"He can what?"
Nick couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"He can be discharged on Friday."
"This Friday? The Friday.. In four days?"
"Yes, Nick," Royala said, chuckling. "This coming Friday. I would like to order some follow up labs just to check everything out one more time and then when he wakes up, a COVID swab but then he's free to go. You guys should get ready for him to come home," Royala said with a smile.
He left the room as Mac hugged Nick who was crying.
"Nick? Are you okay?" His fiancé asked him.
"I'm better than okay," Nick said, kissing Mackenzie. "I get to marry you, the literal girl of my dreams, with my best friend beside me. Jake's gonna be okay."
"Jake's gonna be okay," Mac said, laughing, happy tears streaming down both of their faces.
"Jake's gonna be okay?" A voice from the door said.
Nick turned around and was pretty shocked to see who was standing there. It was a younger guy Mac didn't recognize. He was wearing a gray crew neck sweater and had a blue Astros jacket slung over it, the same color ball cap on his head. His eyes were brown and they reminded Mac of someone but... she couldn't quite place it... just yet.
"G man!! Oh gosh, is it good to see you! I haven't seen you in forever," Nick said, hugging the younger guy. Mackenzie looked on, raising her eyebrows at Nick.
"Oh, where are my manners? Mackenzie, this is Garrett Wolff, Jake's brother. G, this is Mackenzie, my fiancée."
"Hi, Mackenzie. It's nice to meet you," Garrett said, extending his hand to her but she pulled him into a hug.
"Sorry, but Nick is marrying into a family who hugs. C'mere," she said, laughing as she embraced Garrett.
Nick took a seat next to Jake, Mac next to him, and Garrett on Jake's other side.
"So, tell me about yourself, Garrett. I didn't know Jake had a brother," Mac asked, smiling.
"Yeah, that detail sometimes fails to be mentioned," Garrett said, smiling at his brother. "I'm 21. I go to ESU; I'm a junior majoring in biochemistry and physics. I want to be a lab technician," he explained.
"Oh, wow. Guess the Wolff's run some smart guys," Mac said, acknowledging her appreciation.
"Yeah, we sure do. My dad was pretty smart. Jake was... pretty close with him as I'm sure you both know."
"Of course," Nick said, smiling sadly, thinking of the Wolffs' late father.
Garrett took a deep breath, holding his brother's hand. "I always tell him to be careful and carry his inhaler. But he nev-"
"Never listens," Nick said, finishing Garrett's sentence making him laugh. A quiet noise made the room go silent.
"What was that?" Mac asked.
"I think... It was my brother. I think it was Jake," Garrett said, hurriedly.
Nick put his face closer to Jake's and sure enough, Jake's eyelids fluttered open and he whimpered quietly.
"Mac, go get Jack. Now," Nick said, gripping his best friend's hand. "Jake. Jake, listen to me. You have a tube down your throat helping you breathe. Calm down. Just look at me."
"Nick? What happened?" Royala asked, rushing in, pushing Garrett aside.
"We were just talking and we heard him make a noise," Nick explained as Royala flashed his light in Jake's eyes. "Yep. he's awake. And quite so. Carrie! Jade! Get in here!" he called to the nurses as Jake started moving around even more.
YOU ARE READING
Catching Faith
General Fiction**SEQUEL to "The Gift of a Coach: A Novel of Baseball and Friendship** Jake Wolff has been Brennan's saving grace. He took a team that meant nothing into a team that is feared by every competitor they come up against. Everyone at the school cannot t...
