Trials
chapter 16
** In the Past – The Hospital **
A light knock sounded on the other side of the door to the waiting room, and a nurse walked in. Eva looked up and shook Kevin gently, he’d fallen asleep. They had been waiting for hours, which to Eva had felt like days. The nurse smiled sweetly once she entered the room fully, and stood before the two. “He’s awake.”
“Is he okay?” Kevin asked groggily, sitting upright.
“You can visit him if you want, sir. He’s a little groggy, but he’s going to be alright,” she replied. Kevin nodded and stood, turning to Eva.
“You getting up?” he asked, trying to hide his yawn but failing. Eva shook her head.
“You first. I barely know him, Kevin. I shouldn’t even be here,” she whispered the last part of her protest and Kevin barely heard her. He leaned down and ran his hand over her head gently and shook his head.
“Of course you do…”
“Kevin, go. I’ll come in eventually. I’m a little too shaken up right now. My head is spinning. And… I think I should call my father.” Eva felt like her head was going to explode from the pressure of the ‘what ifs’ and ‘I could haves.’
“You think you should?” Kevin stopped to her level and she looked into his confused green eyes.
“Yeah. He’s… he’s a doctor…”
“There’s plenty of doctors here, Eva.” Kevin interrupted.
“Trust me, they don’t have anyone like my father, Kevin.” Eva chortled and sneered. She loved her father, to the ends of the earth, despite the fact that he wasn’t her blood, but his fame made her cringe. She took on her mother’s maiden name, Cuervo, despite the teasing and jokes that came along with it, to separate herself from it, only because she didn’t want bragging rights to daddy. He was her treasure and she didn’t want it to ever get to her head that he was some big renowned shrink.
“Ma’am, our facility is staffed with some of the country’s finest…”
“No, you don’t understand,” Eva eyed the nurse’s nametag. “Miss Young, My father is Dr. James Lewis.’ Eva turned her gaze to Kevin as a look of recognition came over the young nurse’s face, “he’s a psychologist. According to the medical world, he’s basically the best.”
“Oh… I hadn’t thought of that…” Kevin’s brow furrowed and he felt tears sting the back of his eyes as the full scope of what had likely happened to AJ finally hit him with full force. This time Eva was the comforter and she placed a reassuring hand on Kevin’s shoulder.
“Go see him Kevin. Hold his hand. Talk to him,” Eva glanced to the nurse, and immediately took control. “Is the patient well enough to speak?”
“Yes, ma’am.” At this, Eva returned her eyes to Kevin.
“Listen to him if you need to, Kevin. I’m going to stay here, and I’m going to call my father. Then I’m going to wait until the rest of his family gets here. And unless he says, ‘Kevin, I want to see Eva,” I’m going to wait. Because right now he needs you guys, not some girl who did nothing for his life except bring you here.”
“Eva, please…. What you did…”
“Stop, I was there, I know what I did. I drove a car… Kevin, go,” Eva whispered, faking a smile as she squeezed Kevin’s shoulder and let go, her hands reaching for her purse. She half-smiled to herself as Kevin obeyed her. Looks like daddy had taught her a thing or two.
prologue
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