It took three days for Zaira to gather her thoughts, shake things off, and finally head back to Nanowin. She’d done a lot of thinking during her time in the cave and had come up with a single statement. Hers had been a wasted life. She was older than dirt and had done nothing but hide. That statement alone weighed on her. But, Rushka had given her a ladder to climb out of her pit 300 years ago. It was time for her to stop kicking at the bottom rung and climb.
But the climb wasn’t going to be easy. She’d accumulated a bag of rocks which her heart and mind struggled to get rid of despite knowing they were useless. So, she’d set some smaller targets to hit once she got back to her house. She would not go see the Rosses immediately and she would lock all the doors to prevent any surprise visits from Hannah. This would allow some time to settle back into her home. She decided she would go to Refuge to find a daycare for Callie to get them out of the house and get herself used to people. She’d need to do it sooner or later anyway. Despite Zaira’s lingering concerns about the exposure to non-humans, the impromptu fireball from Callie eliminated the possibility of a human daycare. Speaking of which, she only had fire extinguishers. She would need to stash more around the house. Zaira was grateful to have had the wood treated and fireproofed. She would then invite Hannah over.
But of course, you make plans, and the gods throw a rock at you… Or something like that.
She spotted the flashing lights in the darkness before spotting any other feature. Blues and reds painted the street and Zaira felt her throat close. She needed to see what was going on.
Zaira landed in her backyard and threw up her human glamours. She adjusted the baby carrier and made sure Callie was still asleep before breaking out into a jog. An ambulance was parked in front of the Rosses’ home and a few figures were moving about.
As she approached, she caught a glimpse of Ryan being loaded into the ambulance on a stretcher. Hannah was standing a few meters away, crying, hand over her mouth, as she watched her husband disappear inside the vehicle. Arthur had his arms loosely around her in a comforting gesture. He was staring at the pavement, his face blank.
“What happened?”
At the sound of her voice, Hannah left Arthur’s side and nearly ran to Zaira. She wrapped her arms around her and sobbed into her shoulder. Zaira stiffened at first before returning the hug in earnest.
Between sobs and heavy breaths Hannah managed to say; “You know… he hadn’t been feeling well… He went to bed early… I went to give him some water before getting ready for bed and… And he wouldn’t wake up!”
Zaira held Hannah as she continued to cry. She prayed Hannah meant asleep, not dead.
“We’re heading to Nanowin General.” The driver shouted at them as he climbed into the ambulance before driving off.
Hannah pulled out of the embrace and looked at Zaira sadly. “Can you drive me to the hospital please dear?”
“Of course.” Zaira did not hesitate.
“Don’t bother.” Arthur interrupted. “Mother, she has a little kid at home. I’ll drive you.”
“But…” Hannah started arguing, looking between her son and the woman she had come to see as a daughter.
“Come on mother. Let’s go join Father.” Arthur put his arms on his mother’s shoulders and gently led her to the car.
“I can still drive. Callie won’t be a bother.”
“It’s alright.” Arthur dismissed her as he settled his mother into the car and walked to the driver’s side. “Let the baby sleep. We will update you in the morning.”
“But I want–” The car door slammed shut. “To come.”
Arthur drove away.
Zaira ground her teeth. She was upset. And surprised at how upset she was. She was very worried about Ryan and hurt at being left behind. If Hannah had been in a better mindset she would have complained, but as it was Zaira was left standing in the Rosses’ driveway. She shook herself out of it. Arthur probably just didn’t realize how much his parents meant to her. She didn’t realize how much the Rosses meant to her.
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In any case, Zaira was getting to that hospital tonight. She took flight.
She landed in a quiet nook between two of the hospital’s wings. She was surrounded by dumpsters, which gave her some cover, but she needed to move before someone came to throw out some trash, or smoke. Zaira hid her wings and double-checked her other glamour spells before walking around one wing to the front of the building. Almost every window was dark, even the front entrance was dim. Thankfully it wasn’t locked but it was clear visiting hours were over. Being a small-town hospital, she didn’t even think there was much medical personnel around at this time of night either. Hopefully, the emergency medical staff on the night shift was competent.
“Excuse me?”
The receptionist at the front desk jumped at the sound of her voice and quickly put down whatever he was using to occupy himself.
“I’m sorry. Visiting hours are over.”
She hesitated before speaking, she didn’t think the truth would get her far.
“My father was brought in by ambulance a short while ago. I was wondering if you could tell me where to find him.”
“Your father? What is his name?”
“Ryan Ross.”
“And yours?”
“Zaira Ross.”
The receptionist jotted a few notes down.
“He is in room 103 in the critical care room.”
“Where is that?”
He pointed behind him. “Walk straight to the main hallway, it’s the larger one, then turn left. It will bring you to the critical care wing.”
“Thank you.”
Zaira walked past the reception desk, past a seating area, gift shop, and small cafeteria to a larger hallway. She turned left, and the large hallway was lined with darkened non-emergency clinics. Eventually, she came to a dividing door labeled critical care wing. If her intuition was correct, were she to cross this wing she would find the emergency room, but she didn’t have to go that far, room 103 was the second door on the right.
The door was open. She could see Ryan lying in the bed, pale, he had an oxygen tube under his nose. His breathing was labored, but he was breathing. Hannah was holding his hand, seated at his side, looking down. Arthur was standing off to the side, leaning on the wall, arms crossed, lost in thought.
Zaira knocked lightly and entered the room. Hannah immediately reached out for her and Zaira obeyed, giving the distraught woman a hug.
“What are you doing here?”
Zaira turned to Arthur with a frown.
“I told you I wanted to come.” She waved him off and looked back to Hannah. “Do they know what is going on with him?”
“No.” She sniffed. “He had a seizure in the ambulance… They say he may have had one in bed too.”
Zaira sighed and looked at Ryan. Maybe someone had brought home a bug from the city?
“Let’s hope they figure it out soon.”
“How did you get here?”
Zaira looked at Arthur once more, resisting the urge to sneer at him. “Taxi.” She lied.
“How did you get in?”
“What does it matter? I’m here to help.”
Arthur nodded curtly.
“I should call Julian.”
Zaira squeezed Hannah’s shoulder as she walked past. She moved to touch Ryan’s hand. It was chilled. She squeezed a couple of his fingers, avoiding disturbing the IV lines, and wished him well.
She settled against the wall opposite Arthur. Both staring into space. Until Zaira heard quiet sniffling coming from the hallway. She ducked out of the hospital room and found Hannah sitting on one of the blue-green hospital chairs, near a payphone. Zaira knelt beside the elder and took her hand in hers which caused the woman to cry more forcefully than she had been. The cries echoed in the empty hallways. Zaira shifted, not really knowing what to do, save hold on to Hannah. The crying did eventually die down.
“Did you speak to Julian?”
“I…” Hannah sponged her eyes with a tissue. “Left a voicemail.”
“Good. What are you planning on doing tonight?”
“I need to stay with him.”
“Alright, let me see what I can find to make that hospital chair more comfortable.”
Zaira stood and went to find a couple pillows and a blanket for Hannah. It was going to be a long night.
Zaira padded along the hallways. She found a larger padded chair in an empty room. She swiped it, a couple of pillows and a blanket before returning as quietly as possible to Ryan’s room. She was glad the hallways were empty; the chair was awkward to carry, and she wasn’t exactly inconspicuous with her stolen goods.
“Oh, thank you, dear.” Hannah stood from the chair she was on and gave Zaira enough space to replace it with the new chair.
Zaira placed a pillow behind her back and the other on the floor if needed, then covered Hannah in the blanket.
Hannah took Zaira’s hands in hers as she finished tucking the elder in.
“Thank you.” Their eyes met and Hannah’s teared up.
“Of course.” What else could Zaira do? She wasn’t a doctor.
Hannah pulled her hands away to wipe at her eyes and Zaira straitened.
“Dear?”
“Mmm?”
“About the fight the other day-”
“We can talk about that another time. We have other priorities right now.”
Hannah nodded. “Later then.”
“What fight?”
“Its ok love. Nothing to be worried about.”
Zaira turned to go back to her spot by the wall. Arthur wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that he was glaring at her. She sat down on the floor and ignored him. Callie had started to whine, and she needed to tend to the little one.
They all settled and the only sounds in the room were the beeping of the machines and the occasional complaint from the sleepy baby. They were all lost in their own thoughts for about a half hour or so before a nurse came to shoo them away stating visiting hours were long over. Hannah begged to stay with her husband and with some convincing she was allowed. However, the nurse was firm - Zaira and Arthur had to leave.
She and Arthur filed out of the room. She trailed behind the boy and when they got to the end of the rooms, she ducked into the closest one as he continued to the exit.
The room had been dark, but its occupant was awake. The elderly gentleman was reading by the light of a small book light. He raised an eyebrow at her. She brought a finger to her lips. He chuckled as she ducked behind a hospital curtain as a nurse went by.
“Have a good night.” She whispered before leaving the room.
He gave her a little wave as she left.
“You’re back?”
“Yeah, I can’t stand to leave you alone tonight.”
“Thank you, dear. But what about Callie?”
Zaira took out the mattress she had packed for the cave and made a little nest for Callie under the hospital bed, as out of view as possible.
“I suppose that works.”
“It's only temporary.” Zaira sat on the floor to be able to keep an eye on Callie.
“Here,” Hannah handed her the unused pillow.
“Thank you.” Zaira sat on it.
Zara stayed awake and watched as Hannah drifted off. She kept an eye on Ryan’s machines. She couldn’t read them, but if any major changes happened, she would rush for an attendant. Otherwise, she kept quiet and hid in the bathroom every time a nurse would come by on their rounds.
A couple hours before sunset Zaira saw Hannah’s eyes open and immediately tear up as she remembered the events of the night. Zaira didn’t know what to do and found herself moving to lean against Hannah’s legs. Hannah patted her shoulder and leaned back.