Thank you to hollenheist for helping me make this chapter better. And for taking out all the times I used 'that' and it should've been another word. Seriously, I don't know what's with that! Lol

Happy reading!

11

I rush into the emergency room, Edward not far behind me. Surprisingly, there's no one in line waiting to check-in, so I'm able to go straight up to the young woman sitting at the desk.

"Hi, how may I help you?" she asks with a smile. Her blond hair is pulled back into a ponytail and the name tag on her scrubs says that her name is Lauren.

"Yes, my mom was brought in a little while ago. Her name is Renee Swan." I rush, tapping my finger on the counter, my anxiety getting the best of me. Kate said that it wasn't serious, that my mom only needed some stitches, but I couldn't help thinking the worst. Of course this would happen the night I decide to go out, after the woman told me not to worry. The universe was a fickle bitch.

Lauren taps on the computer, "Yes, she's in room 200. You two can go on back."

"Thank you." I tell her, going over the double doors that she buzzes open for us. Once I'm through the doors, I stop when I realize I have no idea where I'm going.

"Room 200 is this way." Edward puts his hand on my elbow, pointing to the left side hallway. "My dad works here." He explains when I look at him with a furrowed brow.

"Thank you." I look at him, his face filled with nothing but kindness and understanding, and it makes me feel guilty that this is the way the night ended.

"Any time." He gives me a soft smile, but it's not as bright as it was earlier.

We make our way down the hall, where we find the room easily. The sliding door is open, but the curtain is pulled shut, so I can't see what state she's in, which only serves to make my anxiety worse.

I turn to Edward. "Is it okay if you wait out here while I go in? I don't think this is the way she would like you two to meet for the first time."

"I get it." He leans against the wall. "You do what you have to do. I'll be here when you're ready."

I give him a small smile that I don't think reaches my eyes before I walk into the room.

"Mom?" I pulled the curtain just enough for me to step inside, the sight before me not nearly as bad as the images that my mind was conjuring. She's sitting on the hospital bed with a badge on her forehead near her hairline, a sizable goose egg forming.

"I'm sorry." There are tears forming in her eyes when she sees me. "I ruined your night and I feel so bad."

I shrug, crossing my arms as I come to stand next to her. "It's not exactly how I saw it ending, but it's okay."

"No, it's not." She punches the bed, her hand balled into a fist. "You do so much for me, and I can't even give you a night off without you having to come to my rescue."

"Think of it as payback for all the times I made you come get me from sleepovers because I was homesick."

"It's not the same." She argues. It's not, but I can't take the look of pain on her face, so I'll tell her anything to get it to go away.

"We'll just say you owe me."

"Big time." She takes my hand, sighing.

"So, big." I smile, my other hand coming to cover hers. "Would you mind telling me how the hell you did that," I motion to the bandage, "to your head?"

She sighs, rolling her eyes at herself. "You're going to laugh at me, because it was so stupid."

"I promise I won't laugh."

She glares at me.

"Okay, I promise I won't laugh a lot."

She sighs again, before going on. "I got up from the couch to make some hot tea and on the way into the kitchen, I tripped on Henrieta. I tried to catch myself, but I wasn't fast enough and clocked my head on the corner of the kitchen counter."

"I don't know, mom." I shake my head. "It sounds like she tried to kill you. We might have to get rid of her."

"You will do no such thing!" Her eyes are wide as she looks at me like what I said was blasphemy. "I love Henrieta. If you want to get rid of her, you'll have to pry her from my cold dead hands."

We both laughed, the tension in the room broken like I wanted.

"Hello!" A young woman with russet skin comes into her room, rubbing hand sanitizer into her hands. "You must be the daughter." She smiles when she sees me. "Your mom hasn't been able to stop talking about you."

I lift my brow at my mom, "Do you always have to brag to people?" My mom loved to tell any and everybody that would listen that I was an artist.

She gets contrary look on her face, becoming obstinate. "Of course."

I shake my head at her.

"Well, I hate to interrupt, but I'm here to take you to get a CT. The doctor just wants to make sure that there's nothing going on in there that shouldn't be."

"I can guarantee that there's nothing going on up here." My mom taps her temple, wincing when she accidentally hits the bandaged area.

Me and the nurse laugh.

"It shouldn't take too long." The nurse Claire tells me as she gets my mom in a wheelchair.

"Okay." I wave to my mom as she's wheeled out of the room, feeling myself finally come down from the adrenaline high I'd been on since I got the call from Kate.

I take a few seconds to collect myself before I head out into the hallway where I left Edward. He's a little further down than he had been, most likely to give my mom privacy when she was brought out of the room. Pushing off the wall, he comes over to me as soon as he sees me.

"How is she?" He asks, concern in those emerald depths that I've become addicted to. They told me so much.

"She's good. They're taking her to get a CT."

"I'm happy she's okay."

I rub my forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "Look, you don't have to stay. I don't know how long she's going to be here. You can go and I get Ka…"

He doesn't give me a chance to finish my thought before he's closing the distance between us. His hands come to cup my jaw, as his lips descend on mine. It's no longer than a few seconds, but it's enough to send my heart racing.

He pulls back enough to look me in the eye, his eyes are evergreen pools as he speaks succinctly and clearly, making sure I understand. "I'm not going anywhere."

See you next time!