w a t e r s o n g

nightmare

The family was on their way to the garage when the doorbell rang.

Miranda glanced at her watch. They needed to be at the hospital in twenty minutes for the consultation, but she had a million other things on her mind. Namely, who was K? And why did Regina want to meet with him? These weren't questions she could voice to the rest of her family without confessing that she'd gone through Regina's diary, though, so she focused on what she could handle at the moment.

In any case, it wouldn't do to just ignore their visitor and pull out of the garage like they hadn't heard the doorbell ring. Families were allowed moments of grace in their most intense grief, but that was no reason to be rude. They would need to handle this, but they could do it on their way out. Whoever it was, they could wave as they backed out of the driveway, say to come by later, smile and drive away.

"Come on, come on," she waved Raph and Serena toward the garage. "We don't have time to chat with the neighbors. We'll explain on the way out."

So when the garage door opened and they backed out, pausing to close the garage, Miranda was amazed to see her best friend, Eliza, standing in front of their house. She'd thoughtfully parked on the street, not blocking them in, but she did look rather surprised to see them practically trying to escape without speaking with her.

Miranda called out the window. "How did you get here so fast?"

Eliza jogged over the car. "Didn't I tell you I'd come right away? Where are you off to?"

"The hospital." Miranda had to cut her eyes away from Eliza, who would be able to tell she was breaking inside if she looked closely enough. Not that she wouldn't already know.

"Are you okay to drive?" Eliza asked Raph, who was also barely holding himself together. Miranda saw his nose getting red like it did when he was trying to contain his tears. It was safer for him to drive than Miranda, though. Her hands were shaking so hard she felt she might tear off the steering wheel if she tried.

"Come on, let me," Eliza insisted, and Raph didn't put up a fight. Eliza had been their friend forever. Whatever got her here so fast, it was a blessing. They both gave in. Raph slid out of the car and into the backseat with Serena, who watched the transition emotionlessly. She looked like the walking dead, with huge circles under her eyes and a body thinner than ever.

"I don't understand," Miranda said. "How did you even...?"

"Hush," Eliza replied, patting her arm. "I just wish I got here earlier. When I saw your email, I arranged everything and hopped in the car, not even thinking about it. That was it. Threw some pajamas and my toothbrush in a bag and drove all the way here without stopping."

Miranda wondered, in that case, if Eliza was any better to drive than they were, but she decided she didn't care. She let herself close her eyes and rest her head against the window. When she opened them, they were at the hospital. She wasn't sure how Eliza knew which one to take them to, but she figured Raph told her while she took a few winks or she just guessed according to proximity and Google Maps.

All hospitals are hell. Miranda had been around them enough to know. Growing up, she visited her Aunt Nell there, who'd given her small containers of applesauce and jello while the staff drew blood and took notes. When someone got over the loudspeaker and announced a code blue, she'd asked her aunt what it was. Her aunt told her it meant they were out of blue jello and someone would have to run to the store, stat. She was old enough to put two and two together when she saw the doctors running down the hall and, an hour later, carting away a gurney with a large white sheet draped over it. She didn't know where they were taking the body, but she was about to find out. For the first time in her life, she was about to visit a morgue.