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“Anything we can do?” he asks, his expression lined with worry.
I shake my head, not fully trusting my voice. I hate to leave them with nothing, though, so I say, “It’s my niece. She’s at the children’s hospital in St. Louis.”
“Let us know what’s going on when you can,” he says.
“I will.”
Katz grabs my bag from Maverick and follows me as I bolt off the bus.
“Private or commercial?” he asks as we run toward the main terminal.
“Whatever gets me there fastest.”
Once we get inside, I call Kylie back while Katz looks into flights for me.
“Hi,” she says in answer, sounding emotionally wrung out.
“Hey, I’m so sorry, I was on a plane. What’s going on?”
“We’re at the children’s hospital, like I told you in the voice mail. They’re running a bunch of tests and Mom and I are in a waiting room.”
I run a hand through my hair, pacing back and forth.
“They don’t have any idea what’s going on?” I ask.
“Not really. Their best guess is that she has an infection, but it could be viral, bacterial, parasitic, or fungal.”
“Jesus Christ. It came on so fast.”
“She was fine yesterday evening.” Kylie’s voice is high as she holds back tears. “And then she was throwing up on the way to the hospital and she didn’t have the strength to even stand up. I had to carry her in.”
I close my eyes, feeling like I’m living in a nightmare. Katz signals me from about twenty feet away.
“I’m on my way,” I tell Kylie. “Stay strong and I’ll be there soon, okay?”
“Okay.”
I don’t know if she hangs up first or I do, because all I’m focused on is Katz, who is racing over to me.
“We can get you on a flight that leaves in twenty-five minutes, but there’s a ninety-minute layover.”
“No.”
He nods. “I figured, so I also put in a call to the owner of the Tampa team. He has his own plane, you know. He’s waiting for us to call and said he’ll fly you there himself if you need him to.”
I choke up from the kindness of Mason Gilbride’s offer. He’s a billionaire. Made all his money in the tech industry. I’ve never met him before, but understand that hockey is a brotherhood we’re all part of, even if we’re on opposing teams.
“That would be amazing,” I tell Katz. “My niece is in a coma and I have to get there as quickly as I possibly can.”
He makes the call, and within an hour, I’m thanking Katz for his help and boarding Mason Gilbride’s plane with him. In jeans and a T-shirt, the gray-haired Gilbride looks like any other regular guy off the street—I’d never have guessed he’s a multibillionaire.
I resist the urge to drink, even a small one to calm my nerves, because even though I’m stressed, I need to be clearheaded when I get to the hospital. So instead of drinking alcohol, I settle for iced tea, the caffeine not helping my nervousness.
Jasmine is so young. So small and fragile. She’s always been very healthy, so this feels like a major curveball. I need to be a solid, calming presence for Kylie and our mom, no matter how panicked I feel inside.
The flight feels like it lasts forever, but we finally touch down in St. Louis, and I thank Gilbride profusely once we’re on the ground.
“Seriously, it means the world to me,” I tell him.
“I’m glad to do it,” he says as he shakes my hand. “Nothing’s more important than family. If I can help with anything else, let me know. Katz has my number.”
“Thanks.”
As soon as we get the plane door open, I run down the stairs and meet the driver that Katz arranged to pick me up. I couldn’t have done this without his help. Once Jasmine is healthy again and I’m back home, I’ll have to find a meaningful way to thank him.
Once I’m situated in the car, I text Kylie that I made it to St. Louis and I’m on my way to the hospital. She replies almost instantly and tells me the doctor is about to update her on Jasmine’s diagnosis. I close my eyes, wishing I was there already.
Traffic’s not terrible, but we hit each and every red light. The dread starts to creep up my spine. What if she’s not okay? What if she doesn’t live? After what happened to Eric, I can’t even wrap my mind around Kylie losing Jasmine, too. But I steel myself, because no matter what, I have to be her rock.
We finally arrive at the hospital and I thank the driver as I get out of the car. I navigate the hospital, looking for the floor Kylie said Jasmine’s room is on. I turn into a private waiting area and spot Mom and Kylie. I clear my throat and they both look up at the same time. Kylie’s eyes lock onto mine and she bursts into tears as she jumps up and runs into my arms. Mom walks over to tell me what the doctor said.
