Cipriani?”
He nodded.
I looked at Deb. She shrugged. “You could have heard that or seen that, Avery. You know I want to believe you, but that doesn’t prove anything.”
“Doesn’t prove what?” Quinn asked.
“Does your mom make really, really great pie?”
Quinn stiffened, hesitating before he spoke. “She’s Italian. Everything she makes is amazing. Josh loved her pies.”
I breathed out, smiling.
“Avery,” Deb warned.
Quinn narrowed one eye. “What are you trying to say, Avery?”
“It wasn’t a dream, Quinn. I need you to believe me.”
Deb walked over to the opposite side of the bed and touched my shoulder. “Quinn, Avery’s very tired. Maybe you should head out.”
I pushed her hand away. “I can describe your mom’s apartment. I can describe the way her pies taste. I can tell you about Josh’s parents.”
Quinn stood, staring at me as if I were suddenly dangerous. “I don’t know what you’re doing, Avery, but it ain’t right.”
“I know what you’re thinking. I’m not a crazy stalker, Quinn. I’m married to Josh. We spent time together, a lot of time together, and I have memories of things I couldn’t possibly have memories of. It wasn’t a dream. It was another life, and I want to go back.”
“I’m sorry, Avery. You haven’t been to my mom’s house.”
“House?” I asked, swallowing.
“Avery, stop,” Deb begged.
“What do you want me say?” he asked.
“I want you tell Dr. Weaver that you believe me. I want you to convince her to put me back under.”
“Avery!” Deb said.
I looked down, resolute. “Medically induced comas are done all the time. You can sell all of my things and put me in a nursing home.”
“Avery, enough,” Deb said, getting angry.
“He’s probably worried sick about me!” I yelled. “I have to get back to him somehow!”
Quinn took a few steps back, and Parsons rushed in. “Is everything okay in here?”
I looked at Quinn. “You were in love with Deb. You were so happy, Quinn. You were going to ask her to marry you.”
Deb’s face flushed bright red, and she gestured for Parsons to escort Quinn out of the room.
Quinn complied, turning around to look at me once before Parsons closed the door behind them.
Deb shook her head. “Why didn’t you tell me this was your plan? I do a favor for you, and you lie to me?”
“I’m sorry.” I wiped my cheek. “I just have a few days left, and I don’t know how much longer they’ll leave Josh on the ventilator. It was a last-minute decision.”
Deb sat, digging her elbow into my mattress and resting her head in her hand. “Tell me more.”