I Know Who Holds Tomorrow by Francis Ray Read Free Book Online Page A

for him here as it would be with her. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather you stay here to answer the phone and let the people who drop by know what’s going on.”
    â€œYou shouldn’t wait alone,” Gordon told her.
    â€œMaybe I can help,” Zachary said, coming to stand by them. “If Madison doesn’t mind, I’ll wait with her.”
    Gordon sent Madison a questioning look. She stared at Zachary. She hadn’t realized he had followed her. He was Wes’s friend, not hers.
    â€œI just want to help,” Zachary said softly, as if he sensed her quandary.
    She thought back to when he’d built their house. He’d been hardworking,
honest, and dependable. He’d shown that same dependability by staying with Wes after the accident. He was as worried and as concerned as they were. She could see it in his eyes and in the lines of strain around his mouth. “Thank you, Zachary. I’d appreciate the company.”
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    Dr. London had been right, Zachary thought, the ICU waiting room was drab and dreary, matching the tired faces of the people gathered there. The narrow windowless space smelled of stale coffee and fear. The end table, cluttered with magazines, Styrofoam cups, and soda cans, squatted next to a big brown Naugahyde sofa. Each seat was occupied. So were the walls, as people leaned against them.
    He glanced at Madison, her arms wrapped around her slim body, the sparkle in her brown eyes dim. She was holding up better than Wes’s mother, but then Vanessa had come from a pampered life that had just been turned upside down. Madison family had struggled for a living. She was made of sterner stuff. In Zachary’s opinion, hers were the luckier of the two families.
    â€œIf you want to go back up, I’ll call,” Zachary said. They’d been waiting over an hour. Gordon had been down twice. A.J. and Vanessa once.
    â€œI’m stay—” Madison stopped in midsentence as a loud wail cut off conversation as effectively as if someone had pulled a switch.
    â€œCode blue. ICU. Code blue,” came the voice over the loudspeaker. The door behind her swung open and two men and a woman ran through.
    Madison started to shake. “God, no! Please.”
    Zachary’s long arm instinctively curved around her shoulder. “Easy, Madison. It’s not Wes.”
    Her gaze lanced up to him, hopeful and terrified. “How do you know?”
    â€œOne of my men was in here a couple of months ago,” Zachary explained, feeling the erratic beat of her heart. “They have a back elevator, but don’t use it very much. All patients come through here.”
    Madison began to breathe a little easier until she looked around the room at the stark faces. They had family and friends behind the double doors, and one of them was fighting for their life. She idly wondered if they regretted words spoken or unspoken, as she did. But she had time to make it right. Wes would survive.
    The door to ICU opened again. Face expressionless, the woman who
had run in earlier came back out looking neither to the left nor the right. A chill raced down Madison’s spine. She was unaware of stepping closer to Zachary, of his arm closing around her shoulder.
    â€œLet’s step out for a minute,” he said. Not giving Madison a chance to protest, he led her out. They had gone only a few feet when another sound pierced the air. This time, the scream of a woman.
    Madison felt the tears clawing at her throat. She opened her mouth to ask Zachary to excuse her. A sob came out instead.
    His arms slid around her and pulled her close. “It’s all right. Go ahead and cry, but don’t give up. Please, don’t give up.”
    Madison heard the thickness in Zachary’s voice and let the tears fall. Wes had to live. He had to.
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    Zachary was first to see the gurney roll off the elevator. He swiped a hand that wasn’t quite steady