Chapter 4 - THE COLLAPSE AT TABLE FOUR
The sound of the fork hitting the floor triggered an instant, chaotic chain reaction.
Cal let out a low, ragged groan. His left hand slammed flat against the center of the table as he attempted to push his massive upper body upward. The sudden, violent movement shook the entire booth assembly.
His heavy ceramic coffee cup tipped over on its side.
A dark wave of steaming black coffee surged across the formica table, washing over the dinner plates, soaking through the paper napkins, and cascading over the edge onto the floor in a dark stream.
"Cal!" Mack shouted, leaping to his feet so fast his leather vest slammed against the wooden partition behind him.
Cal forced himself upward, his massive frame rising three inches off the red vinyl seat. His bare, tattooed chest heaved violently, the muscles in his shoulders and neck straining until the ink across his skin distorted under the extreme physical exertion.
Then his knees buckled.
A complete loss of muscular control seized his legs. Cal collapsed backward onto the red vinyl seat with a heavy, dead-weight impact, his head cracking against the high wooden backrest. His eyes rolled upward toward the ceiling lights, his breathing descending into rapid, shallow gasps.
In her wheelchair, June went into total panic. Trapped by her physical limitations, she let out a high, distressed cry, her small hands clutching the armrests of her chair as she watched her father lose control of his body.
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Erin didn't hesitate. Dropping her tray onto an adjacent counter, she darted into the narrow space between the table and the wheelchair, dropping to her knees directly in front of Cal.
"Cal! Look at me!" Erin called out, her voice loud, clear, and steady. She reached out, placing her hands firmly on his broad, tattooed shoulders to prevent him from sliding off the slick vinyl onto the floor. "Cal! Focus on my voice!"
