Page 46 of For Dear Life

“I need to visit the emergency room,” I say and show my teeth in a smile.

“What’s wrong with you?” she asks and looks me up and down.

“I’m not sure. There are many theories.”

The woman sighs and taps her keyboard. “Why are you here?”

“To visit a friend. In ER. He collapsed and foamed at the mouth. Blood also leaked from his ears. An ambulance collected him from the arcade; therefore, he must be here. Oz. Take me to him.”

“Violet,” whispers Rowan. “Let me.” He attempts to make his way between me and the screen.

The woman looks up. “Are any of you immediate family? No? Then, no.”

Ugh. I do not have time for that many nos. Fixing my eyes on the woman’s unimpressed ones, I wind her thoughts around my mental fingers—ones filled with rather rude opinions about me “You should let—” A slicing white pain slashes my own mind and I clutch my temples. “Rowan!”

“Mind control is illegal,” comes his voice beside my ear.

“And in this case, necessary,” I growl.

The woman beckons at someone behind us. “Come forward,” she tells them.

I’m forced to move to one side as a sweaty-faced young human man shoves a wheelchair almost over my feet, which contains a woman with a contorting face who’s holding her overlarge stomach, face also perspiring.

“Not here!” she yells at the pale man, whose hands shake on the handles.

Then the curly-haired woman makes such an appalling noise that I hastily back away. “I never touched her!” I protest.

Rowan snorts a laugh and I protest again as he pulls me aside to allow the man to speak to the woman behind the screen. I stride over to Leif, who waits close to the exit on the off chance Oz makes a miraculous recovery and leaves via this route.

“Why didn’t you go through into the ER?” he asks.

“Violet,” answers Rowan, with an entirely too weary tone for a guy who’s spent so little time in my company tonight.

I suck on my teeth and again step aside as the doors to the hospital open. A guy limps by, a blood-stained, makeshift bandage wrapped around his leg, and he joins the strange fray ahead of us.

The large woman continues to yell at the man about his level of stupidity and that once this is over she intends to do unpleasant things to him. I’m not known for my gratitude, but this man accompanied her to the hospital when needed, and therefore deserves thanks and not threats.

“That woman radiates excruciating pain. She’ll definitely enter the ER. We could sneak in after her?” I suggest.

“Violet. She’s having a baby, and the father brought her to the wrong part of the hospital,” says Rowan.

I recoil. “Oh. Ugh. I’ve seen that on a show. She won’t lie down and produce the thing here, will she? That will make an unpleasant amount of mess, and more than a mop would be needed.”

“Violet,” urges Rowan. “Why do you have to be so loud?”

The horrific pain radiates from the woman despite her dropping back into silence. “That is another reason I’m not interested in a sexual relationship with you, Rowan,” I announce and point. “Look at the result.”

Leif snorts as Rowan drags me closer and through the exit. “Again, loud voice, Violet.”

The doors swish closed behind us and the breeze ruffles Rowan’s hair.

“Sounds like you need a chat with your mother about certain things,” says Leif with a throaty chuckle.

I narrow my eyes. “Do you still heal quickly, Leif?”

His laughter instantly stops. “Alright, I’m sorry for teasing.”

“No. Can I bite you?”

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