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She shrugged. “It could go either way. It depends on how severe it is, but again, we wouldn’t really be able to know.”
Sylvia nodded, going quiet for a few moments before speaking again. “My sister-in-law developed pre-eclampsia when she was pregnant with her second child. Her and the baby both survived, but they had a close call during the birth. And that was with a whole team of doctors in a real hospital.”
Saff remained silent, unsure of how to respond. She thought back to a few cases she had worked on early in her internship, each ending up fine, luckily.
They continued walking for a minute before Sylvia spoke again. “What medication is it that you need? The one you wanted to trade for.”
Saff paused for a moment, the idea of sharing details making her uneasy. “Anything you have for asthma,” she muttered reluctantly.
“For you or someone else?”
Saff glanced around at the people walking nearby. “Me.”
Sylvia nodded, then fell quiet again.
It was Saff who broke the silence next, after they’d made it to the next row of houses. “Your medical area here is set up well for not having anyone with a medical background.”
Sylvia pressed her lips into a hard line. “We did at one point, but not anymore. It’s been a while now that we’ve gone without, and it’s—It’s definitely put a strain on things,” she finished carefully.
They continued walking in silence again until they came to the row of houses that Saff recognized. Then, as they made theirway halfway down the street to the large white house with the columns in the front, Saff saw a familiar face.
“You’re lucky to have someone so persistent in your corner,” Sylvia said beside her as they turned and Maddie and her father came into full view.
Saff saw the man’s mouth move as he said something to Maddie. She instantly straightened up, grabbing the handle of her cane and standing.
“Maybe a bit too persistent,” Sylvia muttered, and the corner of Saff’s mouth tilted up in a slight smile.
Chapter twenty
Maddie drummed her fingers nervously against her cane.
She’d woken her father early that morning, hoping to intercept Sylvia before she had a chance to leave the house.
Although she’d argued with her for nearly an hour the previous night, trying to convince her to release Saff, it hadn’t done any good. But one good thing had come from it. Sylvia had promised she would meet with Saff again in the morning to try talking things through.
And Maddie would make damn sure she kept that promise.
But when they’d finally arrived at the house that morning, Sylvia had already left.
Her father had practically begged her to leave, ensuring her everything was fine and there was no need to worry. But those words did little to soothe the anxiety she felt after checking the lock up cells and realizing Saff was nowhere to be found.
And it was only then that her father seemed to come around, agreeing that they could wait there for Sylvia to return.
In the time they waited, she filled him in on more details of her time with Saff, unable to really think or talk about anything else.He listened patiently, only asking the occasional question when she paused between details.
Then, as she was about to tell him about the shooting practice she’d done, he suddenly cut her off.
“They’re back.”
She jolted upright, extending her cane out in front of her. “Saff?” she called out.
A moment later, she heard Sylvia’s voice. “Was I not clear enough last night, Maddie,” she started, “when I said that the house visits were not appreciated?”
“Yeah. Here,” Saff answered from somewhere nearby.
Her tense body instantly relaxed, hearing the safety in her voice. And it was really only then that she realized the full extent of the worry she’d felt over the past day. It was as if she’d been missing some vital piece of her own self while Saff was locked up.
She pushed that realization out of her mind. That wasn’t the right time to examine her feelings—no matter how strong they’d become.
