It wasn’t the worst idea she’d come up with, and because of how tense things were lately, Libby was relieved the ice was starting to thaw between them. They were a long way away from where Libby wanted them to be, but this was something.
It was a step in the right direction.
Libby was willing to brave a car ride listening to Annie’s questionable taste in music while trying to hold a conversation, especially if it meant moving one step closer to each other.
Libby was in the car, fiddling with the radio, when Annie came racing out of the building, pausing to slam the door shut behind her. She glanced down both sides of the street before racing over to where Libby parked, engine idling.
“Seat belt, please,” Libby instructed as soon as the door slammed shut. “I don’t remember how to get the Bluetooth thing working, so you can take care of that if you want.”
Annie’s seat belt clicked into place, and she leaned forward.
Libby gripped the steering wheel with both hands and tried not to let her mind wander. A short while later, while Annie washumming along to her music, Falmouth Hospital emerged out of the shadows, brightly lit and distinguishable by the big billboard out front. She turned onto Bramble Road and parked across the street from the bus stop.
Then, she sat there for a few minutes, trying to reel her mind back in.
The last thing Charlotte needed was for Libby to be an emotional wreck.
After several deep breaths, she pushed the door open and got out. Annie was hot on her heels as they crossed the moonlit street and pushed the double doors open. A blast of cold air hit Libby in the face, followed closely by the smell of disinfectant.
She blinked, and a group of doctors was racing past and pulling a gurney along.
Libby stopped to ask a dark-haired, harried-looking nurse where Charlotte was, and she pointed her in the general direction of the emergency room. Annie matched her pace to Libby’s as they ventured farther into the hospital, down gray-colored halls past rooms with beeping machines and patients crying out in pain.
Finally, the floor opened into a larger room, with beds that were separated by curtains and a group of doctors and nurses clustered around a large, circular-shaped desk. Libby glanced around and breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Charlotte’s familiar voice.
When she finally found her sitting up in bed, some of the knots in Libby’s stomach loosened. Charlotte propped herself up and nearly fell off the bed when Annie threw herself at her. The two of them embraced, and Charlotte held Annie tight for a while. Eventually, Annie squirmed and drew back.
“Thank you so much for coming to see me.” Charlotte smiled and linked her fingers together. “You look good, kiddo.”
Annie waved her comment away and blushed. “Thanks, Ms. Ricker. I hope you feel better. I’m going to go find the cafeteria or something.”
Libby reached into her purse and pulled out a few bills. She handed them to Annie on her way past. Then, she turned to Charlotte, took both of her hands, and smiled.
“You scared me when you called,” Libby admitted with a frown. “But you look good. Everything is stable, right? Nothing has changed?”
“Yes, don’t worry. I should be out of here soon.” Charlotte squeezed her hands, and her smile grew softer. “You really didn’t have to come.”
“I wanted to. Why don’t I get you something to eat or drink? You must be starving.”
“I could use some tea,” Charlotte admitted. “If it’s not too much trouble.”
“One tea coming up.” Libby rose to her feet and left the ER. After a series of twists and turns, she ended up back in the hospital waiting room, where people were pressed together and talking over each other. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something and turned to it.
Annie was talking to the disheveled guy from the library.
Libby saw his hand dart out to squeeze hers, and something in her snapped. Before she knew what she was doing, she marched over to where they loitered and yanked Annie away. She stood between them and glowered at the boy as if her life depended on it.
“Libby, what are you doing?” Annie placed a hand on her arm, but Libby shook her off. “What’s going on?”
Libby bristled and pointed a shaking finger at the boy, who lost some of the color in his face. “What’s going on is that I know you’ve spent time with this boy, and I know what he’s a part of. I forbid you from seeing him again.”
If she had to drag Annie off and have her hate Libby for the rest of her life, so be it. She wasn’t going to let some boy, or anyone else, for that matter, ruin Annie’s chances of having a good, normal life.
“What are you talking about?”
Libby didn’t take her eyes off of him. “You’re here to recruit more people for your little gang, aren’t you? Well, I won’t let you. You’re going to have to find someone else.”
Her heart was beating so fast, nearly drowning out everything else.
