"Julia. Wake up, okay?"
Julia opened her eyes in an unfamiliar room. It was stark white and country blue, and there were strange shadows all around her. There was an odd beeping noise, and she couldn't focus on who was speaking.
"Hey. Stay with me."
"Mom?" Julia asked blearily.
"No, honey. It's Weiss."
"Weiss? Where's Mom?" she asked thickly.
"In a room two doors over. She got shot."
"Shot!" Julia said, shaking off her stupor.
"It's all right, calm down. She's going to be all right," Weiss said.
"Did Dad shoot her?" Julia asked.
Weiss was silent.
"Did he?"
Weiss nodded.
"But he saved my life," Julia said. "He pulled me off the balcony."
Weiss said, "He had a reason to. You were going to lead him to the Scrolls."
"The Scrolls! Are they still here?"
"Nope, Sloane came to get them. But don't worry, they're safe. You've got to relax. You had forty-some stitched in your leg."
"I want to see Mom," Julia said.
"She's sleeping."
"I want to see her anyway," she said stubbornly.
Weiss sighed. "Let me see if you can go in there."
Within a few moments, he came back, a nurse following him. She brought in a wheelchair and carefully helped Julia into it. They left the small room, a slow processional, and the nurse took Julia into a room only a few yards from her own.
Sydney was lying on a bed, a blue blanket drawn up around her. There was a bandage over her eyebrow and she was pale. Julia rolled up to the bed and took her mother's hand in her own. "Mom," she said. "Mom."
Sydney opened her eyes. "The Scrolls?"
"Weiss says Sloane has them. They're safe."
"Are you okay?"
"I had some stitches. What happened?"
Sydney shrugged. "I was stupid. I got hit."
"Is it bad?"
"No." She smiled. "I'll heal."
Julia sighed. She was suddenly very tired. "Okay," she said.
"Come on," Weiss said. "They're going to take you to Nadia's."
"Bye, Mom," Julia said exhaustedly.
They left, and Sydney closed her eyes.