“Yes, she was brought into the E.R.” The receptionist confirmed.
“Right, so are you going to tell me where she is, so I can see her?” Cara asked her patience non-existent.
The receptionist lifted her head and eyed Cara. “Are you family?”
Cara snarled. She knew the way shit worked in hospitals. It didn’t matter how close you were to the patient, if you weren’t labeled family, you were shit out of luck. She didn’t have time for nonsense and minor details like, relations. “Of course I’m related.” She lied. “Now are you going to tell me where she is?”
“How are you related?” The receptionist asked skeptically.
“I’m her damn mother!” She reached over the counter and grabbed the registrar. “You want to know my blood type too?” Cara asked as she browsed the list of names, finding Ava’s. She dropped the book back onto the counter and as a nurse exited the E.R. Cara, hurried to catch the doors before the door locked and stormed in.
“You need to present I.D.!” The receptionist hollered after her as she hurried into the E.R., the automatic doors locking behind her. Cara knew she didn’t have much time before the witch followed her or called security, so she frantically searched, pulling back curtains as she made her way through the E.R.
“Sorry…” She said when she walked in on a nurse giving an enema to a man. “Shit…” She closed her eyes at her choice of words and pulled the curtain closed. She shook the image from her head and focused. “Ava? Luke?!” She called out before spotting Leah staring at her as if she was crazy. Leah was leaning against the nurse’s station writing something in a patient’s chart when Cara came to a skidded stop in front of her. “Where are they?”
Leah opened her mouth to answer when security called out from behind Cara.
“Stop that woman!” Said the overweight security guard panting as he ran to catch up to the Nurse’s station.
“Fuck!” Cara blurted out and ran her fingers through her hair. Yep, this was shaping up to be the worse day ever. She was exhausted and emotionally drained. She was probably going to sleep for a month. She looked at Leah, shit, she’d grovel if she had to. “Leah, please? They won’t let me see her.”
Leah stared at her for a moment before lifting her head to look at the security guard who was on the verge of a heart attack, trying to catch his breath. “What seems to be the problem here?”
“This woman, stormed passed reception claiming to be some kid’s mother and not showing any of the proper…” He gasped trying to catch his breath. “… Identification.”
“Well, I can vouch for her.” She diverted her eyes to Cara’s. “She’s who she says she is.”
“Thank you.” Cara breathed a sigh of relief.
“She’s right in there…” Leah said, pointing to a curtain drawn cubicle.
Cara didn’t hesitate and started to walk in the direction she had pointed to.
“Cara?” Leah called.
“Yeah?” She asked.
“Take care of them…” Leah said before turning her back to Cara. Cara looked at her for a moment, watching as she escorted the security guard back towards the lobby doors. Her fingers grasped the curtain and she pulled it back in one swift motion. Luke’s eyes slowly lifted from Ava’s and surprise flickered in them as they met Cara’s.
“Cara…” Her name came out as a whisper. Ava turned her head and looked up at Cara, her eyes hopeful until they settled on Cara’s.
“Stay still sweetie, we’re almost done.” Dr. Meyers said.
Cara met Ava’s stare and smiled softly before walking to her bedside and standing beside Luke. She swallowed against the lump in her throat as Ava stared at her, the little girl looking at her as if she was a figment of her imagination.
“Cara I broke my wrist.” She said miserably.
“I know baby. I know.” She leaned down and kissed her cheek softly. “Stay still so the doctor can finish and we can take you home.” She glanced over her shoulder at Luke. He stared at her with a blank expression masking his handsome face. “Hi.” She whispered as her eyes found his.
“Hi…” He whispered hoarsely. There was so much he wanted to say, yet he couldn’t form a single word. He just stared at her in awe. God, did he miss her. She broke their gaze and turned back to Ava.
Cara glanced down noticing Ava and Luke’s joined hands, slowly, she placed her hand over theirs and squeezed slightly, uniting them.
Chapter Twenty Eight