One hundred and fifty miles away, in a hospital room in Cameron, Massachusetts, a red light started blinking rapidly in the dark. Beep. Beep. Beep. The room stayed silent and still, but the world hade just changed for one family.
Jeffrey was very worried. Skye was rarely this quite. Se hadn't uttered a word since they left Aundrel and the air was so thick with tension that you could have cut through it with a knife. He studied her as she speeded along the dark mountain road. She was driving fast, yet her grip on the steering wheel was calm and she was in complete control. She didn't give the appearance of being frazzled, but rather the opposite. Her blonde hair was still up in the twist from the party, and she had one loose strand tucked behind her ear. Her mouth formed a straight line, and it was obvious that her jaw was clenched very tightly. But what worried Jeffrey most was how her eyes were sparkling in the dark. It was as if her gorgeous blue eyes were filling up like a dam. He knew it was only a matter of time before the flood gates opened and the dark pools overflowed. And that was what worried him, because he had no idea what to do when that happened.
Skye almost never cried, and so Jeffery had very little experience in the comforting field. His success earlier that night was a pure stroke of luck and he wasn't willing to bet that it would continue. Glancing at the woman next to him, Jeffrey thanked his lucky stars that it was Skye who he was dealing with. If anybody had a skill for holding back tears, it was her. Hopefully, she would be able to beat these ones.
The dark car was suddenly lit up by Skye's phone, the vibrating noise ringing though the vehicle. Glancing down at the screen, Skye sucked in a deep breath.
"Jeffrey, would you please answer that?" It was Ben.
"Hello?"
"Oh, hi, Jeffrey. Is Skye driving?"
"Yeah. What's going on?" Skye couldn't hear Ben's response, but she watched in horror as Jeffrey's face darkened and he set his jaw. "Alright. We'll be there in about an hour. Look, Ben, it's going to be okay. Things always work out like they're supposed to. Tell Batty that's she's got everything under control and we'll be there soon to help her out. Aright, we'll see you in a little bit." He hung up the phone and sighed, leaning back in his seat.
"Well?" Her voice was tight and he could practically hear the tears threatening to burst forward. He sighed and shook his head softly.
"They just got a call from Iantha, who's at the hospital. Apparently, your father just slipped into a coma, and they don't know why. I'm so sorry, Skye." He watched, terrified, as she closed her eyes for a brief second and then gently pulled over in a turnout on the side of the road. She covered her face in her hands and rested her forehead on the steering wheel. He was just about to rub her on the back, when she whirled on him, her teary eyes flashing in the dark.
"Why? Why does this have to happen? It just not fair!" She was yelling by now, mad at the world and the universe that ensconced it. "You said so yourself, the chances of this happening are microscopic! It just doesn't make sense! Oh, God. Why does this have to happen to me?" That last sentence was spoken in a whisper, and the tears were falling down her face freely now. For what felt like the thousandth time that night, Jeffery pulled her into his arms and just let her cry.
A few minutes later, he released her, and looked her in the face. "Skye, we really need to keep going. They need you there." She nodded, and they pulled out onto the road, back into the night.
Sorry, this one is short, too. I hope you guys like it. As always, I really appreciate your reviews and feedback.
Rachel Alexandra 9: I'll try to keep updating quickly, but school starts back up soon, so I might be a bit slower. Sorry!
Mahogany night: Thanks! That's a very nice complement!