Jenna

I feel like I haven't left the hospital in days. There's been no change in Tanner's condition. He's still unconscious but stable. I don't know how many times I've repeated that phrase over the past few days. It feels like I say it on autopilot now.

It was frustrating at first, but now it's the only thing that gives me hope. He's still stable. Which means he's still fighting, still living, still with us. It's the only sliver of light I have at the end of this very dark tunnel I feel trapped in at the moment.

I haven't been to work since Tanner's accident. Nick said he completely understands, and I can take all the time I need. It's a miracle he's so understanding. I can't seem to break away from here. I need to be here when Tanner wakes up. If I leave, I won't be able to focus, and no one would benefit from that. It's better that I stay and wait here with Tanner.

I was hoping to have some indication by now that Tanner was waking up or would soon wake up, but still- nothing. Dr. Mullaly came in today and told me again that he doesn't know if or when Tanner will wake up.

He then told me that he might not be the same if he wakes up. It's possible that he could have memory loss or personality changes. He may not be the Tanner I know and love. That news was like a punch to the gut. If he wakes up, he may be completely changed.

What the hell am I supposed to do with that information, Doc!?

Liam and Mel were here when that news was delivered. I swore Liam was about to punch Dr. Mullaly in the face for that, but lucky for the doctor, he got away before Mel released her hold on Liam's arm.

I'm still processing everything, trying to keep my chin up, hoping for the best. It's so hard to sit here, unable to do anything for him. This is something only he can do. I just hope he's able to pull through.

The rest of the team came by in small groups to check on Tanner and me. They talk to him, tell him not to be stubborn, and wake up already. Rob sat by the bedside for over an hour with Drew and me. They took turns telling Tanner to hurry up and wake up, or they were going to try to steal me away from him.

It made me laugh for the first time in days and made me think that maybe they had just said the magic words. If any threat would make Tanner wake up, it was that one, but here we are- he's still unconscious.

Each passing day it gets harder and harder to stay positive. The tests and scans have indicated that the concussion is healing, and they don't see any other damage to his brain structure. There seems to be no reason for him to still be unconscious.

None of this makes sense. Why isn't he waking up?

I hear a knock on the door. The nurse who works this shift is studying me from the doorway. "Have you gone home at all today, Jenna?"

I look guiltily at the floor. "No."

She huffs a sigh, making her way into the room. "You need to go home. Get some rest. Sleep in your own bed. Eat something that's not hospital junk. He will be here in the morning."

I start to protest, but she holds up a finger, silencing me. "And if anything changes, I have your cell number; I'll call you right away. If he woke up right now to find you in this state, I don't think he'd be happy."

She gives me a pointed look as I sigh in defeat. I know she's right, but it's scary leaving him when I don't know what will happen while I'm away.

The nurse puts her hand on my shoulder and tells me softly, "Taking care of yourself right now is the best thing you can do for him."

Tears swell in my reddened eyes as I squeeze the hand that's resting on my shoulder. Finally, I nod, agreeing to leave for the night. Before I do, I kiss Tanner gently on the cheek. "I'll love you forever, Tanner. Please, come back to me."

~

I slept okay after a few hours of tossing and turning. When I woke to see sunlight filtering into my bedroom, I shot up and immediately checked my phone. I didn't have any missed calls. It's hard to tell for sure if that makes me happy or sad. On the one hand, that means there wasn't anything horrid that happened overnight, but on the flip side, that means Tanner hasn't woken up yet either.

I showered as soon as I got home yesterday, so now I just have to change, and I can head back to the hospital. I'm changed and ready to go in record time, eager to get back to Tanner. No one else is here right now. They probably left for breakfast, hoping I'd sleep in a little today.

Yeah, that's not gonna happen.

As I hurry to the door, I hear someone knock. Did one of the guys say they were dropping by?

I open the door to find two men standing outside the apartment. One is dressed in business attire, while the other is wearing a police uniform.

Okay, what the hell is this?

"Uh, hi. Can I help you?" I say, trying not to let my already frazzled nerves get the better of me.

The one dressed in business wear is the first to answer. "Hello, Miss. We're looking for a Jenna Taylor. Does she live here?"

Feeling a bit taken aback, I reply, "Uh, yeah. That's me. I'm Jenna Taylor. What's going on?"

"I'm Detective Oswald. This is Officer Renaldi. We're here about the accident involving Mr. Tanner Levine. Can we come in for a moment?"

With everything going on at the hospital, I didn't have time to think about the police report that had been filed. Since it was an accident involving a drunk driver, they probably needed some information from me as Tanner's emergency contact. "Yeah, sure. Come on in. Please, take a seat."

"Thank you, Miss," Officer Renaldi says as he finds a seat on one of the couches.

Detective Oswald takes a seat next to him. "We hate to intrude at a time like this, Miss Taylor, but we came across some information in our investigation of the accident. And we need to ask you a few questions. How much do you know about the driver that hit Mr. Levine's car?"

I shake my head, wondering what in the world they could need from me. I wasn't in the accident. What information could I possibly have to offer? "Not much. Just that a drunk driver struck the car Tanner was in. That's it"

The detective nods his head, looking like he's contemplating his following words very carefully. "So, you haven't been given the name of the driver?"

"No. Why would that matter? Whoever it is was in the wrong. They got into the driver's seat drunk and hit Tanner's car."

Detective Oswald furrows his brows before asking his next question. "Does the name Max Beckham mean anything to you?"

My heart stops. My mind starts racing. Why the hell are they bringing up Max? "Max is my ex-boyfriend. What does he have to do with any of this?"

The two men across from me share a look. Then the detective nods sadly. "It would appear that the accident was more than just a drunk driving incident. We may be looking at something far more serious."

Before I can respond, Detective Oswald continues. "Mr. Beckham was the drunk driver that hit Mr. Levine's car. When we took his statement, he indicated that he did so intentionally."

My blood runs cold. I think I forgot how to breathe. I can't be hearing this correctly. There has to be some other explanation. A drunk driver hit Tanner's car. It was an accident that could have been prevented. It should never have happened. But it was an accident.

I hear the detective say something, but I'm too far gone to focus on his words. I'm too busy replaying what he just threw in my lap.

He did so intentionally.

Max hit Tanner's car intentionally.

It wasn't an accident. He tried to kill Tanner.