One Call Away - Book cover

One Call Away

Aimee Dierking

Chapter Three

PRESENT DAY

Hailey was pissed off! It was March 15, and she had five days to give a proposal for a campaign she really wanted.

She growled again, then tore the thick paper from the tablet and threw it in the overflowing trash can.

Realizing that the trash can was spilling over, she got up, even more pissed, yanked out the bag, and stomped it out to the trash cans that were at the edge of the driveway waiting to be picked up the next day.

“You okay, Hales?” she heard Carter ask.

Hailey instantly calmed down when she heard his voice. She had no idea why, but since she had met him, anytime he was around, he calmed her and made her feel different.

And since he was Dan’s best friend AND lived next door, they were around each other a lot.

She called him to fix things when Dan was out of town, the three of them had dinner together at each other’s houses, and they talked all the time.

They even went out on double dates when Dan was in town and Carter was dating a new lady.

“Yeah, things aren’t going the way I want on this design. I’m trying to get it right, and the trash was overflowing with failed designs,” Hailey explained.

Carter chuckled. “I know how that goes when I’m designing a building. Maybe it would be better if you walked away for the day, then tried again tomorrow? I find that works for me.”

“Yeah, I was thinking about doing that already. How’s the new house coming?” Hailey asked.

“It’s going well. Permits are coming through and construction is going well. I forgot how much work went into restoring old houses, but I’m excited to see it coming together. You and Dan will have to come out once I move,” Carter said, feeling a sadness creep into his chest when he thought about leaving her.

“I’ve never been to Georgia or to the south, for that matter. Only to Florida for spring break in college and now to Mexico for Dan. My parents like Europe or Hawaii, so we went there growing up. I want to see other tropical places. I think it would be wonderful to see what you have designed and created, Carter,” Hailey said wistfully.

“Then I will make it happen, Hales… Dan coming home today?” Carter asked.

“Yeah, should be home at about two in the afternoon… Want to come over for dinner?” she asked.

“I can’t, I have a conference call, but I’ll come over after.”

Hailey smiled and started walking back up the driveway and heard, “Are you sure you’re okay, Hailey? Any more luck on adoption with Dan?”

Hailey turned and looked at the handsome and sexy man looking at her with concern in his eyes and face. She just shrugged, then turned and kept walking back into a house she hated.

She hated the modern design and everything in it. She was miserable and had no idea what to do.

Carter watched her walk back to the house and felt his heart ache for her. He knew she was devastated about not being able to have kids, and Dan kept coming up with excuses to delay adoption.

Carter thought Dan might change his mind once the deal was done and the paperwork was signed, but he dug in his heels some more.

Carter felt terrible for her and whispered to no one, “I’d take care of you and love you like you deserve, Hailey.”

A few hours later, Hailey heard the garage door open. Dan came in with his rolling luggage and briefcase and looked at her.

“Hey Dan, how was the tr—what’s wrong? Are you okay?!” she asked, going up to him and putting her hand on his forehead, feeling for a temperature.

He was pale and clammy.

“I’m not feeling so great. My head is killing me. I’m gonna take some migraine meds and take a nap,” he mumbled.

“Do you want me to wake you for dinner?” she asked, squeezing his shoulder.

“I don’t know,” he said and walked upstairs.

Hailey was worried, she had never seen him look so bad before.

She went back to her office to work on some paperwork until about 4:30 p.m., then went into the kitchen, threw in a lasagna from a deli they both liked, and cut up a salad.

At 5:30 p.m., Hailey went upstairs to check on her husband.

She went to the bed to see his luggage thrown to the side and Dan lying half on and half off the bed, making odd gurgling noises. She ran to him.

“Dan!! OH God! Dan, talk to me, tell me what’s wrong!! Oh shit! DAN!! Wake up, come on, please!!” she pleaded, shaking him and lightly patting his face with no result.

She picked up the landline they still had for emergencies and dialed 911.

As soon as someone picked up, she blurted, “My husband! He won’t wake up, something is wrong! Please send help!”

She could barely comprehend what the person on the other end was saying, and they had to repeat themselves several times for Hailey to get a handle on her emotions and answer the questions.

Finally, she heard the sirens of the ambulance and police car. They immediately started working on Dan while an officer took her downstairs to be out of the way.

Carter was stunned when he looked out the dining room window and saw the flashing lights next door. He grabbed his keys and ran out to the front door.

He explained to the cop at the door, but he wasn’t letting Carter in. Hailey saw him and yelled out to him. Carter brushed past the cop, and she threw himself in his arms.

“What’s wrong Hailey? Where is Dan?”

“I don’t know! The paramedics are with him. He came home and looked terrible. He said he had a really bad migraine, and he took some meds and went to bed. I went in and tried to wake him, but he wouldn’t wake up!” Hailey sobbed into his chest.

Carter felt his stomach drop as she talked, but before he could ask her anything else, Dan was brought down the stairs on the gurney.

“Ma’am, we are taking your husband to St. Luke’s. Do you have a way to get there?” one of the paramedics asked her.

“I’ll take her. We will meet you there,” Carter said, taking charge.

He turned off the oven, got her coat and purse, and brought them to her. He could tell she was in shock and didn’t really know what to do. He then ran home, got his car, and pulled up to where he had her wait.

They sped to St. Luke’s, not speaking the whole way. Carter kept her hand in his to reassure them both.

They parked, ran up to the ER check-in, and were ushered back to the room Dan was being worked on. The ambulance had arrived about twenty minutes before them and there were already a bunch of people working on him.

“Carter, what the hell is going on?” she asked nervously.

“I don’t know Hailey, I just don’t know. But I’m right here. I promise I’m not going anywhere,” he assured her.

She clung to him, scared and uncertain about what was going to happen.

“Do you want me to try to call Ashley or your parents? Or Helen?” Carter asked, rubbing her back.

She shook her head. “I don’t have anything to tell them. Can we wait until we know more?”

He nodded and moved them to two chairs right outside of Dan’s ER room. They sat there for several minutes.

Both jumped when the door opened, and they saw Dan being wheeled out. Hailey gasped when she saw he was on a ventilator and was being pushed down the hallway.

“Mrs. Smythe?” a man in the white coat and scrubs asked.

“Yes, I’m Dan’s wife. What is going on?” she asked.

“I’m Dr. Travis Welton. Well, it took us a little bit to get him stabilized, and we actually had to put in a breathing tube. We are taking him for a CT scan right now. I think your husband may have had a stroke, but we need to check and see what we are working with,” he said.

“But he is so young! He is only forty-two!” Hailey gasped.

“You are never too young to have a stroke. Infants can have them. I just need to see what’s exactly going on. Give me about thirty minutes, and I’ll know more, okay?” Dr. Welton said.

They nodded and sat back down in the chairs. Carter hugged her tightly, letting her know that he was there.

“Carter, can you call Helen? I need to call my sister…,” Hailey said.

“How about I call Vicky and let her decide how to tell Helen, okay?”

Hailey nodded, trying not to think of her strong dislike for her sister-in-law and her mutual dislike for Hailey. Vicky and Dan were very close, like Ashley and Hailey.

But Vicky was a bitch and was not afraid to voice her displeasure at Dan marrying Hailey.

It pissed off Carter and Ashley how Hailey really didn’t stand up for herself when Vicky started in on her and Dan didn’t do anything to stop his sister, either.

Carter squeezed her hand and stood up to go outside to call Vicky. Hailey pulled her phone out and called Ashley.

“Hey, Hales! Dan get home okay?” Ashley asked. Hailey could tell that she was driving.

“Ash…” Hailey started when her voice wobbled.

“What’s wrong?” Ashley demanded, sensing a serious conversation was going to start.

“Dan is at the hospital. They think he might have had a stroke…,” Hailey said and started crying.

“Oh fuck, Hailey! Okay. I’m almost home. I will call Greg and have him call the doctors there, so give permission for them to talk and then I’m going to get on the first plane I can and come to you. Which hospital?” Ashley demanded.

“St. Luke’s,” Hailey cried.

“Okay, I’m gonna call Momma and Daddy too. Oh shit, Hailey, are you there alone?”

“No, Carter is with me. He drove me here after seeing the ambulance.”

“Oh, Thor, bless him. Okay, I have things to do to get to you. Hopefully, I’ll be there by midnight, okay?”

“Thank you, Ashley… I love you!”

“Love you too, Hailey. I’ll see you soon!”

Hailey hung up, threw her phone in her bag, reached over to the box of tissues that was next to her on a little side table, and blew her nose.

She closed her eyes and laid her head back on the wall, wondering what the hell was going to happen next.

Carter looked at her; his heart ached to hold her. He sent off a text to his sister, Sophie, and his parents to tell them what happened and then pulled up Vicky’s number and braced for her reaction.

“Hello?”

“Hey Vicky, it’s Carter.”

“Hi Carter, how are you? To what do I owe this pleasure? Wait… Is Dan finally wising up and leaving that little tart?”

“Vicky, Dan’s in the hospital. They think he may have had a stroke…”

“Oh God, Carter, NO!! I’ll make some arrangements, and Mom and I will be out as soon as we can.” Vicky gasped.

Carter could hear the emotion in her voice, then heard the sniffling.

“Okay, I’ll text or call you with any updates. We are at St. Luke’s when you get here.”

They hung up, and he went back to Hailey and sat back down. She immediately laid her head on his shoulder and sighed.

He rested his cheek on her head and whispered, “I know, Hales. I’m right here.”

They sat for a minute before the doctor came back to them and ushered them into the room where Dan had been.

“Mrs. Smythe, I have news. We were able to get the CT scan done, but as we were trying to come back here, his heart stopped. We tried to revive him, but I’m sorry, your husband didn’t make it,” Dr. Welton explained.

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