When the Road Went Silent novel · Chapter 20 of 24

Chapter 20: Ask Her to Stay

Ward's POV

I woke up with a tube in my arm and a nurse leaning over me with a pen light.

"Mr. Hennessy. Do you know where you are?"

"Hospital."

"Do you know what day it is?"

"Monday."

"Close enough." She clicked the light off. "You're not to get up."

She left.

I got up.

It took three tries to get my feet on the floor, and the shoulder screamed the whole time.

I pulled the IV pole behind me and went out into the hall.

The corridor was gray and quiet, with a window at the far end going pale.

I had no plan.

I only knew she wasn't in the room, and the last thing I remembered was her face above mine on the road.

A chair sat outside the next door down.

She was in it.

Maxine had her knees drawn up and her head on the wall, and she was asleep with her mouth a little open.

She was wearing my vest.

She must have taken it out of the bag the paramedics gave her.

It hung off her shoulders almost to her knees, and her hands were tucked inside the sleeves.

My own blood was still dried on the front of it.

I stood there with the pole rattling under my hand.

I had spent four years standing across rooms from her.

I had counted every time she smiled at somebody else.

I had sat on my hands, and I had told myself it was the job.

I thought: that's over.

I didn't want to wait for a better moment, because there was never going to be one.

"You're up," someone said behind me.

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