Chapter 89: Bryn

There is a sound of cursing metal and then nothing. It feels like forever when I my ears start to slowly accept the noise around me. I feel a weight around me like a protective shield was thrown over me before the smash of the car. My eyes slowly crack open and I try to move, but I’m stuck. I look around a little and realize Nolan and Jaxon had covered me with their bodies.

“Guys?” I whisper to them and, with a groan, Jaxon slowly pulls away from me.

He blinks twice before a look of panic comes over his face. “Are you okay?” He asks me.

I nod. “I think so.” I tilt my head back to try and look at Nolan, but all I see is blood. “Nolan?”

My voice cracks as every possible sinerio flashes through my mind. Is he…no he can’t be.

“Nolan?” I ask again, shifting my weight so I can nudge him a little.

“Shit.” Jaxon says before he reaches over and carefully moves Nolan off me.

He doesn’t move or react, so Jaxon lays him against the seat. Now that I’m free, I look toward the front of the car to check on Maddox and Sawyer. They are both slumped to the left side of the car and neither of them is moving.

“Sawyer? Maddox?” My voice breaks, and fear takes on a life of its own in my mind and heart.

“Let me check on them. Call 911 okay?” Jaxon says, handing me his phone.

I take it with shaky hands and dial the number.

“911, what’s your emergency?” A woman asks.

“There’s been an accident. There are five of us in a pickup truck and we were hit by someone.” I quickly say.

“Okay, ma’am, is anyone injured?” The woman asks calmly.

“Uh…one person, so far as I can see. He’s unconscious, but there’s blood on his head.” I look around Nolan and notice the window has been broken. “I think some glass cut him.”

“Okay, is there anyone else awake and aware?” She asks next.

“Yes. Jaxon…um…officer Campbell.” I correct myself.

“There is an officer on scene with you?” She asks.

“Yes, he was in the car with us. He’s awake and checking our other companions,” I explain.

“Can I speak to him?”

I nod, even though she can’t see me. “Jaxon.” I hold the phone out to him and he takes it.

“This is officer Campbell from the 95th precinct. I’m off duty and in plain clothes. We have three unconscious individuals, one pregnant female who appears unharmed, and myself. I don’t have any injuries either. We were hit on the right side of the car. I have not exited the vehicle yet to assess the scene.” He says in a calm, professional voice. “Let me check.”

He looks at me. “Do you have a first aid kit in the car?”

I nod. “Yes, it’s in the bed of the truck.”

“Good. Do you feel any pain? In your legs or arms?” He asks.

“No. Nothing.” I feel a slight sense of relief that me and the baby appear to be okay, but it’s short-lived.

“Yes. Thank you.” He says into the phone before ending the call. “Look at me.”

I do, and he runs his hands cautiously over different parts of my body and examines me for injuries.

“You don’t seem hurt, so I’m going to help you out of the car. Okay?”

I shake my head. “No, I can’t leave them.”

“You aren’t, but I need to examine them better and the EMTs will have to do the same. I’m sorry to say you will be in the way of them doing their work if you stay here.”

His words hurt, but I understand them, so I nod. “Okay.”

“Good girl. Let me help you out.” He carefully opens his door and climbs out.

I slide over, and he reaches out for me with both arms, and I accept his help. Once my feet are on the ground, I look up at him and silently beg for some reassurance that everything will be alright. He looks at me like he isn’t sure what to do, but settles for pulling me close to him in a hug and I accept it. My body shakes like I’m shivering, which makes him tighten his hold on me.

“They’ll be okay.” He whispers to me. “Come on, let’s sit you down.”

He leads me over to the side of the road, and I sit on the curb. It doesn’t take long for me to hear the sound of sirens and soon a wave of fire trucks, ambulances, and police show up. Chaos ensues as they swarm the car where three of my guys are still inside.

“Officer, can you tell us what happened?” One of the new police officers asks and Jaxon walks several feet from me to speak with him.

“Ma’am? Are you hurt at all?” I lift my eyes to see a woman paramedic standing in front of me.

She crouches down. “Ma’am?”

“I’m fine. They need help. Please help them. I can’t lose them! I need them!” I start sobbing and my body shakes even more than I let my fear and panic slip through.

The woman takes my hand and gives it a squeeze. “It’s okay. My people are checking them out now and we are going to give them the help they need, but I need to make sure you and your baby are okay. So, can I check on you?”

I want to tell her she needs to go help the others, but she’s already pulling things out of her bag. My eyes search for anything from the truck, but there are too many people in the way. Then I think of something else.

“What about the person who hit us?” I ask her.

She glances at me and doesn’t reply for several seconds. “They died on impact.” She says and all of my breath rushes out of me.

“Were they drunk?” I ask her.

Again, she doesn’t answer right away, but I wait. “It’s still undetermined, but there was no sign of alcohol in the car and no scent of it on the individual.”

So why did they hit us?

“Where’s Bryn? Bryn!” The sound of Sawyer’s voice has me on my feet and rushing toward the truck.

“Sawyer!” I cry out and see him being pushed away from the wreck on a gurney.

I jog over to him the best I can and grab his hand. There’s blood on different parts of him, but I can’t tell where it's coming from. My eyes fill with tears again, but I try my best to fight them back so I can be strong for him.

“Baby, are you okay?” He asks but his words come out strained and he coughs.

“I’m fine. Don’t talk okay?”

“We need to get him to the hospital, miss.” One of the men says as they push him toward a waiting ambulance.

“Okay, I’m sorry. I love you Sawyer.” I say just in case.

“Love you too baby!” He calls out before they lift him inside.

I look back at the truck and see Nolan being pulled out, but he still hasn’t woken up. My eyes move over to where Maddox is being helped to climb out of the car. His head is moving all over and then his eyes land on me and he pushes past the people trying to help him. He rounds the truck and rushes toward me. I let my tears go and cry when he wraps me in his arms.

“Sweetheart. Are you okay?” He asks against my head.

I nod into his chest, and he lets out a shuttered breath. “Thanks god.”

“Sir, we should still check you for injuries.” Someone says from behind him.

Maddox doesn’t let me go, so I release him and push away from him. He reluctantly lets go and sways slightly. The paramedics are there to steady him and soon he’s being put on a gurney as well.

“I’ll see you at the hospital!” I call out to him.

Then he’s taken away and I watch a second ambulance drive away. That one has Nolan inside, and soon Maddox follows suit. One more ambulance is left for either me or Jaxon, but both of us are okay. I stand in the middle of the mess and suddenly feel so alone. My body starts to feel weak, like all the energy is being sucked out of me. I suddenly feel unsteady on my feet and sway.

“Bryn?” I hear Jaxon’s voice and turn sluggishly to look at him.

Everything looks cloudy and I feel something warm come out of me and when I look down, I see the familiar color of blood.

“Shit! Can I get help over here?” Jaxon shouts just before I feel myself falling.