Against Reason

Chapter Twenty One - Heartache Calls

"Um, just hold on a sec' and I'll explain," I tell her softly and she nods. "Just relax into my shoulder sweetie," I tell her, not wanting to make her panicked or scared. 

Once I see Hallie and reach her, making sure she's okay- fuck, what if she isn't okay? Her allergy to nuts is really fucking bad, even them being near her can send her breathing into disarray and her throat to thicken up as her face swells. 

No. She'll be okay. 

Bridie buries her face into the crook of my neck, and her grip on my shirt tightens as I brush past others to reach the front desk. 

"Um, Hallie Thompson," I tell the receptionist lady dressed in pink scrubs, my fingers tapping erratically on the marble counter. 

Her face snaps up to me, and noticing my panicked look she types straight into her computer. "Level 4, room 431," she says and I'm heading straight to elevators just as she finishes her sentence. Maybe she has other things to say, I'm not sure. All I know is I need to get to Hallie, my heart is pounding and twisting so hard my chest feels tight and sore. 

I feel ill. The elevator ride feels like centuries even though its only a few stories up. God, this is taking way to long. 

There's three other people in this elevator. A man I'd say in his mid thirties, a woman and I'm assuming her teenage son. They seem calm, unlike me who's foot tapping echoes loudly through the quiet elevator and I gain stares from all three as my panicked state radiates off my body. 

"Hello," Bridie smalls voice cuts through the silence. I look over my shoulder and notice the teenage boy smiling from Bridie's small introduction. 

"Hi," he responds, and Bridie giggles softly. 

"I'm Bridie," she says and at this moment a small smile graces my lips, because even though I'm worried, Bridie isn't and thats good - I don't want her to feel scared right now. 

"Jared," the boy nods his head, and Bridie waves a small hand to him, and he waves back. 

"Cute child you have," the boys mum compliments and I smile softly, not having the energy for a conversation. 

"Best mummy ever," Bridie squeals and that gets a laugh out of the boy and the mother, I think even the other man in the corner. Mummy.

I have no time to dwell on Bridie calling me her mummy, before the elevator dings and Bridie bids a goodbye to the boy and his mother, before I rush out of the elevator. Scrambling around the halls, I find the floor reception desk and head towards it but I get cut off.

"Ms Collins?!" A woman's voice echoes down the hallway, and my head snaps towards a teacher - Hallie's teacher. 

I breathe out and rush up to her. She's panicked and her hair is a little messy, along with her widened eyes. 

"Where's Hallie?" I ask her, heading towards the room. 

"She's inside, they're just checking on her. They gave her some Epinephrine and some other medicines to help with the reaction and inflammatory, and I think she's on oxygen now. They just told me to wait out here," she rushes out and I nod. 

"Okay," I breathe. "Thank you," I tell her, she nods. 

I take a seat on one of the waiting chairs outside of Hallie's room, and her teacher takes a seat next to me, Bridie relaxing in my arms. "What happened?" I ask her, she inhales before explaining. 

"I'm not exactly sure, but it was break time and I was on yard duty at the playground. One of the kids ran up to me in a panic and started dragging me saying Hallie needed help, saying she wasn't breathing. I ran over and Hallie was holding her throat and her face was all red and she couldn't breathe," she explains and I suck in a sharp breath.