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“I don’t know. They’re going crazy.” My scalp began to prickle. “I think something’s wrong. I gotta—”
“Inaya, donotfucking hang up. Stay on the line until you know everything’s fine.”
The moment I pushed open the door that led to my grandmother’s wing, the dogs bounded at me, still barking like crazy. I followed them into the living area and then ushered them aside. My stomach plummeted as I spotted Judy lying on the floor, her eyes closed.
Feeling the blood drain from my face, I rushed to her side. “Shit, Grams.” I dropped to my knees and felt for her pulse. It beat strong, thank God. “Kaiser, I need to go, I gotta call nine-one-one.” I didn’t wait for a response, just hung up.
Everything that happened next seemed to pass in a blur. The paramedics, the ambulance ride, the hospital, the doctors, the white doors closing behind Judy as she disappeared out of sight on a wheeled stretcher—I barely registered it all, consumed by panic, my thoughts a complete jumble.
Plopping down on a plastic chair, I stared down at the hospital tile flooring, too distracted to be irritated by the flickering of the overhead florescent lighting. My mind kept flashing back to the image of Judy sprawled out on the carpet, unconscious. I hadn’t been able to wake her while we waited for the ambulance. I had absolutely no clue what happened.
I swallowed, my throat thickening. I felt so disconnected from the world around me that every sound seemed miles away—the squeak of shoe on tile, thepingof the elevator, the murmurof voices, the whoosh of doors swinging open, the ringing of phones.
I had no real concept of time as I sat. Waited. Stared at nothing. The whole time, panic fluttered in my stomach.
A body sank onto the seat beside mine, and fingers brushed at my bangs. “Baby?”
I turned my head at the gentle, raspy word and blinked hard.Kaiser.I didn’t hesitate; I shamelessly burrowed into him, fisting his tee, the backs of my eyes burning.
I half-expected him to push me away—not that he’d have been successful, I was clinging to him like a damn barnacle and he’d just have to deal with it—but he didn’t even try. Instead, he palmed the side of my neck and nuzzled my hair.
“What happened?” he asked. “How is she?”
“I don’t know,” I rasped. “She passed out somehow. She had no injuries that I could see. The doctors said they’re going to run some tests.”
“They’ll find out what’s wrong,” he assured me.
They’d better. “I couldn’t wake her. I tried, but I couldn’t.”
“There’s any number of reasons a person might pass out. Don’t think the worst.”
It was hard not to. “I keep telling myself that it’s likely nothing serious, but my mind is still racing.”
He gave my neck a soothing, supportive squeeze.
I took in a long breath, and the scent of his cologne flooded my lungs. “How did you know what hospital she was taken to?”
“I had my publicist make a few calls. He can find out anything.”
I closed my eyes. It hadn’t occurred to me for a single moment that he would come here. Not one. I wouldn’t have thought that anything could comfort me right then, but while Ihad him so close it no longer hurt to breathe. “Thank you for coming.”
“Shut up.” It was a softly spoken order.
I looked up at him. “No. I can thank you if I want to.”
He gently nipped the tip of my ear. “I don’t need or want gratitude.”
“Tough.” It occurred to me that he was trying to distract me from worrying. And once that thought took hold, I went back to fretting. “She never looks fragile, Kaiser. Ever. But seeing her unconscious on the floor …”
He stretched out his legs. “Something tells me she’ll be mad at herself for passing out.”
A weak snicker popped out of me. “Probably.” She hated to show weakness.
Hearing excited mutterings, I kept my head still as I slid my eyes to my right. Two young girls were subtly watching us. One was holding up her phone and aiming it our way.
I felt my lips thin. “Someone’s snapping pictures of us.” I thought he might pull back. He didn’t.
“Ignore them.” The hand on the side of my neck slid around to palm my nape. “Doesn’t matter.”
