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“Okay...?” God, was this man going to make me pull the reason for his call out of him?
“She said she wanted you to know that the squad just took Larry to the hospital.”
“What?” I asked, gasping as my heart started racing. I sat straight up in my chair. “Oh, my God. What happened?”
I opened the top drawer of my desk, grabbing my keys and standing.
“I’m not really sure. Someone found him in the stairwell, short of breath and having chest pains.”
“Oh, my God,” I said again, closing my laptop and rushing down the hall toward the elevators. “Is he okay?”
“Again, I’m not really sure,” he repeated, sounding annoyed. “I just said I’d call you.”
“Well, do you know what hospital they’re taking him to, Benny?” I asked, sounding like a dick but too freaked out to care. “Does Rose?”
“UNMC,” he said. “But I’m not sure—”
“Thank you.”
I disconnected the call just as Max texted:I don’t want to beg but I’m already on my knees and will provide video proof if you don’t believe me.
I blinked fast and texted as I walked,I just got a call that they’re taking Larry to the ER for shortness of breath and chest pains.
Max:He’s going to be fine, Steinbeck. You okay to drive or do you want me to pick you up?
I was light-headed as I texted,I’m okay, and I literally sprinted to the elevators.
Max:What hospital?
I pounded on the lobby button as the elevator took an eternity.
Me:UNMC.
Max:Drive safe. I’m on my way.
—
“Larry?” I said quietly, sitting down on the physician stool in the ER exam room and wheeling it next to the bed. Larry’s eyes were closed, and he looked pale and weak—old—which terrified me. I realized, as I raced across town to get here, that he actuallywasmy best friend.
I glanced at the blue machine he was attached to, and it appeared that his blood pressure and oxygen levels were relatively normal.
So at least there was that.
“Soph?” he whispered, his eyes fluttering open.
“It’s me, loser,” I said, grabbing his hand and holding it between mine, biting my lip so I wouldn’t cry. “How are you feeling?”
“Where’s Julian?” he asked, his eyes moving behind me.
“No idea,” I replied. “Are you comfortable?”
“Listen, I heard your fight last night,” he said, his voice breathy and hard to understand. I scooched a little closer to better hear him. “And you’re acting like a child.”
“What?” I whispered, not wanting to upset him, buthehad been the one to gooffabout Max warning the bride. He’d been the one to tell me it was the “dickest of all dick moves.” I loved that he wanted to spar, even when he was weak, but he needed to save his strength. I said, “Maybe we should talk about this later.”
“I don’t know how much time we’ll have,” he said, and a knot formed in the pit of my stomach. Did that mean something? Had he already been given a prognosis? His face blurred in front of me as I tried blinking the tears away, and he said, “So listen to me now, okay?”
I nodded and squeezed his hand. “Okay.”
