managed to master patience; as an air elemental, it would never be her strong suit. The best she could muster was a kind of grim determination to sit where she was, to not utter a sound, and enter a kind of miserable, trancelike state. Soon enough, she knew, everything would come crashing down around her. She wasn’t going to rush the process.
C HAPTER 6
AIRA PACED THE LENGTH OF the waiting room, her arms crossed over her chest, her mouth tightly closed. It had been hours since her grandmother had been admitted. While they had gotten word that she was “stable,” Aira hadn’t been allowed to see her.
Aira had, however, been tended to by a doctor, who took an x-ray of her back and judged she simply had a very bad strain. The brusque, but not unkind doctor, had given her a shot in either hip: one a steroid, the other an anti-inflammatory. He told her to take it easy—to rest, but not to spend her days in bed. She was given prescriptions for muscle relaxers and pain pills, which Aira said brusquely she would take care of later.
The truth was, she was terrified to leave the hospital before she had a chance to speak with her grandmother; she was terrified if she left, the woman would simply die—simply fall into the final slumber, all alone. Aira didn’t want to watch her grandmother die, but she didn’t want to abandon her vigil either. As soon as she was released by the doctor, she had resumed her post in the waiting room and quickly began pacing.
The steroid she had been given was making her heart pound, giving her a level of nervous energy Aira almost couldn’t handle. She knew she wouldn’t sleep at all that night—no matter what happened otherwise. Dylan suggested getting her something from the cafeteria, and Aiden watched her with wary concern. Members of Aira’s family began to show up, knowing, as she did, that for Grandma to be in the hospital, the situation must indeed be dire.
Aira’s mother would come from out of town if she was needed, she had said. Aira had replied she would keep her mother posted. The pain in her back was gone—between the medicine, the cold numbness seeping through her, and the anxiety clawing away at her mind every few minutes. She had much more important things to focus on Aira felt tears welling in her eyes and clenched her hands into tight fists, digging her nails into her skin and taking deep breaths to hold back the sobs tightening her chest.
It began to pour rain outside—an unexpected torrential downpour that made the waiting patients and staff alike stare out the windows in shock. Aira turned away from it, knowing the cause, knowing it was a sign. Her grandmother’s control over the element she was aligned with was slipping. Aira irrelevantly and wryly thought a flood wouldn’t be surprising—but it would be inconvenient. The rain pounding the windows and roof of the hospital drowned out some of the other sounds that assaulted her ears when she let herself hear, and she relaxed slightly, even as she continued to pace, knowing she was doing herself further injury and caring not an iota.
Aira had almost been persuaded by the combined worried protests of both Aiden and Dylan to sit down when a doctor came out, looking around.
“Is there an Aira Norton-Moore here?” the harried-looking physician called out.
Aira heard her name and rushed to him, ignoring the faint murmur of pain at the sudden movement.
“Aira,” he said uncertainly, hesitating until she nodded. “Your grandmother wants to see you. I need to ask you not to excite her, if you can avoid it. She’s stable, but it’s very… touch and go.” He swallowed, and Aira could see her grandmother had been making things very difficult for the medical staff; probably she had been insisting for over an hour continuously, against their advice. Aira nodded.
“I understand, Doctor,” she said with a slight smile. “My grandmother can be very… determined. Will you take me to
C HAPTER 6
AIRA PACED THE LENGTH OF the waiting room, her arms crossed over her chest, her mouth tightly closed. It had been hours since her grandmother had been admitted. While they had gotten word that she was “stable,” Aira hadn’t been allowed to see her.
Aira had, however, been tended to by a doctor, who took an x-ray of her back and judged she simply had a very bad strain. The brusque, but not unkind doctor, had given her a shot in either hip: one a steroid, the other an anti-inflammatory. He told her to take it easy—to rest, but not to spend her days in bed. She was given prescriptions for muscle relaxers and pain pills, which Aira said brusquely she would take care of later.
The truth was, she was terrified to leave the hospital before she had a chance to speak with her grandmother; she was terrified if she left, the woman would simply die—simply fall into the final slumber, all alone. Aira didn’t want to watch her grandmother die, but she didn’t want to abandon her vigil either. As soon as she was released by the doctor, she had resumed her post in the waiting room and quickly began pacing.
The steroid she had been given was making her heart pound, giving her a level of nervous energy Aira almost couldn’t handle. She knew she wouldn’t sleep at all that night—no matter what happened otherwise. Dylan suggested getting her something from the cafeteria, and Aiden watched her with wary concern. Members of Aira’s family began to show up, knowing, as she did, that for Grandma to be in the hospital, the situation must indeed be dire.
Aira’s mother would come from out of town if she was needed, she had said. Aira had replied she would keep her mother posted. The pain in her back was gone—between the medicine, the cold numbness seeping through her, and the anxiety clawing away at her mind every few minutes. She had much more important things to focus on Aira felt tears welling in her eyes and clenched her hands into tight fists, digging her nails into her skin and taking deep breaths to hold back the sobs tightening her chest.
It began to pour rain outside—an unexpected torrential downpour that made the waiting patients and staff alike stare out the windows in shock. Aira turned away from it, knowing the cause, knowing it was a sign. Her grandmother’s control over the element she was aligned with was slipping. Aira irrelevantly and wryly thought a flood wouldn’t be surprising—but it would be inconvenient. The rain pounding the windows and roof of the hospital drowned out some of the other sounds that assaulted her ears when she let herself hear, and she relaxed slightly, even as she continued to pace, knowing she was doing herself further injury and caring not an iota.
Aira had almost been persuaded by the combined worried protests of both Aiden and Dylan to sit down when a doctor came out, looking around.
“Is there an Aira Norton-Moore here?” the harried-looking physician called out.
Aira heard her name and rushed to him, ignoring the faint murmur of pain at the sudden movement.
“Aira,” he said uncertainly, hesitating until she nodded. “Your grandmother wants to see you. I need to ask you not to excite her, if you can avoid it. She’s stable, but it’s very… touch and go.” He swallowed, and Aira could see her grandmother had been making things very difficult for the medical staff; probably she had been insisting for over an hour continuously, against their advice. Aira nodded.
“I understand, Doctor,” she said with a slight smile. “My grandmother can be very… determined. Will you take me to
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