Page 109 of Finding Wonderland

It was the only thought running through Vera’s mind as she walked through the halls of the emergency room frantically looking for her little sister.

She’d gotten the call from Maddie’s mom, Monica, less than twenty minutes ago and nearly flew across town to the hospital. Vera had no clue how bad things were. What she knew was that Maddie and Walker had been in an accident and Maddie was unconscious. She also had a broken leg, and had been the one driving the car.

The last bit of information made Vera breathe the smallest sigh of relief. Monica didn’t know about Walker as they wouldn’t give her details at the hospital since she wasn’t family.

Isla had offered to go to the hospital with her, but Vera told her to stay with the kids. The kids were and would always be Vera’s first priority, and she didn’t want them to know what was going on. Not yet. There had been so much tension between Walker and Isla since the incident last summer at the Cape that Vera had done her best to keep the peace. And that had meant keeping her kids away from Walker.

Although it hadn’t been easy, Vera knew it was beyond needed. And as she was ushered into Walker’s exam room by a nurse, she could see why.

Or, rather, smell why.

Walker smelled like she'd taken a bath in liquor. She was lying flat on the bed, staring up at the gray-tiled ceiling. Her jeans were ripped, but Vera wasn’t sure if it was a fashion choice or a result from the accident. But otherwise, Walker looked fine.

“Walker,” Vera stopped a few feet shy of the bed, but Walker didn’t react to her presence. She just stared unblinking at the ceiling. “Walker, what happened?”

Vera already knew the answer. Monica had told her as much as she knew. Something had run out in front of the car and Maddie had swerved to miss it and they had wrecked. Maddie had been able to tell the EMTs that much as she came in and out of consciousness in the ambulance.

But Vera needed to hear what happened from Walker.

Because as much as Vera wanted to believe Maddie’s version of events, she had a sinking feeling that there was more to the story.

After all, Maddie and Walker had been broken up for months. Walker had been staying at their mother’s house, and as far as Vera knew it was as awful for both of them as she could imagine. But Vera wouldn’t let Walker stay at their house. Not even in the garage apartment. She had refused to get help for her drinking and Vera couldn’t support her any longer.

Even if that conversation had nearly killed Vera.

“You’re my sister,” Walker had cried as they stood on the front porch of the Mackenzie farmhouse. She had come over to apologize to Ellie for the accident in Cape Cod, but Vera refused to let her in the house “You’re supposed to support me.”

“I can’t support this, Walker. Not anymore.”

“So, you’re just going to abandon me here?”

“No. You have my number. When you’re ready to change, you call me and I will be right there. I will be by your side through rehab and recovery and whatever else you need. But this,” she gestured to Walker who was glaringly drunk, “isn’t something I can support any longer.”

“This is all because your bitch wife hates me and has made you hate me, too. You’ve changed since you’ve been with her.”

Vera gritted her teeth, putting a hand on her hips while pointing at Walker with the other. “One, my wife is not a bitch, and two, she hasn’t changed me. My kids did. They come first, Walker, and I make no apologies for that.”

“So, what?” Angry tears slid down Walker’s face, “you’re just never going to let me see them again?”

“Not until you sober up.”

The argument had ended with Walker driving away and Vera falling apart in Isla’s arms. She hadn’t seen Walker since then.

Regret fought for top emotion in Vera’s mind. She should have helped her sister, not abandon her at her lowest. Right? But Vera knew better. She had done what she did for the sake of her family. Her kids would always come first, even before her sister.

Who very obviously needed more help than Vera would ever be able to give her.

“Is she okay?”

“She’s fine.” The doctor shrugged, seemingly judging Walker. Not that Vera could blame her. She’d probably seen too many cases where the drunk ones survive without a scratch while the innocent ones are injured. “She wasn’t driving, so the police cleared her to go home. She just can’t drive.”

“What about alcohol poisoning? Do we know how much she’s drunk?”

“We don’t, which is why I’d recommend keeping her overnight for observation. Get her some fluids and help her with the inevitable hangover. If you want. The decision is yours.”

What do I want? How is this my decision? She’s not my kid.

But Vera knew their mother would skirt the responsibility of making the medical decisions off on Vera anyway. She might as well make it now. If it were any of her kids, she’d take them home. But with Walker, it wasn’t easy. Vera couldn’t—and wouldn’t—take her to the farmhouse. And judging by her mother’s lack of calling or texting, she didn’t know what had happened yet.

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