Chapter 16
16
Aubrey couldn't stay still. Her arm was on fire, her head hurt, her back, her neck—and they were all getting closer. Leaning over her. Blocking the light. She could feel them, smell them, hear them. She tried to fight, to get away, to get some light around her. She’d always hated the dark since what had happened to Ayla. Since they had been hurt in that dark basement and she’d been so sure her baby sister was going to die.
Ayla. Ayla would be waiting for her now. She was supposed to pick up her sister.
“I need… let me go. I need to go get my sister. I need to get my sister.”
Ayla was at the library. Waiting for her. She had to go get Ayla.
“Aubrey, we need you to sit still. Let us take a look at that arm,” someone said. His hands were on her, gentle but firm. Someone right next to her. A doctor—she knew him. It was Dathan—Dr. Carrington. Caine’s brother-in-law. He was a surgeon, too.
She knew him. It didn’t help.
She barely heard them. “I need to get Ayla. My sister is waiting. Please, I need to get her. I’m supposed to pick her up now, at the library. She’ll need me to get her.”
The pressure of a hand on her shoulder startled her. She looked up and saw Gunn standing over her. Her throat tightened at the sight of Genny’s brother. He looked so calm, an aura of reassurance in the chaos. Something about this Hiller brother just brought peace. No denying that. He had the kindest eyes of anyone she had ever known.
“We’ll make sure your sister is taken care of,” Larken said—the newest nurse they’d hired. “I’ll call the library myself. I promise.”
“Ayla doesn’t drive. I’ll need to pick her up soon.” She needed to get Ayla and make sure Genny was going to be okay. But she couldn’t do both.
Someone patted her hand. Aubrey looked up. Into Gunn’s beautiful eyes. All of those Hillers had those same hazel eyes. Genny did, too. And Guthrie. “I need to get to my sister. She’s going to panic, and I need to get to her.”
“How about I go get her for you? Explain to her what happened?” Gunn asked. “I can go get her and be back here in less than fifteen minutes, I’m sure. She’ll be safe with me, too.”
Well, she did half believe that. Genny said this brother was probably the kindest, best man she knew. She’d said before how Gunn was incredibly protective of her and her sisters, too.
“Aubrey, we’re going to get this taken care of. Then we’ll worry about your sister,” Dr. Laird said bluntly. “You are bleeding pretty badly.”
Aubrey tried to pull herself to her feet. She could walk. And she didn’t like looking like this—not in front of the people she worked with. Dathan helped her up, his strong arm behind her now, keeping her on her feet.
They had already wheeled Genny away now. Guthrie had gone with her. And Dr. Fields—Chad was nowhere around. He’d probably gone with her, too.
Genny would be okay.
Aubrey pulled herself together. She… had things to do now. She had to find a way to get her sister here. She had to pull herself together and get this taken care of. So she could be there when Genny came out of surgery.
“Thank you, Gunn,” Aubrey said as Dathan just sort of lifted her the rest of the way to her feet. His arm tightened around her when she swayed. Then Dr. Laird was there instead, and Dathan was hurrying upstairs.
To take care of Genny.
Aubrey let the people around her take over as Gunn Hiller headed to the doors. To get her sister.
“It’s okay, Aubrey,” Dr. Laird said. “Let’s just get you taken care of.”