Page 61 of In All My Dreams

Or at least it would be if that incessant buzzing would stop.

My eyes fly open.

Georgia’s sleeping form is nestled in right next to me. I reach over and brush a stray strand of hair out of her face. Her lips are parted as she sleeps peacefully next to me, looking beautiful as ever.

I turn my head toward the buzzing sound again and see my phone on the nightstand on her side. Shifting slowly and carefully, I move myself out of her grip and quietly make my way to the other side of the bed when the buzzing finally stops.

Grabbing my phone, I see that the hospital has called four times. That can only mean one thing. And it’s never good.

My blood ices over as I look at Georgia.

Do I wake her? Or do I let her enjoy one last night of peaceful sleep before I have to tell her that her father may be gone already?

My phone buzzes in my hand again. I race to grab my discarded jeans, thankful we managed to keep our mess of clothes in a somewhat tidy fashion. I place a chaste kiss on her cheek and race out of the room as quietly as possible.

“Hello?” I whisper into the phone, pulling the rest of my clothes on as I stand half-naked in the hallway.

“Dr. Foster?” I recognize the voice immediately, and my heart starts to beat normally again. If Link was dead, they wouldn’t have a nurse calling me nonstop.

“Yes, this is me. What’s wrong, Olivia?”

“I’m sorry to disturb you, but Mr. Harris has been insistent that you get here as soon as possible,” Nurse Olivia says, an obvious annoyed tone in her voice. “And before you ask why, he won’t tell me.”

I peek into Auden’s room and see that she’s still fast asleep. Horton peers up at me and lets out a silent meow of protest before snuggling back into her side.

“Okay, but nothing is wrong?” I ask Olivia as I make my way down the creaky staircase.

Olivia scoffs. “I mean, he may or may not be my most annoying patient on the floor. But nothing is technically wrong, other than he’s a patient here because he did have a heart attack mere days ago.”

“But he needs me there right now? It’s three in the morning, Olivia.” I sigh into the phone. “Did something happen? Any new visitors?” I ask as I grab my keys from my jacket pocket by the back door. What could have prompted this sudden need for me to be there?

“He did have a visitor earlier, right after visiting hours ended. They insisted they speak to him and wouldn’t take no for an answer. I assumed you knew about it,” Olivia replies.

I step out into the night, surrounded by the cacophony of wildlife here at Crane. The loud chirps of the crickets, the hoots of the owls hunting for their next meal in the distance, the croaking symphony of the frogs who reside near the lake.

“Who was the visitor?” I ask as I get into my car, letting the phone auto-connect to wireless.

Olivia’s voice cracks inaudibly over the car speakers when she answers.

“I’m sorry, can you repeat that?”

“Urg. Just get here, and you can talk to him yourself,” Olivia practically growls, her patience clearly gone as she hangs up on me.

I look up into the dark windows of the manor before I back the car out. I swear, I see something move in Auden’s window, but when I look again, there’s nothing there.

Ten minutes later, I’m walking into the brightly lit hospital. It may be three in the morning, but a hospital never truly sleeps.

Death and illness have no scheduled timeline.

My footsteps echo loudly as I make my way toward the nurses’ station. I see Olivia scowling at her desk. Her gray-streaked hair is pulled back into the messiest of buns while her heart-printed scrub top is stained with something. Coffee, I think.

“Olivia,” I greet her cooly.

She jumps up from her seat. “Dr. Foster! You’re finally here, good. This way, please.”

“Olivia, I know how to find his room, and it’s been ten minutes. Why don’t you go grab a cup of coffee? I know how swapping to nights makes you even more joyful than usual,” I say with a smirk. Olivia is always a pain, but night shift kicks everyone’s ass.

“Bless you, Dr. Foster. I had a patient earlier come running out of her room and collided with me as soon as I stepped out of the elevator with my cup of coffee,” she says in a rush before she points down at the stain on her scrub top. “And let me tell you, the coffee they serve downstairs is hot as hell. Nothing like that lukewarm gutter water from the vending machine.”

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