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Chapter Four

EVA

The next teeks went fast Cage finished his last season with the Hurricanes and I passed allto Tennessee in two days to look at aparte had toout with the with the tiet into shape to play college ball on that level I was prepared for it and I was happy for him I had never seen him so excited Apparently excitement made him even more horny which I didn’t think was possible It was rare that I walked past hiainst a wall or sprawled out on top of boxes I loved his enthusiasiddy as he was

Today I was left to pack ed and car checked out for the long drive this weekend I was planning on going to see Daddy tomorroanted to spend tiain in ahi toas I taped up another box Jererabbed the phone and quickly answered Jeremy never called me

"Hello?"

There was a pause on the phone A knot slowly formed in my stomach

"Jeremy?" I asked when he didn’t respond

"Eva Hey IYou need to come home We need to talk"

We need to talk? "What? You’re scaring ?"

"I, I talked to your dad today He needs me to take him back to the doctor today He’s sick, Eva You need to co Come talk to him"

Sick? I’d just been to see hi with hirab my purse and keys

"Eva, I don’t want to talk to you about this over the phone I’d have come there but your dad needs me with hi as I locked the apart lot "Should you call an aha heart attack?

"No He doesn’t need an ambulance It isn’t that kind of sick He just needs you, Eva I’ him to the County Hospital for a procedure He doesn’t want you to know but I found hi upHe was throwing up blood, Eva"

It was ifup blood? That wasn’t normal Oh God that was so not norine tofor the hospital?" I asked anxiously I needed to get to o now," I snapped

"He’s changing his clothes right now I’ on him then we are headed that way"

"Go inside with him, Jer Please Go inside with hi in "Don’t leave him alone I’ll ed

"Drive careful I’ot hiure this out I sill"

Jere atup blood What did that even mean? Why would someone throw up blood?

I couldn’t fall apart I had to be strong I had to show hi to fine If he sawoverthe sob into have to tell Cage He would be looking fortwice

"Hey, baby," he drawled The ease and happiness in his voice only made the tears burn my eyes

"I’m headed to the hospital Daddy’s sick Jereet out with only a few small sobs

"Where are you? I can drive you You don’t need to be driving upset" I could tell he wasfor his car I couldn’t wait on hi to come with me but I couldn’t wait

"I’ve already left I have to get there I can’t wait He’s throwing up blood He," I hiccupped, "he was going to the doctor today anyway for a procedure So with hiood I can’t losenow

"I know, baby He’s gonna be okay We gotta believe he’s gonna be okay Please pull over and let erous I need you to calm down Okay, please, please cal in his voice was hard to ignore But I had to get to ht back the tears again "I’et there"

Cage swore under his breath "What hospital?"

"County Hospital," I replied

"I’m on ed

"I will I promise," I assured him

"I love you"

"I love you, too Always," I replied then hung up Gripping the wheel with both hands I focused on getting to the hospital then I started to pray

I was pacing the entrance to the hospital when I saw Jere lot I wasn’t sure if he’d told Daddy I was going to be here or not Either way he was going to fuss He didn’t want me to know about this obviously

I waited on thereet theto be here Good

"Stubborn boy wasn’t supposed to call you I was gonna talk to you before you left I just wanted to wait until you had your new life ahead of you before and were ready to move on before I explained all this," Daddy said His voice still sounded as strong and rumbly as always My fear eased some at the reminder he was alive and he didn’t look like he had been throwing up Except the circles under his eyes weren’t normal and the pale color of his skin wasn’t that noticeable but it was there

"I can’t believe you aiting to tell me you were sick I could have been the one to take you to the hospital You don’t have to be sick alone," I said walking up to hi hi body All the thoughts that had played out in my head on the way here hadhiet hiet him to the third floor His appointment is in ten minutes," Jereotten here The haunted look in his eyes bothered rabbed Daddy’s hand and alked to the elevator

"I was co on the next day Were you gonna wait until tomorrow to tellthe three e got into the elevator I didn’t look at Jere me I couldn’t look at him I had to focus on how my dad was alive He was fine

"I didn’t want you to have ti It’s what you want I think it’s what is best for you right now"

My dad thought e York as best for me Did he have a fever? Was this a bad case of pneumonia?

Before I could ask him about that the door opened and alked out of the elevator The first thing I saas a wo there with a bandanna around her head She was bald I could tell that much She didn’t even have eyebrows Her skin was a sickly color but she sot in the elevator I followed Daddy but I could feel Jere to look at him Even if he wanted me to Then a couple ca his head He was also in a wheel chair and I realized his leg washis wheel chair toward the elevator Two bald peopleI stopped I didn’t look to see where Dad was going Instead I slowly scanned s They were all the saes but they all had a sickly pallor to their skin And they were all bald I reached over and grabbed the closest thing I could find It was Jeremy’s arm