news?"
"We're waiting," Celia says, squeezing my hand. I wasn't even aware we'd clasped fingers on our arrival at the hospital.
A nurse hustles by with a stack of charts, headed into the ICU.
"Excuse me, ma'am," I call out. "Is there any way we can see our friends, who are just through those doors?"
The nurse turns toward the Tillsons and then back to me. "Aren't you Sarah Moorehead's daughter?"
"Yes, ma'am. How did you know?" Is there yet another psychic in town?
"Kendall, right. I'm Erma Jean Wamback. I work part-time in Dr. Murphy's office with your mama, and I've seen your picture on her desk."
"Oh, right. She's mentioned your name."
"Y'all are friends of Rachel Tillson?" Erma Jean asks.
Celia answers. "Her kids are our best friends. Is there any way we can see them?"
Erma Jean nods her head at the sliding glass door. "If y'all just be quiet, it should be okay."
God bless small-town living.
Without wasting another second, the three of us forge ahead to Jason and Taylor, trying our best not to make a ruckus.
"Oh, you guys," I nearly wail, unable to control my emotions. Jason lifts his head and turns his blue eyes to me. We come together in seconds and embrace. He's never hugged me to him this tightly, as if grasping me will make all the hurt go away. I kiss him next to his ear and whisper softly, "I'm here for you, sweetie."
A wet tear from Jason touches my cheek as we're pressed together. I just rock him back and forth as the emotions of the day drain from him. Over my shoulder, I see Taylor being embraced by both Celia and Becca and crying as hard as her brother. I smile at her, not knowing what else to do.
"I-I-I can't believe she-she-she tried to kill herself," Taylor manages to get out between sobs. "I found her when I got home from yearbook and she-she-she wasn't moving. I called nine one one and just prayed as hard as I could until they got there."
"What did they do to her?" Becca asks, always needing the gory details of everything.
Taylor sips in some air. "They said she wasn't breathing and made me leave the room. I called Jason and tried not to freak out." Her tears begin flowing harder. "I guess I'm freaking out now."
Jason pushes back from me, but not away, lacing his fingers through mine. He reaches out for his sister with his other hand, bringing her close inside his protective hug. "We don't know what happened, Tay. She may have only accidentally taken too many of her pills."
Erma Jean joins all of us and passes over a box of tissues to Taylor. "Why don't y'all go down to the cafeteria and get some Cokes or something? I just checked on your mama and she's in stable condition but still unconscious. It's going to be a while before she wakes up."
"Can't we stay with her?" Taylor asks.
"Sure thing, honey," Erma Jean says. "But why don't you get some air and collect yourself first. Is there a family member who can come get y'all?"
Taylor shakes her mane of hair to indicate no.
"I called Dad," Jason admits.
"You what?"
"Yeah, Tay. I had no choice. What was I supposed to do?"
"What's
he
supposed to do?" she asks. "He left her months ago."
"He's still her husband," Jason says. "And our father. Do you want them to, like, put us in a foster home or separate us or something?"
Taylor drops her eyes. "I hadn't thought of that."
Erma Jean pipes up. "Kendall, I called your mama. She's headed over here soon and said she'll do everything she can to help."
"That's really sweet," Taylor says through a fresh sheen of tears.
"Come on," Celia suggests, "let's go to the cafeteria and wait for Kendall's mom. Milk shakes on me, to calm the nerves."
A weak smile crosses Taylor's lips and she wraps her arm around Celia. Becca follows, and Jason and I bring up the rear going down the long white hallway. Fifteen minutes later, we're seated at a table finishing our cold drinks when Mom rushes in to find us. Behind her is Jason's best friend, Jim Roach; Jim's dad; and Taylor's boyfriend, Ryan MacKenzie.
"We're waiting," Celia says, squeezing my hand. I wasn't even aware we'd clasped fingers on our arrival at the hospital.
A nurse hustles by with a stack of charts, headed into the ICU.
"Excuse me, ma'am," I call out. "Is there any way we can see our friends, who are just through those doors?"
The nurse turns toward the Tillsons and then back to me. "Aren't you Sarah Moorehead's daughter?"
"Yes, ma'am. How did you know?" Is there yet another psychic in town?
"Kendall, right. I'm Erma Jean Wamback. I work part-time in Dr. Murphy's office with your mama, and I've seen your picture on her desk."
"Oh, right. She's mentioned your name."
"Y'all are friends of Rachel Tillson?" Erma Jean asks.
Celia answers. "Her kids are our best friends. Is there any way we can see them?"
Erma Jean nods her head at the sliding glass door. "If y'all just be quiet, it should be okay."
God bless small-town living.
Without wasting another second, the three of us forge ahead to Jason and Taylor, trying our best not to make a ruckus.
"Oh, you guys," I nearly wail, unable to control my emotions. Jason lifts his head and turns his blue eyes to me. We come together in seconds and embrace. He's never hugged me to him this tightly, as if grasping me will make all the hurt go away. I kiss him next to his ear and whisper softly, "I'm here for you, sweetie."
A wet tear from Jason touches my cheek as we're pressed together. I just rock him back and forth as the emotions of the day drain from him. Over my shoulder, I see Taylor being embraced by both Celia and Becca and crying as hard as her brother. I smile at her, not knowing what else to do.
"I-I-I can't believe she-she-she tried to kill herself," Taylor manages to get out between sobs. "I found her when I got home from yearbook and she-she-she wasn't moving. I called nine one one and just prayed as hard as I could until they got there."
"What did they do to her?" Becca asks, always needing the gory details of everything.
Taylor sips in some air. "They said she wasn't breathing and made me leave the room. I called Jason and tried not to freak out." Her tears begin flowing harder. "I guess I'm freaking out now."
Jason pushes back from me, but not away, lacing his fingers through mine. He reaches out for his sister with his other hand, bringing her close inside his protective hug. "We don't know what happened, Tay. She may have only accidentally taken too many of her pills."
Erma Jean joins all of us and passes over a box of tissues to Taylor. "Why don't y'all go down to the cafeteria and get some Cokes or something? I just checked on your mama and she's in stable condition but still unconscious. It's going to be a while before she wakes up."
"Can't we stay with her?" Taylor asks.
"Sure thing, honey," Erma Jean says. "But why don't you get some air and collect yourself first. Is there a family member who can come get y'all?"
Taylor shakes her mane of hair to indicate no.
"I called Dad," Jason admits.
"You what?"
"Yeah, Tay. I had no choice. What was I supposed to do?"
"What's
he
supposed to do?" she asks. "He left her months ago."
"He's still her husband," Jason says. "And our father. Do you want them to, like, put us in a foster home or separate us or something?"
Taylor drops her eyes. "I hadn't thought of that."
Erma Jean pipes up. "Kendall, I called your mama. She's headed over here soon and said she'll do everything she can to help."
"That's really sweet," Taylor says through a fresh sheen of tears.
"Come on," Celia suggests, "let's go to the cafeteria and wait for Kendall's mom. Milk shakes on me, to calm the nerves."
A weak smile crosses Taylor's lips and she wraps her arm around Celia. Becca follows, and Jason and I bring up the rear going down the long white hallway. Fifteen minutes later, we're seated at a table finishing our cold drinks when Mom rushes in to find us. Behind her is Jason's best friend, Jim Roach; Jim's dad; and Taylor's boyfriend, Ryan MacKenzie.
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