Page 88 of Bloodstained Wings
Sam gingerly runs a hand over her face. “In retrospect, I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t know what I was thinking. Sorry, I startled you.”
I clear my throat. “It’s okay.”
Sam reaches into her pocket and pulls out a set of keys with a pink ball attached to them. “My car is parked around the back. I think you’re going to need it.”
I pause a little longer than necessary. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’ve got the same look on your face that I used to get when I first met you,” Sam whispers without looking at me. “I remember thinking that I wish someone would tell you that you can leave.”
I stiffen. “I’m not trying to leave.”
“Not forever,” Sam adds hastily. “Just for some fresh air and to get your bearings. I know that being cooped up can take its toll.”
“It can,” I agree after a lengthy pause. “But I also know that Carter will lose his mind if I sneak out again, and I don’t know how safe it is.”
“What he doesn’t know can’t hurt him,” Sam tells me, her gaze finally flicking over to mine. “I’ll cover for you. Just use the car to take you wherever you want to go and don’t be gone for too long.”
My hand darts out, and I pause halfway. “You’re going to get in trouble.”
“Not if they don’t know it was me.” Sam’s lips lift into a half smile. “Go before I change my mind.”
I throw my arms around her and squeeze, the smell of freesias wafting up my nostrils. “Thank you.”
“I don’t want to be a bad friend,” Sam whispers before releasing me. “I’m doing the best I can here.”
“We both are.” I take the keys from her outstretched hand and wrench the door open. “I’ll be back soon.”
Without looking back, I dart into the backyard, pressing my body to the fence as I do. True to her word, I spot Sam through the windows. She walks over to Tristan, who is closer to the window, and drapes an arm over his shoulders. She steers him away from me, and I can hear her voice spill out. A moment later, I dart across the yard and onto the neighbor’s lush green lawn. When I’m sure no one has noticed I’m gone, I circle to the back of the house, where Sam’s car is waiting.
The grey Mustang purrs to life when I turn the keys in the ignition.
I pick up a pair of Sam’s sunglasses and a scarf, and I throw it over my head. Then, I hunch down in my seat and take the familiar route away from the suburbs and toward the city. Cars and people rush past me in both directions. My phone feels heavy in my purse, and I keep glancing at it, half-expecting Carter to find a way to climb out of it and into the car.
Before I know it, I’m pulling into the hospital parking lot, a sleek grey building that I know far too well by now. I back into a spot, kill the engine, and hurry out. My movements are slow and jerky, each step filled with more guilt than the last. Once the double doors spring open, the smell of disinfectant hits me first, followed quickly by the overpowering stench of sweat and an underlying metallic odor that immediately makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise.
My shoes squeak loudly against the linoleum floors.
No one looks at me as I drift past, like a ghost, and make a beeline for the elevators. On the fourth floor, the elevator doors ping open, and I spill out, making my way down the familiar blue hallway. Nurses and doctors rush past me, their faces tight with concern. When I reach my father’s room, I’m surprised to see a large woman there, pulling a sheet over the mattress and humming to herself. With a frown, I step back and glance at the numbered plaque outside the door.
She fluffs up the pillow, straightens her back, and makes a low, startled noise when she sees me. Hastily, she yanks her earphones out and smooths out the edges of her pink shirt. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there. Can I help you with something?”
“Yeah, I must have the wrong room. I guess you guys moved him or something. I’m looking for my father—Alan Julius. Do you know where he is?”
The woman shifts from one foot to the other. “Ms. Julus, they were trying to get a hold of you. Why don’t I go get a doctor?”
She tries to scurry past me, but I block the exit and draw myself up to my full height. “Why don’t you just tell me where he is? You’re already here, and I really can’t stay long.”
Her eyes dart back and forth listlessly. “Ms. Julis, I really can’t—”
“Look, I know you’re trying to do your job, but you have no idea what I’ve been through the past few months. I really need to see my father,please.”
I’m ashamed that my voice cracks a little toward the end.
But I’m desperate for some normalcy, for some semblance of my previous life.
The woman softens and leads me to the bed. She gives me an apologetic smile. “I’ll be right back with the doctor.”
I’m looking out the window when a young-looking doctor with blonde hair comes in. He tucks a clipboard underneath his arm and clears his throat. “Ms. Julus, we did try to get a hold of you, but we couldn’t. Why don’t you sit down?”