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The stage rose up to meet him as he blacked out

Chapter 44

Jessica stood outside Sinners’ dressing rooh to stop crying, but she wasn’t leaving until she saw Sed She wanted to tell him what an assle he was and that she never wanted to see hiain Yeah That’s exactly why she wanted to see hi froe They’d just started the next song Afrantically into a cell phone Jessica’s heart rate kicked up a notch when the wail of an ambulance stopped just outside the back doors Para happened to Trey? He’d seemed fine the last time she saw him Concerned, she headed after the parae, she froze Trey had blood all over his hands, but it wasn’t his

"Sed!"

She launched herself across the stage Brian caught her around the waist, but she fought him until he released her She landed on her knees next to Sed Blood Blood everywhere And it was co from Sed’s mouth

"Do we intubate?" one of the paramedics asked another

"God, I don’t know Where’s all the blood co to drown in it"

They rolled Sed onto his side, and a pool of blood spread across the stage from his mouth

"Help him!" Jessica insisted

"Stand back, ma’am" One of the paramedics exaht "His trachea isn’t collapsed, but he’s blown a blood vessel in his throat Keep hiet him to the hospital We can’t fix this here"

They lifted hiurney No one else moved The entire stadium stood silent Several roadies helped the para toward the ambulance with Jessica on their heels

She could hear a crowd of people following behind her, but she could only see Sed Unconscious Shallow breathing Pale Blood trickling from the corner of his mouth So pale

Oh God, please let him be okay

Jessica waited for the paramedics to load Sed into the back of the ambulance and then climbed inside without hesitation

"Ma’am?"

"I’m his wife," she lied

She sat near Sed’s feet and held on to his shin while the para ride to the hospital

At the hospital, Jessica was the only one there to iency roo Sed’s throat carefully

"He sings professionally Please keep that inor live?"

"I want hi to think about what he would want"

While they worked on hi her hands How had this happened? Her thoughts kept returning to that night at the strip club when Sed’s throat had been injured by that bouncer Surely, that injury would have healed by now, but e had prevented full recovery

A nurse ushered Jessica to the waiting area The place was packed with fa to be all right?"

"I think so They got the bleeding stopped, but I’m not sure they were careful with his vocal cords"

What would Sed do if he couldn’t sing? Singing was his life