“Sir, you need to calm down. She needs emergency surgery to stop the bleeding.” The nurse speaks to me in soothing voice, hoping to calm me down.

“Surgery? She can’t have surgery! She’s pregnant. She has acute leukemia! Do you understand me? She is pregnant and she has cancer! She’s too weak to survive surgery!” I am screaming at her now, trying to make her understand what I am saying.

She pauses a moment. Taking my shoulders in her hands, she gets right up in my face, forcing me to listen. Quietly, she says, “Sir, she needs surgery or she’ll die.”

The word ‘die’ slams into my brain. It explodes into a kaleidoscope of angry colors. Each color slowly spreads and begins to strangle any hope I have left.

“Die?” I choke over the word.

“Yes sir. Please. I need you to stay here.” The nurse pleads with me before heading through the doors into the OR.

“Die?” The very word cuts off my air. Gasping, I fall to my knees. Grabbing my head in my hands, I rock back and forth, screaming. “She can’t f**king die. She can’t! I just got her back! My infinity can’t f**king die!”

“Tristan, what’s going on?” I hear my mother’s voice coming from the end of the tunnel but I can’t answer. I can’t focus on anything by my infinity.

I feel a warm hand on my head and look up to see Drake’s tortured expression. “She’s been taken back for emergency surgery to stop the bleeding.” Drake’s voice breaks on a sob. “She’s unconscious mom. She won’t wake up.”

“Tristan, you just had pins put in your leg because you were being stupid. Do you honestly think you need to be jumping around like an idiot?”

I stare at this crazy-ass beautiful girl of mine.

“So dey called ya, huh?”

She puts her hands on her slender hips, grinning. “Your parents thought that you breaking your leg was something I should know about!”

I am too happy –these painkillers are amazing! “You are soooo pwetty.” I chuckle, not realizing my words are slurring.

Evelyn barks out a laugh. “Oh good God, what did they give you?” She walks over to my side and picks up my bottle of happy pills. “Really? They gave you f**king morphine? Are they stupid?”

No, these things are awesome. “Dey’re not stooopid. Dese pills are aweeeesome.”

“Oh boy,” she whispers, choking back laughter.

“I wuv you,” I slur, not realizing I now have drool coming from the corner of my mouth.

“I drove all the way here to see you and what do I find? A drugged up version of you that will not even remember that I was here! I’m going back home.”

Wait, where does she think she is going? “Don weave. Pwease don weave me baby.”

She shakes her head, grinning at me and bites her beautiful lip. “Why should I stay? You obviously don’t need me.”

Is she crazy? Oh yes, she is. Man, these pills are awesome. I want to bite on her lip. Oh right, yes, don’t leave.

“Tristan?”

Oh, right! I shake my head, trying to clear the cobwebs that are growing. “Don weave baby. I lalays nee you.” I guess that’s the right answer, right? I mean these pills are f**king awesome.

“You’re really high, aren’t you?” By now, she is having trouble not outright laughing.

“I non’t do dwugs! Oo kno dat.”

“Of course I know you don’t do drugs. I’m talking about the pill high you are on, you idiot!”

Wait… oh shit, I am! “Tae dem, I no wannem,” I growl, swiping the bottle off my nightstand.

“Baby, you need them. It’s okay, I promise.” She sighs, picking them up off the floor and putting them back on the side table.

“I weally urt my yeg,” I whisper as I close my eyes.

“I know you did baby.”

“I’m stoopid, you know dat wite? Jur wif a didiot.”

She giggles. Damn, do I love that sound. “Yeah baby, I know you’re an idiot. Now, I haven’t seen you for three weeks. You gonna let me lay down with you?”

“Oo dona take tare of me Ev?”

She climbs into bed with me, careful not to hit my leg. Wait, I can’t feel my leg. Is it still there?

“I tan’t fee my yeg,” I groan in panic.

“Probably not baby. That’s what the pills are for.”

“So ur yoo dona take tare of me?”

“Yeah baby. Today is Thursday. Dad said I can stay for the weekend and skip school tomorrow.”

The entire weekend with my baby and I am stuck in bed!

“Ear stuck in bed awe eekend ad I dot a gimpy yeg.” I slur, drooling more.

“I’m gonna take care of you,” she whispers, brushing her lips against mine.

“Ear aways donna tate care of each oder, wite?”

She grins against my lips. “Of course we will Tristan. We love each other.”

“I was supposed to take care of her,” I croak, leaning back and knocking my head against the wall. “It’s all my fault. How could I let this happen?”

“Come on, son. Let’s get you off the floor and into a chair.” I look up and see my father and nod, letting him help me up.

I look around and see that everyone is here. “When did you all get here?”

“I called them on the ride here Tristan,” Drake answers.

Oh! I can’t help but wonder just how long I’ve been out of it.