Free Crash by Eve Silver Page A

Conner cups my cheek and stares down into my face. Then she shakes her head. “Tomorrow, okay? You go see your father now and then you go home and get some sleep. You’ll see Carly when you come back tomorrow and by then she’ll be awake.”
    Mr. Conner swallows and looks away, and I’m pretty sure Carly won’t be awake tomorrow.

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE
    HarperCollins Publishers
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    I SIT BY DAD’S SIDE. HE’S HOOKED UP TO A TON OF TUBES AND machines, an IV dripping clear fluid into his vein. The sounds of the respirator and the beeps of the monitors, the antiseptic smell, it all reminds me of Mom, of the weeks it took her to die. I slump forward in the chair with my arms stretched out on his bed, my head on my forearms, my tears wetting the sheets.
    I need to touch him. I’m scared to touch him. In the end, I press the tips of my fingers to the tips of his. They feel so cold.
    The nurses move in and out, busy with the IV, with the machines, with administering meds.
    â€œI’m Laila,” one of them says after I’ve been there for a while.
    I swipe my tears with the back of my hand. “Miki.”
    â€œIt’s time to go home, Miki.” She’s probably right. I’m not wearing a watch, but I figure it has to be close to dawn. Still I shake my head, but she takes my hand between both of hers and says, “You think you need to be here every second, that he won’t get better if you leave. But he came through surgery with flying colors and he’s stable now. He’s been given some medication to make certain he sleeps. That’s the best thing for his recovery. Sleep. And the best thing you can do to make sure you’re there for him is get some sleep yourself. This is going to be a long haul for him, Miki, and if you burn yourself out now, who will be there for him later?”
    She’s the third person to tell me that—Dr. Lee, Carly’s mom, and now Laila. If I hadn’t already been through this with Gram and Sofu and then Mom, maybe I wouldn’t believe her. But I have been through it. Three times before. And I know she’s telling me the truth.
    â€œGo home, Miki. Sleep. Eat something. Take a nice hot shower. Come back in a few hours.” She pauses. “Do you have a ride home? Or money for a cab?”
    Do I have a ride? I don’t know how long I’ve been here. They wouldn’t let Jackson into the ICU with me. The truth is, it’s so late they didn’t even want to let me in. But I was stubborn, even going so far as to have them call Dr. Lee and confirm that he said I could see Dad. They finally gave in.
    â€œI have money,” I say, thinking I’ll take a cab if Jacksonisn’t out there waiting for me. A part of me can’t imagine he would be.
    Laila smiles at me. “Come back after you get some sleep, okay?”
    â€œWill you be here?”
    She shakes her head. “No. Shift changes in about an hour, but there will be a lot of people here to take good care of him.”
    I give Dad one last kiss on his forehead and leave the ICU to find Jackson waiting for me in the hall, one shoulder propped against the wall, head bowed.
    â€œYou’re still here,” I say.
    His head comes up; his brows rise. “Where else would I be?” His tone is gentle with just a hint of silly girl ,which I kind of deserve. I wouldn’t leave him if the tables were turned. Why would I think he’d leave me?
    Because everyone leaves.
    Not Jackson. Not if he can help it.
    I’m a little surprised to realize I actually believe that.
    Jackson drives me home. He opens two cans of soup. He makes me eat a bowl while he eats two. Then he rinses the bowls and puts them in the dishwasher and brings me upstairs.
    â€œI hate the idea of waking up in the morning alone,” I whisper.
    â€œYou won’t. And