“What’s wrong?” I ask as I lean over to turn on the bedside light, now fully awake with adrenaline coursing through my body. Olivia lays a hand on my leg and I glance down at her to see worry in her eyes. She can tell by the tone of my voice that whatever Alex is getting ready to lay on my doorstep, it’s not going to be good.
“Andre just called. Zack’s been a car accident,” he says quietly.
“Fuck.” I groan and swing my legs over to the edge of the bed. “How bad is it?”
I hear Olivia scrambling out of the bed on the other side, and when I turn to face her, I see her quickly pulling on her clothes.
“He’s in surgery now. He has a broken wrist.”
My heart rate immediately calms down, because while a broken wrist is bad, he’s still alive, and more important, that’s not necessarily a career-ending injury.
Letting out a breath of relief, I say, “Well…it could have been worse. What the hell happened?”
“It is worse,” Alex murmurs, and I’m once again filled with dread. “Gina was with him…she didn’t make it.”
“What?” I yell into the phone, and Olivia crawls back onto the bed, coming up behind me and wrapping her arms around my shoulders. She squeezes me, laying her chin on my shoulder because she can tell from my side of the conversation that something bad has happened. “Christ…she’s dead?”
“Yeah…apparently, she was dead at the scene. I don’t know all the details, but I’m heading to the hospital now. I told Andre I’d call you, and the team is all going to meet there. He’s at Raleigh Memorial.”
“I’m on my way,” I say just before disconnecting the call.
I sit there for a moment with my head bowed, my mind spinning over this. I’ve never been on a team before where someone has lost a loved one. Alex and I are pretty close to Zack and Gina, and they’re almost like an extended family. My stomach churns and my chest hurts for Zack.
And oh, God. Poor Benjamin.
“What happened?” Olivia asks quietly.
I raise one hand and place it over her arm, giving it a short squeeze before I stand up. She releases her hold on me, and I turn to face her as she kneels on the bed, fully dressed. “Zack and Gina were in a car accident. Zack’s in surgery…broken wrist, but Gina didn’t make it.”
Olivia’s eyes fill with tears, and I realize this is the first time I’ve seen her cry. Despite all the shit that has been thrown at her, I’ve never seen her cry before and it kills me. I reach out and pull her into my arms, cupping the back of her head and pressing it to my chest.
“I’m so sorry,” she says as her tears wet my skin. “Just so fucking sorry.”
Brushing my lips across her temple, I hold her for a few minutes more before releasing her. “I have to get to the hospital.”
“I’m coming too,” she says hastily, crawling off the bed.
Pulling on my jeans, I give her a half-smile. “You don’t have to. Why don’t you crawl back in bed and get some more sleep? I’ll call you later when I know something.”
Giving me a stern look, Olivia sits on the edge of the bed to pull her shoes on. “Remember our talk a few weeks ago…when you hated the fact that you can’t be here with me for my treatments. It’s the same for me. I want to be there for you when you need support.”
I don’t even think to argue with her. Hell, I don’t want to argue with her, because honestly…I’m scared fucking shitless right now and I don’t know how to process what’s happened. Gina was a good friend, Zack an even better one. I don’t know how to look at Zack now and see the pain in his eyes. I actually need Olivia by my side.
—
The whole team and their significant others take up the entire surgical waiting room, even spilling out into the hallway. Coach Pretore and Andre Brassard, our team’s captain, are with the surgeon now…talking quietly in the corner as he explains what happened during the surgery to repair Zack’s wrist.
Zack’s parents have been notified and are flying in from Nova Scotia. Gina’s parents…fuck, what a mess. They were still here visiting and, in fact, had been at home with Benjamin last night while Zack and Gina had gone out for some alone time. They were on their way home around midnight when the accident happened. We still don’t know the details of what happened, but one thing is clear. Zack had his seat belt on and Gina didn’t. When the car rolled, she was thrown out. Coach Pretore told us that she was dead at the scene, most likely from injuries to her head.
I felt bile rise up in my throat when I heard that, and Olivia shuddered in my arms.
Mely Brassard and a few of the other wives are over at Zack and Gina’s house right now to take care of Benjamin, because, fuck…you know Gina’s parents are destroyed right now. Everything seems so wildly out of control, and it makes me feel restless and edgy.
The only soothing balm is the fact that Olivia sits next to me in the waiting room, her hand grasping mine tightly and her head on my shoulder. She’s been quiet for the most part, but then again…most everyone in here is.
As I think about Zack…I can’t imagine the pain he’s going to be in when he finds out Gina’s dead. He was unconscious at the scene and taken immediately into surgery. He’s in recovery now, but I expect Coach Pretore will be the one to go in and tell him.
I think about Olivia…and what were to happen to me if she died, and just the mere thought of it causes a sharp stab of pain to lance through my chest. I immediately banish it from my mind, because there’s no way she’s dying. I’ve known Olivia only a few months, and I know it would be agony if I were to lose her. I can’t imagine how tortured Zack will be…they’ve been together for years and have a son. It’s just inconceivable.