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I nodded, although I had another thought in mind. One that had stuck to me like a splinter. “I’d love that, but first, I want to suggest something, and feel free to say no.”
“Okay…”
“I want us to visit my friend Amelia in the hospital. I want her to meet you.”
And frankly, I wasn’t sure how much time she had left. She’d sent me a message early this morning that things didn’t seem good, that the steel had spread practically overnight. She didn’t even want me visiting her anymore, but that was out of the question.
“Madds, of course. I’d never say no to that.”
“You sure? I just don’t want to take you to a hospital after today. I don’t?—”
“What you don’t have to do is explain yourself.” Caleb took a step back and pointed to the street. “Go on, shift, Mr. Icey. I want to go for a ride.”
My chest swelled with emotion. I wanted to hold him in my arms and kiss him until he felt the love I had for him.
Instead, I went to the middle of the street and shifted.
The flight to the hospital felt longer than the flight to the canals. I hated flying here. Hated stepping through the antiseptic-scented halls, listening to the beeps of the machines and the orders from the doctors. I landed on the helicopter pad and headed down to the main floor with Caleb, where we were checked in and sent back up to Amelia’s room.
A gentle knock on her door had her looking up from the book she was reading.
My heart shattered at seeing her. Her entire left side was steel, locked into place at her side. She held her book up with her right hand. Even her face was half-steel, half-human. Her skin stretched around where the seam appeared, red and angry. But she still smiled.
It happened so fast. Fuck.
I nearly turned around. Something inside me wanted to run. I didn’t want to see my best friend like this. It was the ultimate pain. It reminded me of watching my mother burn and turn to ash. There was a helplessness to it all. It was sinister, toxic. I couldn’t keep going through this. I couldn’t. No one was built to handle that kind of pain, dragon or not.
No one.
Caleb’s hand found mine and squeezed. It was enough to pull me back into the moment. I just had to get through this.
“Amelia, hi.”
She lifted her hand and offered a weak wave. “Hi, Madds. Who’s them?”
Her mouth couldn’t open fully, causing her trouble speaking. I went over to her bedside and held the hand that could still move, hoping to all hope I could keep it together for the next five minutes.
“This is my boyfriend, Caleb. I wanted you to meet him. He’s helping me find the paintings.”
She looked to Caleb, the eye that could still see filling up with tears. I looked away, out of the window, tears spilling down my cheek but the sob getting lodged in my throat. I swallowed it down.
“He never introduced me. To anyone. You’re special.”
Caleb blinked back his own tears. “He always talks about you, Amelia. I’m so grateful to meet you.”
Grateful. What an odd word to say in a room like this, clouded by the shadow of a painful and unavoidable death. I understood what he meant, and I was grateful, too, that this union got to happen. I just fucking hated the circumstances.
“Take care of him,” she said in a way that left me unsure who she was saying that to.
“The rest of the family also wanted me to send their hellos and hugs,” I said, squeezing her hand in mine. She was so thin. If the steel didn’t kill her first, then the lack of eating might do it.
“How are they?” she asked me, still looking directly ahead. I realized it was likely difficult for her to even turn her head.
“Good, good. We’re all going to be going to the Abbey tomorrow, a family outing. It reminded me of the nights we’d spend there, some of them I can barely remember, and all I know is that they were the funnest. Fuck, I hate this so fucking much.” I bit my knuckle, the sob pushing past my throat. This was my best friend, the girl I’d known since we were in middle school together. How could this have happened? How was any of this fair?
“It’ll be okay, Madds. Okay.” Her eye started to drift shut. I realized sleep was beginning to overcome her. The last thing I wanted to do was keep her awake and miserable. I kissed the back of her hand and laid it gently on the bed. Caleb took my hand in his. A nurse came in, dressed in soft pink scrubs, asking us if we needed anything as she recorded the vitals.
