Changing Course (Wrecked and Ruined #1)(11)

"Get your f*cking hands off me. Get out!" She starts flailing her legs and banging her head against the back of the bed when I manage to pin the rest of her body down.

The nurses run in, pushing me out while they try to sedate her. I stand outside her room in a fog, replaying the last few minutes over and over in my head. Despite how long I stand there, I can't figure out what set her off like that. Did I say something, or is this just survivor’s guilt running its course? I can't imagine what I could have said. She didn't even react that wildly when we told her Manda didn't make it.

A few minutes later Dr. Lee walks out and stands directly in front of me. "She's asleep," he says, shoving his hands into the pockets of his scrubs.

"What the hell happened in there?"

"Mr. Sharp, I have no idea. You have to understand Sarah's body and brain have gone through a lot. She is grieving the loss of her friend while trying to heal herself. Sometimes the heart takes a little longer than the brain to heal."

I swear to God, the doctor is standing here giving me his own version of Chicken Soup for the Soul while talking about my wife, who just lost her goddamn mind because she didn't want to even look at my face.

“I'm sorry, but I'm going to need to request a second opinion from a doctor who actually attended medical school instead of the Kumbaya Academy of America. What the f*ck just happened in there?" I yell, frustrated beyond all reason.

"I don't have any answers for you tonight, Mr. Sharp. Let's let Sarah sleep for a while, and we will reevaluate her physical and mental state when she wakes up. You can go back in now. She has been sedated and should be asleep for at least six hours. I'm sure when she wakes up, she would like it if you were by her side. These kinds of things happen after traumatic events. Don't read too much into it."

"Right." I nod in absolute disbelief.

I have no idea what happened inside that room, but it's nothing that six hours of drug-induced sleep is going to fix. I saw the look in her eyes when she told me to leave. Those weren't the eyes of my loving wife even if she was grief stricken. Those were the eyes of my worst enemy and I have no idea how to even begin processing that.

Instead of going back into her room, I walk down the hall to see Caleb still sitting in the waiting room.

"Hey," I say as I stop in front of him.

"How is she?" he asks, but never looks up at me.

Running my hands through my hair, I let out a loud sigh. "I don't know, man. Something's not right, but she'll live."

"Well, that must be nice."

"God, I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking. I-"

"I can't leave," he interrupts, dropping his head into his hands and ignoring my apology.

"Come on man, you need to go home. You want me to call one of the guys to give you a ride?"

"I can't leave. Not while Manda's still here."

"Caleb, Manda's not here anymore," I say as my voice catches at the admission.

"Yeah she is. The body that I held in my arms every night, is just downstairs. I know every single inch of that body. The tiny freckle on her chest. The birthmark on her hip. There is even a bruise on her left leg where she ran into the nightstand last night," he pauses, taking a deep breath trying to fight back the inevitable tears. "The worst part is I've been in that morgue so many times while investigating. I know it like the back of my hand, and I can't close my f*cking eyes without imagining someone pulling Manda out of a drawer. I can't go home and leave her in there alone." With that last word, he breaks down into gut-wrenching sobs.

I have no idea what to do in this situation. Being a detective you would think I would be used to the sadness that comes when someone experiences an unexpected loss. I've informed dozens of people that their loved ones were gone. I've witnessed death paralyze far bigger men than Caleb, yet I’m at a loss for what to do now. This just hits too close to home. It hurts to think that Manda is gone. When I think back to a few hours ago, when I thought it was my wife who lost her life, the panic nearly cripples me. I can't even begin to imagine how shattered he must be feeling. So I do the only thing that makes sense. I squat down in front of my heartbroken best friend and wrap him into a hug, holding him while he cries over the loss of his one love. I'm glad I did, because seven months later, Caleb would return the favor.





Brett

Four years later…

"WELL HELLO, officer."

"Hey, Jesse."

"The usual?" she asks, reaching over to grab the fruit and granola that I eat every morning.

"You know it."

"Did you see the Packers won last night?" she asks over her shoulder while making my coffee.

"Yes," I reply giving her nothing. I know she’s just prodding me for a reaction.

"Remind me again which team you bet twenty dollars was going to win?" She saunters over handing me my coffee, not releasing her hand even after I grab the cup. "Because as I recall, it wasn't the Packers." She smiles, a stunning white smile.

"All right, all right. You win! Here's your damn money," I say jokingly slapping a twenty dollar bill down on the counter, but walk away without paying for my coffee. "The least you can do is buy me breakfast, if you are going to steal all my money," I say as I sit down at the table closest to the counter.