Carter pried Keely away from him. “Keels. We talked about this. Back off and let Dad talk.”
A million expectant eyes bored into him.
Just spit it out.
“Carolyn was exercising Sheridan. Near as I can tell, something broke in the bridle. Then it spooked the horse and she reared, throwing your mother off. I saw it happen so I was able to get to her immediately. She was instantly knocked unconscious. I called an ambulance and we’ve been here ever since.”
“Has she regained consciousness?” Cam asked.
“No. She’s had X-rays and tests and they’ve been observing her. Her brain swelling increased to the critical stage.” He paused. “She’s in a medically induced coma. In doc speak that means they’ve taken control of her body with drugs and machines, tryin’ to reduce swelling and circumvent permanent brain damage.”
“For how long?”
“Five days to a week. Or longer.”
He waited as that sunk in. And he could tell by the way they were gaping at him it’d take them time to process it—not that he had a handle on the situation. He was a mess.
Couldn’t they see that?
No. They’d see him as they wanted to and he braced himself for the upcoming fight because guaranteed it’d be a doozie.
“You’re sure that was the best choice? Or was that the only choice the doctors gave you?” Keely demanded. “Who did you have advising you on the medical procedure? Did you even call Doc Monroe?”
He loved his daughter, but it took every ounce of restraint not to snap at her. “Doc Monroe is not a neurologist. Dr. McMillan is. I agreed with their proposed treatment plan because it has the greatest chance of success.”
“But I think—”
“I do not give a good goddamn what you think, Keely. I made the decision for my wife. And if you think I made that f**kin’ decision lightly, think again.”
Silence.
Carson inhaled a slow breath and tried to keep his tone even. “As long as you’re all here, listen up because I’m gonna say it one time and there will be no arguin’. Carolyn has an open wound on the back of her head from the fall which was oozing brain fluid. The risk of infection is very high, especially in the comatose state she’s in with all her primary body functions bein’ maintained by chemicals or a machine. She’s in ICU and there’s no visitation for the first twenty-four hours.”
“Then after that?”
“Extremely limited.”
“For anyone?” Keely asked.
“For anyone.”
“Even you?” Kimi asked.
“They’re allotting me five minutes an hour. That’s it. And since she’s my wife, those five minutes are mine and mine alone.”
He steeled himself against Kimi and Keely’s recriminations, because the looks on their faces indicated they were about to let fly.
“That’s not fair. You should give the rest of us a chance to—”
“If you say to say goodbye to her, Keely, so help me God I will have you goddamned banned from this hospital, do you understand? There will be no sayin’ goodbye, no thinkin’ this is the end for her because it is not.” So much for keeping calm. “Carolyn needs positive thoughts. No cryin’ or carryin’ on. Which is why the two of you—” he pointed to Keely and Kimi, “—ain’t getting anywhere near her when she’s in this state.”
“Dad. You are being completely unreasonable. If you’ll just let us talk to the doctors—”
“No. I’ve already handled that.”
“Without input from any of us,” Cord said.
“Wasn’t your decision to make.” His gaze swept over his children. “Any of yours.”
“We are here for you—for both of you. Don’t shut us out.”
Carson briefly closed his eyes. This had to be said—no matter how much it hurt them, or hurt him—so they understood he needed their obedience.
“I am shutting you out for a very good reason.” He looked at Keely. “How often have your kids been sick in the last two months? Six, seven times?” He gestured to his sons. “Same with all of you. You have no idea what your kids have been exposed to. When you come here after bein’ around them, you’d be exposin’ her to all of them germs and infections your kids have been exposed to. A simple infection could kill her. Kill her, do you understand me? I will not take that chance with her life.”
“The doctor actually said that?” Kimi asked skeptically. “Because I want to hear that for myself.”
Nurse Lissa stepped forward. “Legally the only person the doctor has to explain the seriousness of the risks to is Carson, Carolyn’s husband. Just because you don’t like what he’s telling you doesn’t mean he’s making it up.”
“So none of us can see her,” Cord stated flatly.
“And it sounds like we won’t be welcome in the ICU waiting room either, since we have contact with our germ-ridden kids,” Colby added hotly.
Carson opened his mouth to tell them that wasn’t true, but Cam cut him off.
“So will we have to hear updates on her condition second hand? Third hand? Just like I had to hear on the goddamned scanner that my mother was in the f**kin’ ambulance on the way to the hospital?”
“Cam,” Colt said sharply. “Shut it.”
“He didn’t call any of us,” Cam snapped. “We’ve all been on the receiving end of his ass-chewing for not informing the family of things going on in our households. And then he doesn’t let any of us know that Ma has had a serious accident? Then we had to sit out here for eight f**kin’ hours before he came out to even talk to us? That’s wrong, Dad. That’s why we’re pissed off.”
“Now you’re just throwing down an edict without discussing it with us. She’s our mother,” Keely said.
“And she is my wife. She’s been everything to me since the moment I met her. So I won’t stand here and argue that you have rights when they directly conflict with mine.”
“This is exactly what we’re talkin’ about,” Cord said. “You’re in shock, you ain’t thinkin’ clearly and you need one of us to help you navigate all of this.”
And he lost it. “Because I’m an idiot rancher who don’t understand plain English. How about this for plain English: get out. All of you.”