Leave Her Wild

Broken Promises

The halls were bustling with people going in and out of rooms. The telephones ringing off the hook. Brantley sat in a chair in the corner of the room, watching the monitors intently. Any little movement from Hailey would send him right back out to find the nearest nurse or doctor. It had been a few hours since they had been checked in. An ambulance bringing Hailey, with Brantley hot on its tail. He had pulled out his phone and called, trying to keep his cool, as soon as Hailey had stopped responding to anything. 

He sat slouched in the chair, his right foot up on his left knee. His black baseball cap pulled way down over his red rimmed green eyes. He sighed heavily, keeping his eyes on Hailey. She looked so helpless there in the big hospital bed. The pillows piled up around her head. Her long brown and blonde locks flowing over her shoulders. She still looked like an angel even with everything that was going on. 

A petite nurse walked in the room quietly. Her blonde hair pulled up in a high ponytail. Her blue eyes almost the same exact color as Hailey's. Her light pink scrubs drowning her small frame. She grabbed the clipboard off the wall and walked over to the side of the bed. 

"I am just going to update her vitals. If you would like to take a walk, the coffee shop on the bottom floor is open. They make a mean caramel latte." She replied, peering over at him. 

Brantley sat quietly for a moment before he pushed himself up from the chair. "Thanks." He smiled half heartedly, walking out the door. He made his way to the elevator, hopping in as quickly as the doors opened. He got off when it reached the bottom floor, walking the maze of hallways to the coffee shop in the front of the building. It was a quaint little place. An older woman with a warm smile behind the counter. A younger girl working the espresso machine. 

"What will it be?" The older woman smiled brightly. 

"Caramel latte, please." Brantley said, getting out his wallet. He handed the woman the exact change, leaving a generous tip in the glass jar next to the register. The younger girl made his latte and handed it to him, making sure to warn him of how hot the contents were. Brantley nodded in acknowledgement and walked back toward the elevator. As he waited, he looked around, taking a sip of the latte. The petite little nurse was right. He made a mental note to thank her for the suggestion. 

His phone starting buzzing in the back pocket of his dark wash denim jeans. He pulled it out looking at the screen. "Hey, angel." 

"Brantley? What's going on? I got your frantic voicemail. I was out with the ladies having an early dinner." 

"There was an accident." Brantley began. He was cut off before he could even get the next words out. 

"Accident?! What in the world happened? Are you okay? Is Hailey okay? Do I need to get out there?" Becky's voice squealed from the other end of the phone. 

"Mama, calm down. I am okay...." Brantley started. He stopped as tears began to flood his eyes once again. He tried not to get choked up, but he couldn't help it. What did he let happen to her? He always promised to keep her safe. And he broke that promise. It hurt his heart. 

"Brantley, dear. What is going on?" Becky could tell he was trying to hold back a flood gate of tears. 

"Hailey. She, uh, she got in to an atv accident. We are at the hospital right now."

"The hospital in town?" 

"Yes." Brantley shook his head as if she could see it. 

"I'll be there in a few hours." And before Brantley could even protest it, the line went dead on the other end. He put the phone back in his pocket and walked back over to wait once more. 

The elevator dinged as he reached the fourth floor a few minutes later. He rounded the corner and saw a doctor walking in to Hailey's room. He came up to the door, looking through the glass window that was covered by shades that were open. The doctor was standing next to the bed alongside the nurse that was there before he left. They were talking and laughing as they looked down at her. Then Brantley realized that she was responding back. 

He nearly dropped his latte as he bound in to the room. "Hailey." 

Hailey turned to look at him. Her eyes gaining back their color. Her complexion still paler than usual. The freckles more prevalent along the bridge of her nose. Her small smile turned in to a look of confusion. Brantley stopped at the doorway as he noticed the look she was giving him. 

"Who are you?"