Braxton (Station 47)

Chapter 7

SEVEN

brAXTON

The door opens, interrupting the conversation Kaydence is attempting to have with Nathan about all his favorite things. She’s mentally buying out every toy store here in Nashville to make up for all the birthdays and Christmases we’ve missed with her new-to-her nephew.

A man I recognize, but am not sure why he’s so familiar, holds the door open and shows two older people, who must be Tina’s parents, into the room where we’ve been waiting extremely impatiently for an update.

It’s obvious who they are, because Tina looks exactly like her mom. My chest squeezes, and it’s hard to breathe when I realize Tina most likely won’t have the chance to see the age her mom is now.

Her parents look around the room, probably confused about why they were put into this room with other people, but when they see Nathan sitting on the bed eating chicken nuggets and chattering nonstop to my sister, they hightail it over to him.

His grandmother picks him up, holding him to her chest tightly and murmuring things I can’t understand to him while he squirms trying to get back to his toy.

“Grace, put the poor boy down so he can finish eating,” her father says, gruffly. “There will be plenty of time to hug on them both later.”

She turns narrowed eyes on him while clutching Nathan impossibly closer, not releasing her hold on him until he squeaks in protest. “Mark,” she hisses, looking pointedly first at Grayson, then me. Whatever she was going to say is forgotten when she sees me, and I watch her face go pale and her body start to shake.

Her reaction grabs her husband’s attention too, and eyes narrowing, he takes a menacing step towards me. Hawk is quick to step between us and try to play mediator, even though he doesn’t know exactly why. We can both guess I’m sure.

Tina’s parents think I’m a deadbeat who abandoned her and my kid when I found out she was pregnant, even though that couldn’t be further from the truth. I can’t say that now though without throwing her under the bus, and they’re dealing with enough right now. They don’t need to be angry with her, and there’s no guarantee they’ll believe me when I say I didn’t know anyway.

Holding up both hands, I take a step back. “Look, I know you hate me, and I understand why?—”

“You don’t know a damn thing,” her father practically growls, cutting me off, hands curling into fists at his sides. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Hawk tries to play mediator, answering before I get the chance to say anything. “We’re the first responders who helped your daughter and grandson. We’re the ones who made sure they got out of the car safely and made it to the hospital where they could be checked out and get necessary medical care.”

Her father quickly deflates at that while Grace gasps, one hand covering her mouth as her eyes fill with tears that quickly spill down her cheeks. “How bad was it? That female doctor told us a little bit, but I want to hear it from you.” She’s pointedly ignoring me and giving every bit of attention to Grayson and that pisses me off. I’m well aware they think I’m a deadbeat, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. It also pisses me off that I can’t throw Tina under the bus and defend myself. There will be time for the truth to come out later… I hope.

Mark starts to say something, maybe to tell her she doesn’t want to know things like that — at least, that’s what I want to tell her — but as bad as Tina losing consciousness and crashing her car is, it could’ve been so much worse.

“Actually,” I tell them, not waiting for Grayson to do it, and forcing their attention to me, “Tina did great. She knew she didn’t feel well, so she’d already started slowing down, planning to pull over on the side of the road so she could call for help. Even though she lost consciousness, she didn’t hit the tree as hard as she could have and it saved both of them from having more severe injuries.” Grace looks stricken, and I instantly feel bad about giving them so much information. I should’ve let Grayson tell them, because I’m not at all able to be objective. I was more focused on showing them I’m not an asshole, and instead did the most asshole thing I could.

Mark, however, looks like he doesn’t believe a word coming out of my mouth, but before he can question me, the douchebag doctor who I now remember dated Hannah for about a month after her divorce from Bret was finalized, clears his throat.

“Mr. and Mrs. Davis, we should get upstairs so you can see your daughter.”

Grace is still holding onto Nate for dear life, and my hands curl into fists at the way the dickhead doctor’s lip curls up in what can only be called disgust when he looks at my son.

“I’m sorry,” he starts, not looking sorry at all, “but the boy will need to stay down here. Your daughter is currently stable, but that could change at any moment.”

Is he trying to imply that Nathan being in the room would change her status? I know he didn’t. What kind of bedside manner is that?

Grace and Mark are having some kind of unspoken conversation with their eyes, and I can’t help but remember the time Tina told me about how they do that and how creepy, but sweet, it is.

The door opens again, and a young nurse walks in, followed by Hannah.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” she says in a brisk voice, her attention only on Tina’s parents. “Sadie” the girl raises her arm in a quick wave, “is one of the nurses here, and she spent some time with Nathan earlier. If it’s okay with you both, she’s going to go upstairs with you and keep him entertained, and distracted, so you can focus on your daughter.”

Kaydence stands, I’m sure about to argue that she’d be perfectly willing to babysit her nephew while they go upstairs, but a sharp look from her best friend has her quickly sitting back down on the bed, her lips clamped shut in annoyance. I wish I knew how Hannah does that, because that skill would seriously come in handy sometimes.

“Thank you so much,” Grace hands Nathan to his grandfather and wraps her arms around a surprised Sadie. It takes her a second before she returns the hug, the smile she’s wearing looking more than a little uncomfortable.

When she steps back, pulling Nathan back to her chest and kissing the top of his head, it’s hard for me to be still. Like my sister, I want to pull Nathan away from them and demand he stay with me.

Hawke, thankfully the voice of reason in this mess, places a hand on my shoulder and squeezes lightly. He’s silently lending me strength while also reminding me that I’m not the important one right now. Tina and Nathan are, and as much as it kills me to let him out of my sight, I won’t be doing any of us any favors if I start showing my ass to these people who already think I’m a deadbeat waste of space.

I’m forced to watch as the group walks out of the room, the only one of them who bothers to acknowledge me being Hannah, who shoots me an apologetic smile just before the door shuts behind her.