Page 133 of Family Bonds: Carson & Laine

He couldn’t hear much more than Madelyn’s raised voice and see Laine paling.

“What’s going on?” he said. “Put it on speakerphone.”

She was shaking her head at him. “When was he brought there?” He heard more talking. “I’ll get there as soon as I can. I’ll let you know.” She turned to him and started to cry. “My father is in the hospital. He has no feeling in his left hand. Mario brought him; they are running tests and checking his heart or to see if he had a stroke.”

“Let me call Egan and see what the chances are to get a lift.”

“Hello,” Egan said.

“We’ve got an emergency with Laine’s father. What are the chances of getting a flight to Rhode Island?”

“Not anytime soon,” Egan said. “You actually caught me walking to the helicopter now. I’m heading out and won’t be back for hours. Lincoln should be landing on the island in twenty minutes, check with him to see if he has time to get youto Boston at least, but I’m positive that’s the best we can do immediately.”

“We’ll take it if we can get it,” Laine said. He had the call going through his speakers. He was going to say the same thing.

“I’ll text Lincoln to find out.”

They drove to Laine’s house. “Let’s get clothes now or anything you need and pack. What we don’t have, we buy.”

“If we can get a lift,” she said. “And then we need a car.”

“I’m sure we can,” he said. Or he was hoping. Otherwise the next ferry wasn’t for ninety minutes, then the time to get to Boston, get through traffic and drive the hour to get to her father.

“A car is the least of my worries. Someone always has one at the docks in Boston. My parents flew to the island so that means they most likely left their car at the docks.”

They parked in front of her house. She ran inside and he called his mother and told her what was going on. She said for him to take their car and not worry. He knew where the keys were kept at the docks.

Laine was in her room throwing things in a bag, some of his clothes too. Good thing he left clothes there.

“We only need enough for a day or so,” she said. “We’ll figure it out from there. You’ve got to work tomorrow. I can go alone if I need to.”

“No,” he said. “I’m going. Let’s get to the airport just in case. We should be ready.”

They ran back to his car, left, and before they made the last turn to get to the helicopter, Lincoln texted that he had enough time if they left in the next ten minutes.

He hit the gas and raced toward the helicopter. No reason to text back, Lincoln would see them coming.

“Good timing,” Lincoln said. “Get in. I just dropped some clients off and was on my way to Boston for another pickup.”

“We really appreciate this,” she said. “I’ll put a request in with Mario. Anything you want. He’ll gladly make it.”

“No worries,” Lincoln said. “Focus on your father. I’ll take you up on it another time.”

The minute they landed in Boston, she was running toward the garage where the cars were stored. “Slow down,” he said. “You don’t need to trip and fall. Let your mother know we are on the way and will be there in an hour or less at this point.”

“You’re right,” she said. “I just can’t get my feet to slow down.”

Once they were on the road, Laine called her mother back and put it on speaker. “We’re in the car and on the way. We were able to get a flight to Boston at least. Fill me in.”

“Not much to say,” her mother said. “No update. They are running tests and won’t let me in to see him.”

“Okay,” she said. “I hate that. The whole waiting game thing. What did Mario say?”

“Exactly what I told you. That your father couldn’t feel his left hand. He could move it, but not feel anything.”

“Call me with any updates,” she said. “Are you there alone?”

“Yes. Stewart is in court. I haven’t had a chance to reach him.”

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