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“Did you cut yourself?” Finn asks, then looks away. He’s squeamish. I got a bloody nose during a game our sophomore year and I was worried he was going to pass out.
“I got stung by a bee.”
“Don’t be so dramatic, Kelly,” Finn says. “Just stand up and—”
“I’m allergic.”
“Howallergic?” Jordan asks.
“I dunno. I had a reaction when I was a little kid, so I’ve carried an EpiPen around ever since.”
Finn glances at me worriedly.
“Do you have it with you?” I ask.
“It’s in my gym bag.”
I jog over to the bleachers, grabbing Mark’s bag and my own. I drop Mark’s down beside him, then fish my keys out of my pocket.
“I’ll drive you to the hospital.”
“Great. I’ll be in the truck.” Finn heads toward the bleachers as Mark pulls out a cylindrical object from his bag.
Once Mark has injected himself, I help him up. He looks fine, his face flushed from exertion. Nothing looks swollen or concerning. But my steps are quick as we head for my truck. Jordan and Finn are already in the back. Mark gets in on the passenger side and I climb into the driver’s seat.
The nearest hospital is a town over. The drive takes about twenty minutes, the three of us casting worried looks at Mark until he threatens us to stop.
He still looks normal when I park in the hospital’s huge lot.
“You guys don’t have to stay,” he says. “This will probably take a while.”
“We’re not going to just abandon you here,” I say. “And hurry up. If you’re about to collapse, I’d rather you do it inside than in the parking lot.”
“Dick.” But Mark’s smiling as he says it.
We walk inside the automatic doors without incident. I was joking in the parking lot, but it’s still a relief to be inside the building. If Mark went into anaphylactic shock, I would have no clue what to do.
Jordan, Finn, and I take seats in the waiting area while Mark goes up to the window to check in.
I pull out my phone and text Cassia.
HOLDEN: How’s packing going?
“Thiswillprobably take a while,” Finn mutters beside me.
“We both know you have nothing better to do.”
Finn rolls his eyes and slouches back in the hard chair. My butt is already going numb. You’d think they’d invest in some more comfortable ones, considering how long most people have to sit here for.
“I’m gonna run to the restroom,” I say, standing and stretching. “Be right back.”
“We’ll be here,” Finn says.
I nod, then head to the right, down a hallway. It’s empty aside from one unoccupied gurney pushed against the wall. The other side is all glass windows overlooking a courtyard splashed with orange by the sinking sun.
I reach the end of the hallway, turn left, and freeze.
“Lana?”
