Page 87 of Lillian

Mercifully, I make almost every green light. As I turn into the hospital parking lot, I hear an ambulance. My eyes dart to the rearview mirror in time to see it turn into the lot as well and head straight for the emergency room entrance. I find the nearest open parking space and jump out of my car, running toward the ambulance.

An EMT pulls open the back door, and I see Lillian’s mop of blonde hair sitting in the back right away. She jumps out and waits for Grace to get wheeled out on the stretcher. The image alone is enough to stop my heart, but Grace is sitting up and talking, acting completely normal. The stretcher is probably standard protocol for an ambulance ride.

I catch up to them right as they’re wheeled into the emergency room. This hospital doesn’t have an ER waiting room, so they take her straight to a bed.

“Hey, baby,” I whisper to Lillian, giving her a kiss on her head as we both watch nurses talk to the EMTs about Grace’s vitals and other background information. When the EMTs leave, there is space on one side of Grace’s bed, so I squeeze into it.

“Linc!” she shouts, a big smile stretching across her adorable face, warming my heart.

“Hey, munchkin,” I choke out, feeling emotional at the very sight of her. “I missed you. Do you know that?” I lean down and give her a kiss, the same as her mother.

“I missed you, too.” She cheeses, leaning in and giving me a big hug that feels more akin to a feather brushing against me with her tiny arms but is her squeezing tight.

“I missed you more,” I shoot back.

“I missed youinfinity!”she yells and throws her arms out wide to show me just how much ‘infinity’ is.

“That is a lot,” I gasp, eyes wide, and tickle her ribs. As she starts to giggle, an ER doctor in a white coat walks up.

“Hey there, little miss,” the tall, willowy woman greets Grace with a welcoming smile. “I’m Doctor Kingston. I hear Grace just needs a check-up?” She directs this part to us. Lillian gives a small, half smile and nods at the good doctor.

“Good then, this won’t take long,” Doctor Kingston says, and I grab Lillian’s hand and take a step back so we aren’t in her way.

We both watch her go through a series of routine steps: blood pressure, checking her ears and throat, listening to her heart and lungs. As she’s working through her steps, Lillian leans in closer to me without taking her eyes off Grace and whispers, “I can’t do this again, Lincoln.” Her breath shudders. “It would have been better if Talia died. Another year down the road and she could take a shot at getting custody back again. I can’t…” she breaks off, choking on emotion.

“You won’t have to. I promise you that.” My words are firm, sure, as I throw an arm around her shoulder and hug her tight to me in comfort.

We stand there holding onto each other before I hear panting and the pitter patter of loud sneakers hitting the floor. Becca skids to a stop beside us, face flushed and out of breath. “Is she okay?” she huffs, looking at each of us, then the doctor and Grace.

“She’s okay,” I tell my sister, bringing her in for a hug but then scrunching my nose at the smell.

“Shut up. I ran ten freaking blocks to get here.” Her words are annoyed, but she pulls back and discreetly sniffs her pits, her own nose scrunching and making me and Lillian both laugh.

As I go to take another jab at my sister’s expense, the doctor speaks up, looking at me and Lillian. “Everything looks great. I don’t see any marks,”needle marks she means,“but the state requires me to draw a little blood and send it off to be tested before I can release her.”

Great. That gives me just enough time…

“I’m going to go get coffee while we wait. Want anything?” I ask Lillian and Becca, who both shake their heads. “Be right back.” I kiss Lillian quickly as I walk down the hallway and find the nearest nurses station that isn’t in view of the emergency room.

“Excuse me.” I get the attention of the nurse behind the desk.

The annoyance on her face at being interrupted lasts just as long as it takes for her to get a good look at me. Which, normally I might roll my eyes at, but today, I’m going to use it.

“How can I help you?” she chirps in a falsely sweet voice.

“I’m looking for Talia Wilson’s room? She was just admitted.” I do my best to give her a flirty smirk, feeling dirty for it right away.

“Are you family?” she asks, batting her eyelashes at me before typing in the name on her computer.

“I’m her brother,” I lie. But really, what will they do, check my ID?

“Room 216,” she declares after a moment. “Down this hallway and to your left.”

I flash her a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” she practically fucking purrs at me, and I last just long enough to turn away from her before the eye roll takes over.

Room two hundred and sixteen comes into view, a nurse walking out. I nod at him as I walk past and into Talia’s room.

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