Page 66 (1/2)

"Ms Suo back with him now"

"Go ahead," Luke says "Sam and I ait here for our parents"

I nod and follow Co She leads me to a room with a curtain drawn around the bed I s hard and for aaway, but instead I take a deep breath and walk right in and around the curtain

And there is own, his hair a little bloody, his face and arant face

"Hey, M," he says

I immediately burst into tears I sit in the chair next to his bed and sinksobs

"Shh…" He’s rubbing my head now, my shoulders and back "Hey, it’s okay I’m okay, baby"

"You could have died!" I cry into his lap

"I arips my shoulders and makes me sit up to look at him "Look at me Meredith"

I can’t openEveryone does, but they haven’t been in my shoes They don’t understand

"Meredith Breathe Breathe with me, baby" He scoots down in the bed and leans his forehead ona panic attack Breathe deep and slow, Meredith"

He calms me My heart slowly returns to noreous blue eyes and I lose it again

"Baby, I’m okay"

"I know But I didn’t know before, and it reminded me of Dad and Tiff, and oh ain"

"Stop" His voice is brisk now "Stop it before I call the nurse in here for you"

"Are you going to be okay?" I whisper

"Yes I’m scraped up, and I have a knot on my head, but I’m fine They wanted to do a CAT scan to make sure I don’t have internal injuries"

"Do you?" My heart stops again

"No I’m fine I’ll be sore as hell tomorrow, but I’ll walk out of here as soon as Nurse Ratchet bringspapers and more paintable at this bedside and holds up his phone The screen is shattered

I closelifted into Mark’s lap

"What are you doing?"

"Calainst him and rocks us back and forth I wrap my arms around his neck and bury htly God, I love hi to me I can’t lose him the way my mom lost Dad I don’t think I’d survive it

And I will eventually lose him Because I lose everyone I love

As we sit here silently, I cling to hiive hiently in er on his for amuscles in his arms

Finally, I pull away and climb off his lap

"I love you more than I can ever tell you, Mark But, I can’t bear the thought of losing you the way I lost my family" I s hard as he frowns in confusion "I just can’t do this"

"Can’t do what, exactly?"