[2.1] THE BRIGHTEST LIGHTNING, tyler owens

Loved The Most



Tyler's heart raced even more once he saw his truck roof-down on the ground and no movement from inside.

He soon heard coughing and saw her hand reach out. Seeing this made he run faster than he thought he ever could.

She now had her body from the waist up out. She was trying to pull herself out, but Tyler could tell she was struggling from the exhaustion.

He knelt down beside her , gripped both of her arms, and then pulled her out. He then helped her set up against the truck.

He cupped his hands around her face. "Jaymes?" He looked into her eyes, searching desperately to find her in them.

She smiled when she saw him, some of her blood visible in her mouth. "Aren't you a site for sore eyes?"

"Oh, thank God." Tyler wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head softly.

"Is everyone okay?"

"Everyone's fine because of you."

She tried to stand up, but Tyler pushed her back down. "No, no way, you're staying here till we get help."

Jaymes sighed and winced slightly, grabbing her side. Tyler leaned over and lifted her shirt to see shards of glass embedded in her skin.

"How bad?"

"I've seen worse." Tyler tried to make her feel better, but he could tell it wasn't really working.

"Sorry I totaled your truck."

"Jaymes, the truck is the last thing I'm worried about."

She looked at him teasingly, "Oh, c'mon, you love your truck."

Tyler didn't even think of the words before they forced their way out of his mouth. "I love you more."

Before Jaymes could say anything, Javi came running up to her. "Jaymes, Jaymie, oh my God. Are you okay?"

She nodded in confirmation, "I'm okay."

Everyone else from the team, including Ben, came racing towards them, too.

"We thought for sure you're a goner." Dani said.

"You are brilliant." Ben said with wide eyes and a smile.

Boone dropped down to her eye level. "I think I love you."

"Hey," Tyler warned.

Boone and everyone else laughed.

"All right, let's get you up." Tyler said as he noticed ambulances parked right outside of the town.

Javi got on her left side while Tyler got on her right. Everyone else walked on the sides of Javi and Tyler.

---

At the hospital, Tyler's leg bounced up and down nervously.

Jaymes had gone into surgery to get the glass removed and to make sure the doctors didn't see anything else wrong.

It was just Tyler and Kathy in the waiting room. Everyone else had offered to come, but Tyler told them to stay and help.

"Stop worrying so much. You'll have a heart attack, you know her, and she'll pull through just fine." Kathy said she placed a hand on his shoulder.

Just then, a doctor walked in. "Reid?"

Tyler shot up and closed in on him, Kathy walked up calmly behind them.

"The surgery went smoothly and was successful. We didn't find anything else, and she's expected to make a full recovery."

Tyler sighed in relief. "Thank you." Kathy stated. "I'm going to go get some coffee."

Tyler nodded and watched her walk off.

The doctor leaned slightly, "So, is she the Jaymes Reid?"

Tyler furrowed his eyebrows in response.

"Like the one who stopped the tornado?"

"Oh, yeah, uh, she did."

He lit up at the news. "Oh, my daughter's a huge fan, and not only the storm part. She loves going to rodeos and watching her do all her tricks. It's one of her favorite things in the world."

Tyler smiled at the thought of Jaymes with kids. "I think Jaymes would love to meet her."

His smile got even wider, "You think you could make that happen?"

Tyler nodded confidently.

"That'd be amazing if there was any way they could meet. And just between you and I, your girlfriends kinda a badass." The doctor said through his excitement.

Tyler chuckled lightly at his comment. "Yeah, yeah, she is, isn't she?"

Just then, his pager went off. He looked at it and turned back to Tyler.

"I got to go, but I'll check in on you and Jaymes and whoever else. There will be a nurse here to take you to her soon."

Tyler outstretched his hand to the man. "Thank you."

He took his hand and nodded before running off in a different direction.

---

In the room, Jaymes had woken up after about another 15 minutes. It was now about 11:45 p.m. and everyone was tired.

Kathy had gone home almost immediately after Jaymes woke up, saying the cows still needed to be fed. Jaymes understood and kissed her goodbye. Before she left, she made Tyler promise that if he didn't come home (which she knew he wouldn't), he would get some rest.

After Jaymes and Tyler had talked for a while, including Tyler telling her about Dr Miller, silence filled the room. Tyler was watching Jaymes' facial expression as she read And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. He was more forcing her to read it because when he learned that she never had, he was shocked. He literally had a copy of it in his bag. He said he took it with him wherever he went in case he got bored.

Jaymes' eyes fell from the book to the chair next to her when she heard soft snoring from it.

She barely suppressed to laugh when she looked. There was Tyler, completely knocked out. She grabbed her phone from the stand next to her and snapped a quick picture.

---

The next morning, she signed her discharge papers quickly and got out of the hospital in 20 minutes.

When her and Tyler got home, she could tell something that was off. It was way too quiet for it to be usual.

Tyler helped her get out of the truck, careful not to rip her stitches.

When he opened the door, confetti flew in her face.

"SURPRISE!"

She saw everyone standing there in front of the stairwell holding a sign saying, "Welcome, Home Jaymie!"

Her Ma, Tyler's team, Ben, and Javi were all there crammed in the small space.

She looked forward and smiled at all the people she loved. Tyler was completely cheesing out at her when she looked to her right.

She knew she loved these people and that these people loved her, but the one to her right, she knew she loved the most.

---
Chapter 17 done! Hope you enjoy!
Word Count: 1088