Wyatt Cocker (Cocker Brothers Book 23), стр. 43
“She needed a push. You know me. I like to help people. Why do you think I wear a badge?”
Unlocking his door, Washington shakes his head. “Cocker, I’m glad we got paired up because you are a hoot.”
“A hoot?”
“Don’t even.” He jumps in, door slammed by his strength, not his mood.
I tap on his window. “You want to come?”
“Hell no!” He reverses, glaring at me before he disappears.
Chuckling to myself, I pull out my phone and see a text from Diana.
Wyatt, come to Silver Linings. It’s Grams.
I break every speeding limit there is, phone ringing off the hook as the Cocker Family wakes up.
CHAPTER 32
WYATT
L eaping out, I forget to shut my door as I run into the lobby of Silver Linings, find Grandpa and Grandma already here, the first to be called and the first to respond since they live just a couple blocks away.
There’s a hospital on the grounds, one of the reasons this was chosen for her home, in addition to the close proximity.
Plus Grams loves Spanish Moss and it lives on the oak trees outside. Reminded her of the home she shared with the great-grandfather none of the cousins ever got the chance to meet.
Grandpa Michael is talking to someone behind the desk, a new guy. “My mother is May Cocker and I just got a phone call that she’s been admitted.”
The kid starts tapping, in no hurry.
I rush up. “Forget this. Come with me. Diana!” I shout, heart hurting. We just had lunch together with Grams two days ago. “Diana!”
She runs up so fast her yellow and white knee-length dress is blowing behind her. “Wyatt!” Her eyes cut to my grandparents as I introduce her.
“This is my girlfriend, Diana, Grandma and Grandpa.”
They nod, bigger things on their minds.
“Come with me.” She calls to reception, “I’ve got it Denny!”
Quick footsteps bring us deeper into the facility, through double doors to a covered walkway, a bridge with glass windows on both sides that takes us to an attached hospital built into the side of a hill.
Diana’s eyes well up as she explains, “I was organizing my desk to go home, meet you for the party, and Mary Beth ran and got me, since she knows how close I am with May. After our bingo game this afternoon, she was tired. Nothing out of the ordinary. Said something about missing Jerald again, and that she wanted to take a little nap.”
Grandpa’s jaw tightens, and Grandma gasps, hand floating to her mouth.
“The nurse on her floor saw her go in and when May didn’t come out after the usual hour and a half, she knocked and went inside. May was…” Diana corrects herself out of respect to my grandparents, “Mrs. Cocker was unconscious and breathing, but not responsive. They took her here.”
A tear slides down Grandpa Michael’s cheek and he quickly swipes evidence of it away. “You two met here?”
I answer, “No, just a coincidence that Diana works here. She’s the activities director.”
Grandma Nance distractedly says, “Oh how nice,” her Southern manners never-failing.
Behind us we hear shouting, and turn to find Uncle Jake, Uncle Justin and Jason, and my dad all running to us. I bet they nearly strangled Denny to get our location and ran the whole way.
“How is she?” Uncle Jake asks, as he pants to a stop. He still owns his construction company, is in good shape because he’s not a sit-behind-the-desk type of owner, but emotion winded him.
Justin and Jason, the twins, slow down, their ice-green eyes tortured.
My father gives me a hug, “Wyatt, have you seen her?”
“Not yet, Dad. Where’s Mom?”
“Parking. I called Nicholas. Your mother called Nathan and Zoe. Nathan must have gotten to you quickly for you to be here so fast? Were you nearby?”
“Diana called me first. This is my girlfriend, Dad.”
Leading the way and knowing now is not the time to pause for introductions, Diana politely says, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Cocker. I work here at Silver Linings.”
He frowns, “Oh. Right. Okay.”
Uncle Justin, former Senator, is all business. “What happened? What are they doing? Can I help?”
His identical twin is a music producer, an artist. He’s unable to talk as the eight of us rush into the hospital.
“Mary Beth!” Diana waves.
“Over here!” The nurse waves back, motioning to a room, door closed.
A female doctor walks up from the other direction, head down, reading, until she hears the distinct sound of urgent arrivals. Taking stock of our group, she addresses the greyest members. “You’re here for May Cocker, I presume?”
Grandpa Michael answers, “She’s my mother,” his hands shoved into his pockets and jaw ticking from the pain he’s holding back. “What exactly happened?”
“She went into a coma this afternoon.”
Grandma steps closer and grabs his arm as Grandpa says, “I see.” He swallows and takes a breath. “What’s being done?”
Uncle Justin demands, “Yes, what’s being done about it?”
Dad’s face is grim and I hear Mom calling us, “Jeremy! Wyatt!”
With her are the wives of my twin uncles. Justin’s wife, tall and elegant Jaime with long dark hair sprinkled with silver. And Jason’s short, curly-haired Sarah, louder by nature than the rest. “Have you seen her?!”
“Not yet Sarah,” Grandma Nance frowns, asking the doctor, “Can we?”
“Of course.” She walks to where Mary Beth opens the door.
Diana takes my hand, wiping her eyes as we let my elders go in first. “Oh Wyatt,” she whispers.
I squeeze her fingers, give them a kiss, my chest tight.
We all step inside the room. The lump forming in my throat sharpens at the sight of my Grams lying in bed with her translucent hands resting quietly over her middle, the blanket neatly folded by a caring staff. She looks peaceful, like she’s having the best dream. While we’re in a nightmare.
Aunt Drew walks in, and Uncle Jake reaches for her. She hurries to him, clasping his hand and burying her face in his chest, shoulders shaking. “Oh