Page 380 of The First Time
"Still," I say. "Go home. Sleep. Study. I might be here a while."
Her brow furrows. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Tell you what—I'll stay another ten minutes. If you still want me to leave, I will."
I nod. It's nice having Lizzy around. Comforting.
We move back to the E.R. A doctor is talking to Blake and Fiona.
He holds strong.
She trembles.
Whatever he says must be good, because Fiona is sighing with relief.
We move closer, so we can hear their conversation.
"She's okay." Fiona nearly smiles. "She's okay."
The doctor nods. "She's sedated. You can visit in the morning."
He leans in and whispers something.
She shakes her head. The near smile falls from her lips.
"Can we see her?" she asks no one in particular.
He nods, whispers some directions, and turns back to the hallway.
I follow her and Blake to Meryl's room.
It's small. Private.
It's so much like that day three years ago.
We're separated by iron and glass.
I can see her, but I can't get close.
She's sleeping. Her heart rate monitor is steady. It's the same as Lizzy's was. It promises she's surviving.
But this time, she isn't.
My legs go weak. I clutch at Blake's arm, but, still I crumble.
He catches me and helps me to a bench. It's private. Sort of.
It's far enough away from everyone that we can talk.
He brushes the hair from my eyes.
It calms me.
It soothes every nerve in my body.
Of course it does.
