The hospital was five miles from Blue Lake. They thought that they weren't going to make it in time. Both of them had tears in their eyes, but they didn't let it show.
Once they arrived, Adam jumped out of the car, carrying Hadley, whose heart was beating wildly and uneven in her chest. He had never been more terrified in his life.
He ran into the ER, shouting for help. Doctors ran out with stretchers, and took Hadley from him.
"Sh-She can't breathe," He said, trying to reach her.
The doctors whisked her away into another room. Adam tried to follow, but a nurse stopped him. Bridget had arrived, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Bridget's POV
Adam couldn't be still. He would pace around in the waiting room like a caged tiger, and then sit in one of the chairs, biting his lip. He would get up and continue to pace. Meanwhile, I had my head in my hands, trying to block the flow of hot tears.
Adam suddenly whipped around to me. On his face was an expression I had never seen before.
He was furious.
"How could you not know about her allergy?!" He snapped. "I did!"
I couldn't stop the tears then. "I-I don't know. I'm scared too. I don't know how to take care of someone. I-I'm new at this."
I had never taken care of a child. I didn't know how to be a parent. I was only twenty-four.
Adam's expression softened after he realized what he said. He sat down next to me.
"It should be me in the hospital bed," I whimpered. "Not Hadley."
"No, Bridget," Adam said. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled. I'm just...really scared. I forgot how much pressure you're under right now."
I didn't say anything. I hand my head in my hands, red hair streaming down, trying to touch the floor.
A nurse came into the room. "Are the parents of Hadley Carter here-"
Adam and I both jumped up and ran to her. Adam was practically shaking.
"You are her parents?" She said, looking at both of us.
Adam and I both looked at each other. "No," He said. "She's her guardian. I'm a friend."
The nurse nodded calmly.
"What happened? Is she alright?" He asked.
"Yes, Mister..."
"Young."
"Mr. Young, she's going to be alright." We both sighed a breath of relief. She was going to be fine.
"We have her on medication. You're welcome to come and see her-" The nurse began, but we both started running down the hallway. The nurse briskly followed.
Hadley was hooked up to several cords and had an IV line in her arm. She was sleeping. It hit me how overwhelmingly young she looked, dozing in the hospital bed.
Adam sat down in one of the chairs quietly, his mind lost in thoughts. Hadley's eyes fluttered open.
We both kneeled down next to her. Adam smiled and whispered: "How are you feeling?"
"Like a million dollars." She whispered back, hoarsely laughing. She looked him in the eyes. "I missed you." She tried to take his hand, but was restricted by the IV line. Adam took it.
"We both missed you." He replied. She looked over at me, as if she had just noticed my presence.
"Hadley, I'm so sorry." I whispered.
"It's alright. You didn't mean it."
"Do you want me to run home and get something for you?" I asked, knowing that she probably wanted to be alone with Adam.
"No. Both of you can stay." She whispered back. She yawned. In a matter of minutes, she was asleep again. Adam kissed her forehead.
The nurse pulled me aside. "We took an X-ray, and it appears that she has pneumonia. She had some trouble-breathing, and that made the allergic reaction worse. We have medication available that we can give to you."
"She has water in her lungs?" I said, more to myself than to her. "Um...I'll be happy to sign for the medicine, but I need to talk to Mr. Young for a moment."
The nurse nodded and left the room. I went to Adam.
"Is there something you would like to tell me about, Adam?" I asked. He bit his lip. "Did something happen at the lake this morning?"
He looked at me for a long time, and then nodded. He proceeded to tell me what happened at the lake.
"Adam! This is something that you were supposed to tell me!" I harshly whispered.
"She didn't want me to!"
"It was a hazard to her safety!"
He looked defeated. "I'm sorry. I was just so caught up in everything..."
I looked down at the ground, suddenly very tired.
I signed all of the paperwork, and got the medicine for Hadley. They wanted to keep her overnight, just for precautions.
I laid in one of the chairs and closed my eyes. Adam must have thought I was asleep, because he put his jacket around me. But in reality, I was lost in thoughts.
Hadley Carter was one of the most interesting people I'd ever met. She was only fourteen, and she had been through so much more than I had in my entire lifetime. She was wild and independent, but yet sometimes she just wanted to be calm and quiet. She and Adam were opposites, but I had never seen to people so happy together. She could be brave and face everything by herself, but sometimes all she wanted was for someone to hold her and tell her it would be alright.
Hadley was the most fearless person I'd ever met.
"
