she reached out ineffectually to touch the woman who had been her mentor.
“Don’t worry about me just yet. Get Dylan and Aiden. We need to go to the hospital.” Aira nodded dumbly, biting her lips together and turning to the task she was given. The two brothers woke in confusion, Aiden asking her what the hell was wrong and Dylan giving her a look so full of knowledge and vicarious pain that Aira couldn’t meet his gaze.
“We have to get Grams to the hospital. Get your ass out of bed right now or I will fucking leave you.” Aira whirled away from the door to their bedroom, her heart pounding. She threw on the first clothes she grabbed, not caring if they fit or matched, and crammed her feet into a pair of shoes without stopping to consider socks. She rushed back out to find Dylan standing in the front room having a low-voiced conversation with her grandmother, kneeling at the side of the recliner. Aiden came out, pulling a shirt over his head, and Aira barely managed to restrain her annoyance at him, instead moving to her grandmother’s side.
“Grams,” she said, coming around to the front of the chair. “Let me help you up.” The older woman hesitated for a moment before holding out her hand. Aira pulled, ignoring the pain she felt shoot through her back and knees as she helped her grandmother out of the chair. Dylan was by her side, taking the other arm, and the three of them made their way out of the house slowly, Aiden opening the front door and running for the car, opening the passenger side door.
“Let me drive,” Aiden told Aira brusquely, moving to the driver’s seat.
Aira started to argue, but her grandmother intervened.
“Girl, he’s got a handle on himself. Get in the back seat and keep your mouth shut.”
Aira bit back the sob that threatened to rise from her chest and did as she was told.
The drive to the hospital was tense, Aira sitting curled up in the back seat next to Dylan, trembling and holding back her tears. She reached out at one point and grabbed for the younger brother’s hand, gripping it tightly, uncaring of if she hurt him. The pain in her back flared up, and Aira realized she had injured herself helping her grandmother out of the chair. It seemed appropriate, and for the moment she didn’t mind the pain at all. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing when it became apparent that her state of distress was making the wind rise, making it more difficult for Aiden to keep the car under control.
They arrived finally, and Aira threw herself out of the car, rushing around to the passenger side to open the door and help her grandmother out.
“We need help!” she barely heard Dylan calling out to the emergency room personnel hanging near the entrance. “I think this woman is having a heart attack!” The second call brought them around, and in moments Aira was being carefully pushed aside as strong orderlies helped her grandmother out of the car and into a wheelchair, making sure she was settled as they peppered her with questions about her symptoms. Aira leaned against a pillar and cried out, the movement sending a wave of pain through her injured back. Aiden was at her side immediately, his touch burning into her as he held her up. Aira welcomed the pain, taking a deep breath and swallowing her grief and panic. She followed the orderlies into the hospital slowly, pain making it difficult to move. She watched her grandmother disappear into the depths of the hospital as a nurse brought her paperwork to fill out. Aira yelped again as she lowered herself into a chair, the change in position sending another jolt of pain through her.
“I think she injured her back helping her grandma out of a chair,” Aiden was saying to the nurse, his voice tight with urgency. “Isn’t there something you can give her?”
The nurse was calm, replying they could see to Aira as soon as her grandmother’s paperwork was done. Aira stared at the clipboard,
“Don’t worry about me just yet. Get Dylan and Aiden. We need to go to the hospital.” Aira nodded dumbly, biting her lips together and turning to the task she was given. The two brothers woke in confusion, Aiden asking her what the hell was wrong and Dylan giving her a look so full of knowledge and vicarious pain that Aira couldn’t meet his gaze.
“We have to get Grams to the hospital. Get your ass out of bed right now or I will fucking leave you.” Aira whirled away from the door to their bedroom, her heart pounding. She threw on the first clothes she grabbed, not caring if they fit or matched, and crammed her feet into a pair of shoes without stopping to consider socks. She rushed back out to find Dylan standing in the front room having a low-voiced conversation with her grandmother, kneeling at the side of the recliner. Aiden came out, pulling a shirt over his head, and Aira barely managed to restrain her annoyance at him, instead moving to her grandmother’s side.
“Grams,” she said, coming around to the front of the chair. “Let me help you up.” The older woman hesitated for a moment before holding out her hand. Aira pulled, ignoring the pain she felt shoot through her back and knees as she helped her grandmother out of the chair. Dylan was by her side, taking the other arm, and the three of them made their way out of the house slowly, Aiden opening the front door and running for the car, opening the passenger side door.
“Let me drive,” Aiden told Aira brusquely, moving to the driver’s seat.
Aira started to argue, but her grandmother intervened.
“Girl, he’s got a handle on himself. Get in the back seat and keep your mouth shut.”
Aira bit back the sob that threatened to rise from her chest and did as she was told.
The drive to the hospital was tense, Aira sitting curled up in the back seat next to Dylan, trembling and holding back her tears. She reached out at one point and grabbed for the younger brother’s hand, gripping it tightly, uncaring of if she hurt him. The pain in her back flared up, and Aira realized she had injured herself helping her grandmother out of the chair. It seemed appropriate, and for the moment she didn’t mind the pain at all. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing when it became apparent that her state of distress was making the wind rise, making it more difficult for Aiden to keep the car under control.
They arrived finally, and Aira threw herself out of the car, rushing around to the passenger side to open the door and help her grandmother out.
“We need help!” she barely heard Dylan calling out to the emergency room personnel hanging near the entrance. “I think this woman is having a heart attack!” The second call brought them around, and in moments Aira was being carefully pushed aside as strong orderlies helped her grandmother out of the car and into a wheelchair, making sure she was settled as they peppered her with questions about her symptoms. Aira leaned against a pillar and cried out, the movement sending a wave of pain through her injured back. Aiden was at her side immediately, his touch burning into her as he held her up. Aira welcomed the pain, taking a deep breath and swallowing her grief and panic. She followed the orderlies into the hospital slowly, pain making it difficult to move. She watched her grandmother disappear into the depths of the hospital as a nurse brought her paperwork to fill out. Aira yelped again as she lowered herself into a chair, the change in position sending another jolt of pain through her.
“I think she injured her back helping her grandma out of a chair,” Aiden was saying to the nurse, his voice tight with urgency. “Isn’t there something you can give her?”
The nurse was calm, replying they could see to Aira as soon as her grandmother’s paperwork was done. Aira stared at the clipboard,
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