The Reckless Collision

Chapter Forty

He shot me.

I could barely remember anything else as my right arm throbbed, the pain searing through me. I looked at it, seeing the blue fabric splint holding my shoulder in place, and the sensation of it all felt surreal. My other hand rested against my stomach, the warmth still lingering from where his hand had been. I lifted my left hand to my forehead, a sharp pain shooting up my arm as I did. I put it back on the bed, my thoughts spinning in a whirlwind of confusion.

I needed to see him. Where was Ray?

My eyes darted around the room, my gaze landing on the clean white walls, and the light blue accents of the room. The faint smell of antiseptic hung in the air. At the end of the bed, I saw a white plastic door. Just two people stood by my side, but none of them were Ray.

"Where is Ray?" I demanded, my voice thick with emotion as tears began to gather in my eyes. The frustration, the confusion, and the need to see him all collided inside me.

"He's outside, honey," Mom said, motioning toward the glass wall.

I looked in the direction she pointed, but the glass was tinted in a pale blue shade. I couldn't see anything. "Why isn't he here?" I asked, my voice cracking.

"The doctor said only family could be in the room," Jennifer explained softly, her gaze now full of something deeper.

I glanced over at Tom. He had been so quiet since I woke up, his expression unreadable. Dark circles under his green eyes stood out, and the lines on his forehead told me he'd been worried, perhaps for longer than I'd known. He studied me with an intensity that made my chest tighten. The faint stubble on his cheeks hid the dimples I once teased him about. He parted his lips as if he was about to speak, but nothing came out. I stared at him, waiting for him to say something, but I was the one who broke the silence first.

"Raymond is my family, Mom," I said, my voice stronger than I felt as I looked my mother in the eye. Her eyes widened in disbelief, but I couldn't back down now. "I want you to invite him in."

"You're talking nonsense, Samantha," Jennifer snapped, her tone sharp and firm, almost making me flinch.

I saw Tom, out of the corner of my eye, dip his head low, resting it against the white bed sheets. His hand stayed on the mattress beside me, but he was quiet, watching the scene unfold like he had nothing to say.

My mother's white blouse rustled as she inhaled deeply, the sound of her breath almost echoing in the sterile silence. She ran her hand down the front of her navy blue suit, smoothing out invisible wrinkles, a sign of her frustration, or maybe just a way to regain control of herself.

"Mom!" I said, my voice sharper this time, the action making my throat burn, the pain almost too much to bear.

"Alright, alright," Jennifer muttered, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "As you wish, sweetheart." She shook her head, turning her back to me.

I could hear her heels clicking against the marble floor, the sound sharp and decisive, before she opened the glass door. The noise in the hallway suddenly flooded in—quiet chatter, footsteps, distant voices, but then, as Jennifer stepped aside, the noise died down, and I knew someone was coming.

"You can come in now," she called, poking her head around the corner, balancing herself on one leg like she was trying to avoid the chaos in the hall.

I heard the soft squeak of Doc Martens, the sound unmistakable, and then Ray stepped into the room. His messy black hair looked wild like he hadn't bothered to fix it. His brown eyes, usually warm and bright, were nearly black from exhaustion, his face drawn with tension. He paused at the doorway, his right knee twitching involuntarily, almost like he couldn't stand still.