Fate's Return (Twisted Fate, Book 2)

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Not being able to see it didn't mean it wasn't there, and I felt it watching, waiting.

*****

For the next twenty minutes, I couldn't breathe. Every inhale was a choke I held onto until I felt faint, like the sound would keep me from making sure my mother continued to breathe, and each exhale gasped as it was released. She still hadn't stirred, not even to moan. My heart pounded in my ears, overriding all thought, and I couldn't look away to miss the rise and fall of her chest.

So still, so silent. My mother looked dead.

"Can't you drive faster?" I yelled without looking up. "We aren't in a school zone, Deryk!"

He looked into the backseat using the rear-view mirror just long enough so that, when I glanced up for a second, he held my gaze before once again focusing on the road. "I'm trying."

"It's Hidden Springs, not Los Angeles," I said. "It doesn't even take this long to go from one side of the town to the other, let alone to the middle."

"There's a construction detour, Aly," Suzie said, twisting in her seat to look back. "We had to backtrack."

"Just hurry." Sighing, feeling like what we were doing wouldn't be enough, I added, "Please." No need to lay blame where it didn't belong—that was my burden to bear alone.

Less than five minutes later, we pulled into the ambulance bay, and I opened the door before the car came to a full stop. "Get my mother," I called over my shoulder to Deryk, and ran to the doors on the right-hand-side, but they wouldn't open. Restricted. I slapped the glass with my palm, trying to get someone's attention.

A nurse who looked ten years past retirement came around the corner and paused. She looked to the triage desk and back to me, and then came to the other side of the door, crossing her arms over scrubs depicting dancing teddy bears.

"This is the emergency door, young lady," she said, scowling. "Vehicles aren't allowed to park—"

"This is an emergency!" I pointed behind me. "My mom—"

"Only ambulance personnel bring patients through here," she said, and pointed to my left where an identical set of doors were located not ten feet away. "That is where walk-in patients enter to register, and then take their turn."

"Take my turn?" I narrowed my eyes at her and then blew out my breath and smacked the glass. Turning, I sprinted to the other door, which opened automatically, mumbling under my breath, "Hospitals not taking a patient? Wait my turn?"

I grabbed the first empty wheelchair and turned around to go back, but Deryk appeared at the doors with my mother in his arms and Suzie at his side. He stepped forward, shifting so he wouldn't drop her, and placed her in the chair. I grabbed the handles and turned, almost running as I pushed it inside.

"I'm going to go park..." Deryk's voice faded as he left, and Suzie speed-walked with me to the registration desk.

"He doesn't mesh well with hospitals," she said, shrugging.

I rolled my eyes, opening my mouth to speak, but was interrupted before a single word escaped.

"Hospitalization number?" The nurse who wouldn't let me in looked up, smiling smugly.

"I don't have it," I said, darting my eyes to Suzie, who shrugged. "Just help her."

"We'll need identification—"

"Help her!" I repeated, gesturing to my mother's slumped form. "Can't you see she's unconscious?"

"I'm sorry, but—"