The rest of her words turn into awhomp, whompCharlie Brown teacher noise. Heat creeps up my neck and spreads through my body. Everything starts to shake, and my heart beats swiftly.
“What?” I ask, cutting her off as I jump up, covering my mouth with a wobbly hand. The tears return on cue. “He what?”
“He’s there now. You can check in at the main office, and they will direct you when you get here.”
“Get where?” I ask, and it feels like a silly question but I... I’m not sure I understand.
This isn’t real.”
“To the hospital. Ma’am, are you okay to drive?”
“Yes.”
“Perfect, someone will be expecting you.”
The call ends, but I just stand here, frozen with the phone to my ear. The girls surround me, and I see their lips moving but hear nothing.
Beck was in an accident. He’s not conscious. Is he in surgery? And the last…
I gasp, cupping both cheeks with my hands. The last conversation we had was a fight.
“He said he’d be back.” Everyone stops talking. “He said he’d be back, and now he’s in the hospital, and I don’t even know if he’s awake, and I need to go and what if he—” I break into sobs. Someone hugs me.
“Let’s get going.”
“I’ll call Hero.”
“I’ll call Zane.”
“I’ll call your brother.”
“He said he’ll be back,” I repeat, then as if someone slapped me, igniting the adrenaline, I pull myself together and run up the stairs to my car.
I break a lot of rules driving to the emergency room. Greer never says a word when a light turns yellow, and my foot turns to lead.
I’ve never been driven, pun intended, to get somewhere as quickly as possible. Beck left because of me. Because I was upset and wanted him to leave. All because I didn’t believe him over a book.
This isn’t what should’ve happened.
I pull up to the doors and put the car in park.
“I’ll park your car and meet you inside,” Greer says, rushing around the hood to take my spot.
“Thank you.”
“Your brother is here already, just FYI. He’s waiting for you,” Greer adds before she pulls away.
How did he make it here so fast?
The doors slide open, and the smell of bleach and fear surround me. I take a breath to pull myself together and look at the directory so I know where to go. Once I find my floor, I head for the elevator. Sure enough, Simon is right there when I get off.
“Calla, hey, they won’t tell me anything,” he rushes to say. “I called his sister and parents, but they’re in Melody and will be another hour, and the doctor and nurses won’t let me see him, and they won’t let me do anything and he’s my best friend and I just—” His head falls into his hands as he drops into the closest chair. “I can’t do anything.”
If I’m scared, then Simon is tenfold. Having lost Grey’s mom to a car wreck, I can’t imagine the way he’s feeling right now. I pat his back and take another breath. I need to be strong for him and for Beck.
“I know you said they didn’t tell you much, but what did they say?”
“That they can’t tell me anything because I’m not family.”
