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It feels pretty over to me.
Nora
My phone rings and my eyes snap open as I roll to the side and check the time. It’s noon…far later than I usually let myself sleep in, but my eyes don’t feel as heavy as they usually do.
Reaching out, I snag my phone from my night stand to see five missed calls from Kennedy. My heart dips. This can’t mean anything good. There are no texts, just missed calls. Whatever it is must be important. I call her back immediately and she picks up after the first ring.
“You need to get to the hospital,” she says by way of greeting.
My stomach clenches. “What's going on?” I ask breathlessly.
There’s shuffling in my ear. “It’s Landy. The paramedics picked her up from the studio this morning. I don’t have all the details, but some of the girls said she just collapsed in the middle of stretches this morning.” Her breathing is erratic and it sounds like she’s walking somewhere fast.
I hop off my bed and frantically scramble into some clothes while keeping Kennedy on speaker phone. “Where are you now? Do you need me to get you?”
“No, I’m already at the hospital, but they won't let anyone back there until she’s stable or something. Just get here asap. Some of the girls and I are in the ER waiting room, but hurry.”
I grunt as I stuff my feet into my trainers and snag my keys off my desk. I don’t even bother to grab my bag on my way out. Luca is coming out of his bedroom with confusion on his face, he looks around, eyes landing on my hurried state.
“Nora, what’s wrong?” he asks worriedly.
I shuffle past him, my shoulder knocking into his. “I don’t have time for this—I need to go!”
I run into the kitchen where Mom and Carson are sitting around sipping coffee. My mom’s eyes widen at the tears streaking my cheeks. “Honey! What’s wrong?” She stands and tries to make her way to me, but I just keep moving toward the garage.
“Landy’s in the hospital, I gotta go now!”
She gasps and clutches her hands to her face, eyes glittering. “Oh, no, baby! Go on and take the Jeep. I'll be down there in just a bit,” she tells me but I’m already closing the door behind me.
My mind is whirling. My heart races as I back the Jeep out of the drive and race my way into town. I’m breaking speed limit laws, but all I can think about is Landy. All I can picture are her kind, squinted eyes and easy smile. She’s such a strong lady and deserves longer than the time she’s been given.
Pulling up at the hospital on the other side of town, I hop out of the car, barely putting it in park before running through the front doors of the ER and frantically searching for anyone I recognize. I make it to the admitting nurse. “Excuse me, I’m here to see Landy Mattingly.”
The nurse’s mouth turns downward and pity shines in her eyes. “I’m sorry, hun, but she’s in emergency surgery right now. You can have a seat in the waiting room, but I don’t know how long it will take.”
My stomach rolls, but I find myself nodding absently. Soft hands land on my shoulders and I turn around only for Kennedy to pull me into her arms. That’s when the waterworks break free. She hugs me tightly as I bury my face in her shoulder and sob. Her shoulders are shaking, too. She may not have known Landy as well as I do, but they were well acquainted and Landy quickly made herself a fixture in this small town.
“Shh, shh—it’s gonna be okay,” Kennedy coos, lips brushing the top of my head and I hold on for dear life. I’m not okay. Nothing about this is okay. “Lets go sit down and wait this out, ‘kay?”
I nod, lifting my face from her shirt and wiping the tears and snot off on the sleeve of my sweater. We walk into the waiting room where I’m suddenly accosted by five teenage girls who Landy and I have been teaching for the last two months. They hug and squeeze me, tears shining in their eyes. Some of them have parents here, too, and they sit in scattered groups, murmuring quietly to one another.
We take our seats in some uncomfortable, questionably-smelling chairs and try to look like we have our shit together. I’m glad I lost it in the admitting lobby instead of in front of these girls. I may only be only a handful of years older, but I know they look up to me.
We wait for a couple of long hours before anyone comes in from the back to give us an update. A harried-looking nurse in a pair of mint-green scrubs walks into the room, searching through a sea of faces. Landy has no family, so really there’s nobody to claim responsibility for her wellbeing. I stand up and walk to the nurse myself. Kennedy squeezes my hand as I pass. The sliding doors open and my eyes flit that way only to widen as Luca, River, and Jax walk in with my mom and Carson on their heels. My breath catches as a swell of emotion gets caught in my throat.
“Are you family?” the nurse asks and I nod absently, hoping she doesn't press me for more information than that..
“You can follow me back,” she prompts. She turns and I follow behind her through the ER double doors.
We wind through a series of sterile hallways, coming to a room on the right-hand side. She stands aside for me to enter and pats my shoulder gently. Holding my breath, I make my way inside only to fight a choked sob at the sight in front of me. Landy lays there on the hospital bed, bald as the day she was born and as pale as a sheet. Tubes stick out of her nose and her chest rises and falls with a barely-there rattle.
My steps are slow as I approach the bedside. Everything about her looks frail—like it’s taking every ounce of her energy to take a single breath. My eyes flicker to the heart monitor by her head. It beeps steadily, but something tells me the sound of it will keep me awake for the foreseeable future.
I take a seat at her bedside and stare at her ashen face. Landy’s skin looks paper thin, no longer slathered in that bright makeup she loves to wear so much. I almost don’t even recognize her.
A sob finally rips from my lips and tears stream down my cheeks again as I grasp her hand in mine and place my forehead on her arm, careful to avoid any of the IV tubes sticking out of her raised veins. The smell of sickness wafts around me, caging me in and making every breath a labor.
“I’m so sorry this is happening to you,” I whisper, sniffling through my tears. “You don’t fucking deserve this.”
