The Bravest Hero (A Curvy Girls Club Novel Book 2) Page 5

  “Royal! Oh my God, what happened?” Kennedy said as they rushed into her loft and surrounded her.

  Royal sat up, giving them some room. Payton and Kennedy flanked her on either side, and Mia sat on her coffee table in front of her. Mia reached for Royal’s hands. She held them tightly and stroked them with her thumbs, easing the tremors.

  “Ro, what happened, sweetie?” Mia coaxed.

  “I saw a horrible accident late last night.”

  “What time?” Payton asked. She was a stickler for details.

  “It was like 3 or 4.”

  “What were you doing out so late?” Kennedy scolded.

  “Kennedy,” Mia shook her head.

  “Sorry. But seriously, why were you out so late?”

  “I was coming back from Devon’s.”

  Mia clenched her teeth before speaking, “I’m sure there’s a story there, and we’ll discuss that later. But for now, continue about the accident.”

  “Oh God…last night had to be the worst night of my life.” Royal pulled her hands out of Mia’s, leaned forward, and rubbed her temples.

  She’d forgotten about the disaster with Devon.

  “I’ll tell you all of it, but don’t interrupt until I’m finished or this will take forever. And what you’ll think you need to comfort me for is actually the least of my worries.”

  “Okay.”

  “Alright.”

  “Go ahead.”

  They all fell silent, but rested their hands on her to give her strength.

  “Devon texted me to come over because he’d had too many drinks to drive. I went over, we had terrible sex, and then we fell asleep cuddling. Next thing I know, I’m woken up by some screeching woman, who turns out to be Devon’s fiancée.” Royal held up her hand as Mia opened her mouth to snap. “You said you’d let me finish.”

  Mia closed her mouth, but her caramel face turned red with fury.

  “So, I get dressed and get the hell outta there while they’re still fighting. I get on Central Freeway around the same time as this motorcycle. I give him a wide berth, because that’s what you do when motorcycles are present. He sped ahead of me. Then this car came swerving and speeding past me. They cut off the biker, almost making him crash. He rides up beside them, and I assume yells at them. They gave him the finger just as we’re coming up to the junction to I-80. Then they purposely clipped his front tire in that dangerous curve there.”

  Tears slip down Royal’s cheeks. She took a deep, shaky breath before continuing.

  “He and the bike flipped a couple of times through the air. He was like a fucking ragdoll. I quickly pulled over, called 911, and then I got out and went to him.” Royal ran a hand down her face as if she could scrub the image out of her mind. “Y’all, it was so bad. His right leg was pretty much dangling by a thread. And there was so much blood.”

  “Oh my God,” Royal heard one of the girls exclaim.

  “I think his hands or arms were maybe broken too. He was able to move his thumb a bit and his left leg. He couldn’t talk for some reason. Maybe he was in shock or something. But his visor was up on his helmet and I got him to blink yes or no when I asked him something. He was finally able to ask me to remove his helmet. I did, even though I know you’re not supposed to. And guys, he was so beautiful. This poor beautiful man, if he lives, is probably going to have all these issues. I just felt so bad for him.

  “Then the fire department and their medics showed up. I think it only took them like five minutes to get there, but I swear it felt like an eternity. Just me and him on that freeway, alone. Me trying to keep it together for him. And him pretending that he was okay for me. And then when they were loading him into the ambulance, they said he went into shock and they were doing CPR as they drove away. I have no idea if he lived. And I don’t even know his name. But the cop who took my statement did tell me that she’d call me to let me know if he’s okay or not.”

  “Well, that’s good,” Kennedy said as she rubbed Royal’s back.

  “I know you feel awful but man, Ro. You were great! So many people would’ve called 911 but kept driving. You stayed with him. You gave him comfort. I’m sure that meant a lot to him.”

  “I wish I could’ve done more. I should’ve done that tourniquet thingy that they always do on TV when someone is bleeding a lot. But I was so frazzled and so afraid to hurt him, it didn’t even cross my mind. But that’s something that could’ve saved him.”

  “Royal, don’t beat yourself up about it.” Payton soothed. “You did what you could, which was a lot more than I could do. Statistically speaking, I’m sure a lot of people react differently in emergency situations than what they imagine.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right,” Royal sighed. “There are so many times that you look back on your life or a situation and think of the thousands of things you could’ve done differently. But this time, when it’s a matter of life or death, it sits on your shoulders different.”

  “Well, we’ll sit here all damn day with you until that cop calls to give you an update.” Kennedy said.

  “Damn straight. I don’t have shit else to do that’s more important than being right here,” Mia added.

  Payton nodded her agreement.

  “Thanks, girls. I so needed you.”

  “You know we’ve got you,” Mia said.

  “Let’s order some takeout,” Kennedy suggested.

  “You guys have at it. I need to rest my eyes for a minute. I haven’t really slept.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “You’ll stay?”

  “Of course, we will,” Kennedy said.

  The girls got up so Royal had room to stretch out on the couch. They walked to the kitchen to give her some peace and quiet while they chatted softly.

  “Wake me if my phone goes off and I don’t hear it.”

  “We will,” Payton assured her.

  Royal felt a hand on her shoulder lightly shaking her. Her eyes flew open and she sat up so quickly her head spun a little.

  “Whoa,” Kennedy grasped both of Royal’s shoulders to steady her.

  “Wha-? How long have I been out?”

  “Three hours.”

  “Three hours?! It felt like ten minutes.”

  “Ro, Officer Davis is on the phone.” Kennedy said solemnly.

  “Oh…”

  Kennedy quietly handed her the phone. Royal stood and began to pace. Dread filled her veins as she slowly raised the phone to her ear.

  “Hello.”

  “Royal?”

  “Yes, it’s me.”

  “Royal, I just wanted to let you know that he’s okay. The paramedics were able to resuscitate. He was in surgery for quite a while, but he’s okay.”

  Royal’s knees buckled and she dropped to the couch once more. The girls hovered protectively, at the ready if she needed them.

  “Thank God!” Royal was finally able to say around her constricted throat.

  “You should go see him. He was asking for the angel. We all assumed that was you.” She paused waiting for Royal to respond.

  Royal couldn’t find the words.

  “I told you what you did meant a lot to him. Also, it was your invaluable information that led us to the driver who hit him. He’s been arrested and charged,” Officer Davis informed her.

  “Good! I hope he rots.”

  “Just a heads up, you may need to testify if this goes to court.”

  “O-Okay. I’ll do it. It’s not like I’ll forget what happened anytime soon. It’s been playing on a constant loop in my head.”

  “It’ll eventually fade. Just make sure you get out and do things you enjoy. And I’m sure knowing that he’s okay will help.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right. But thank you Officer Davis for calling me and letting me know he’s okay. Maybe I will go see him.”

  “You should. By the way, he’s a firefighter and his name is McKennon Carter.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, Royal
. Have a good one.”

  “You too. Bye.”

  The girls immediately swarmed around her as she hung up the phone. She looked at them all before speaking.

  “His name is McKennon Carter.”

  Chapter Seven

  Brave firefighter and unstoppable fitness model, McKennon ‘The Mack’ Carter, blinked back tears as the doctor listed his many injuries after he’d finally woken up.

  “You shattered your right wrist; I’m assuming from trying to break your fall. We had to go in and rebuild your wrist with pins and screws. Your left arm has been broken in two places. We set it and put it in a splint until the swelling goes down enough to cast it. Luckily, your fingers aren’t broken, but they were heavily bruised and skinned up pretty bad. You’ll probably lose the majority of your fingernails temporarily.

  “You were extraordinarily lucky that you sustained no injuries to your spine or head.” The doctor hesitated for a moment building up the strength to give the worst news.

  Mack knew what the doctor was going to say, but he still wasn’t ready for it.

  “Unfortunately, your right leg suffered the most extensive damage. There was no way to repair all the damage done. I’m afraid we had to amputate the limb. We tried to save the knee, but were unable to. But with advancements to prosthetics, above the knee amputation isn’t the hard road it once was…”

  The doctor continued. He talked about PT (physical training), and life with a prothesis and how McKennon could possibly go back to doing the majority of the things he once loved. Mack didn’t hear most of it. Once the doctor said amputate, his voice began to sound like the adult voices in the Peanuts cartoons.

  Mack had built his life around perfection. Being perfect at everything he did. And being perfect physically. A missing leg was not part of the plan. Without it, his life would be forever changed.

  Will I ever be able to do either of my jobs again?

  “Oh my God! I’m so sorry I’m late.” Ainsley rushed into the room like the tiny tornado she was. “McKennon, I’m so happy you’re alive!”

  His fiancée flung herself on top of him and Mack hissed as he tried to move his arms out of the way.

  “Miss, please be careful not to injure the patient further.” The doctor frowned at her.

  “Oh. Sorry.” Ainsley cringed sheepishly. “I’m Ainsley Prescott, his fiancée.”

  She held her hand out for the doctor to shake.

  “Dr. Cooper.”

  “So, Doc, when will he be up and running? Our wedding is in six months,” Ainsley said.

  “Ains…” Mack warned using her nickname.

  “What?”

  “I think the most important thing for McKennon right now is to focus on getting better at the pace that’s best for him and his body. Some amputees are up and working on their physical training with a prosthesis in as little as a week to two weeks, once their residual limb has been sewn closed. Some patients take longer. It depends on the body and the determination of the patient.”

  Ainsley opened her mouth to say more but the doctor cut her off.

  “But…it is best not to push the patient too far too soon. Let him do it at his own pace.”

  “Of course.” Ainsley smiled sweetly.

  Mack knew the smile was fake. Ainsley was going to do whatever Ainsley Prescott wanted to do. She only tried to pacify the doctor.

  “For now, we’ve packed his wound with gauze. We may have to go back in and clean the wound a few times. Once the wound is properly cleaned and the tissue around it is healthy enough to close off without the risk of infection, we’ll do the final surgery. Then once the swelling goes down, you can be fitted for a temporary prosthetic leg.

  “Miss Prescott, we’ll need you or anyone else who will be caring for him here the day of his release, so I can give you the proper instructions on how to care for his leg while it heals.”

  “Sure, Dr. Cooper. I’ll be here.”

  “Good.” The doctor nodded and then looked at Mack. “I’ll be back to check on you later before I leave for the day. You’re in good hands with the nurses. Just press the button if your pain becomes too much. Someone will be in to help.”

  “Thank you, Doc.”

  Ainsley turned to look at Mack once they were finally alone. Mack saw her unease and how her eyes avoided his leg.

  “So…” Ainsley blew out a nervous breath. “How are you feeling?”

  Mack could tell she wasn’t asking because she really cared about the answer. She only asked it because she couldn’t think of anything else better to say.

  “Pretty good, considering,” Mack lied.

  “Oh good!”

  “So, I was talking to the wedding planner about the venue. That’s why I was late getting here. Anyway, it looks like we’ll be able to get the place we want. Flood Mansion.”

  “Don’t you think we should be discussing whether or not we should postpone the wedding?” Mack asked.

  “Mack, you’ll be fine by then. Everyone is expecting us to get married in May. My family, friends, and especially our followers. We can’t postpone now.”

  Mack clenched his jaw, but said nothing. He was too tired and still reeling from the knowledge that he was no longer completely whole.

  “Oh, I almost forgot. I need to get a pic for our followers.” Ainsley pulled out her cell. “I drove to the site of the accident and took a pic of the debris and posted that. Now everyone has been going crazy wanting to know if you’re alright. So, a pic of you in a hospital bed would be perfect.”

  Mack clenched his jaw as she took several photos with her cellphone.

  “You should probably smile a little. You know. To let them know you’re in good spirits.”

  Ainsley held up the phone again and Mack’s face remained the same.

  “Oooookay. I guess these will have to do.”

  As far as Mack could tell, she kept his new stump for a leg out of the photos she’d taken. He wondered if Ainsley thought that if she ignored the situation, his leg would miraculously reappear.

  His fiancée stayed for only another 30 minutes before she became fidgety. She spent most of her time next to him on her phone responding to comments from their followers. Mack guessed he couldn’t blame her. He wasn’t the best company at the moment. He was too much inside of his own head.

  “Okay, sweetie. I have to meet up with Melanie and my mom to taste cakes since you can’t come. It falls to maid of honor and mother of the bride when the groom can’t be there.” She said as if Mack had been called into work, and not just been in a horrific accident that took his leg. “I’ll probably have lunch with them afterwards, and then I’ll be back.”

  “Sure.”

  Ainsley bent over the bed and kissed him on the cheek.

  Hmm…the goodbye kiss went from the lips to the cheek. Mack mentally rubbed his chin.

  He wasn’t sure if her hesitation in the common intimate act was because she didn’t want to hurt him or she was feeling some kind of way about his injury. Either way, he was glad to see her go. He had enough stress figuring out how he would navigate through life with one leg. He didn’t need the added stress of figuring out how his soon-to-be wife felt about his missing leg too.

  “McKennon?” A nurse touched his shoulder. “A police officer is here to see you.”

  Mack blinked, coming out of a light sleep. At the foot of the bed stood a female cop. She was African American with light skin. Her hair was pulled back into a severe bun. Mack figured when she was off work in plain clothes and relaxed, she’d be prettier than what she presented herself as, in uniform. She wanted to be taken seriously at work. It was the same with many of the female firefighters he worked with. They didn’t want their femininity to distract from the “masculine” job they had to do.

  “Hello, McKennon. I’m Officer Davis. I was one of the officers who responded to the accident this morning.”

  “Officer,” Mack nodded. “You can call me Mack.”

  “Alright. Well, Mack, I h
ave to say, I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “Thank you. I’m sure it didn’t look good at the scene.”

  “Not really, no.” She smiled.

  There was no need to mince words between a cop and a fireman. They’d seen it all.

  “Anyway, I’d like to get your statement now, while it’s still fresh, if you’re up to it?”

  “Yeah, I’m ready.”

  Mack recounted the events of earlier that morning. Officer Davis took notes as he spoke. When he finished, he let out a heavy sigh.

  If only he’d left a few minutes earlier, a few minutes later, or just let the assholes drive off without yelling at them; he’d be home sleeping off his exhausting week.

  “Thank you, Mack. This will help a lot and fits with the witness’ story too.”

  “The witness?” Mack perked up. “The woman that waited with me? My angel?”

  Officer Davis smiled softly before nodding.

  “One and the same. She remembered their plates. We ran them and actually have him in custody. If you’re willing to press charges, he’ll be charged with felony hit-and-run and assault with a deadly weapon.”

  Mack smiled for the first time since the accident. The woman who stayed with him on the side of the road really was his angel. Without her he’d possibly be dead and the asshole who put him in the hospital would go unpunished.

  “That’s fantastic news,” Mack nodded, “And yes, charge him. Throw the whole damn book at him.”

  “I thought you’d be happy to hear that.” Officer Davis closed her notepad, and put it and the pen back into her breast pocket. “Well, as of right now that’s all we need from you. I wish you a speedy recovery, Mack.”

  “Thanks.” Mack paused and then continued. “Uh…Officer Davis?”

  She stopped and turned back. A small smile turned up her lips.

  “Her name is Royal. Royal King.”

  Royal.

  Chapter Eight

  The thump of her heart hit her chest so hard Royal thought it was going to burst through it as she walked up to the nurses’ station at the hospital.