Page 85 of How to Be a Rockstar's Girlfriend

Oh no. He’s confused. “It’s me, Uncle Mercury.”

“Vega, is that you?” His eyes open but they’re clouded over. He isn’t seeing me. “Vega! It is you. My baby girl has come home.”

Who’s Vega and what do I do?

“It’s not Vega. It’s Mercy.”

“Stop being silly, Vega. And let me sleep. I’m tired.” He rolls over away from me.

I shake his shoulder. “Uncle! Uncle!”

He doesn’t respond. I continue to try and wake him but I can’t rouse him. Fear latches hold of me. Something’s very, very wrong.

I run to the kitchen and snatch my phone from the counter to phone an ambulance. I scream and shout at the emergency services until they assure me an ambulance is on the way.

I rush back to Mercury’s room. I clutch his hand. It’s warm and his chest moves up and down with his breathing, but he doesn’t awaken. Why won’t he wake up? What’s wrong? Is he dying?

By the time the ambulance arrives, my fear has grown to terror. I can’t lose Uncle Mercury. He’s my only family.

I refuse to release his hand as the paramedics prepare him for transport. Once he’s in the ambulance, I climb in with him. I am not leaving him alone.

I don’t know how long the journey to the hospital lasts. I’m too busy staring at the monitors proving Uncle Mercury is alive to pay attention. When the paramedics unload him, I start to follow.

A nurse stops me. “You can’t go with them. They need to examine him.”

I debate storming past her anyway. She can’t stop me. But I don’t want to be in the way of the doctors. They need to help Mercury. They need to figure out what’s wrong. I can’t lose him. I haven’t had enough time with him.

I pace the waiting room for what feels like hours before a nurse calls my name. I rush to the desk.

“Yes? Can I see my uncle now? How is he? What happened?”

“They’re taking him upstairs. The doctor wants him to stay overnight for observation.”

I gulp. Observation isn’t bad, is it?

“Can I see him?”

“Third floor. The doctor will meet you in his room to explain once your uncle is settled.”

“Thank you,” I blurt out before hurrying to the elevators.

Once on the third floor, another nurse directs me to the correct room. I enter to find Mercury sitting up in bed. My knees wobble as relief pours through me. He’s okay. Uncle Mercury is not dying today.

“What the hell am I doing here?”

I’ve never been so happy to hear my grumpy uncle before.

“You wouldn’t wake up. You scared the hell out of me.”

“Maybe I was tired.”

“You thought I was someone named Vega.”

He scowls and glances away. I move further into the room until I’m standing next to his bed.

“Who’s Vega?”

“My daughter.”

---