Maybe you don’t want to face it, but it’s the hard truth. And she’s sicker than you’re willing to admit, if you can stand there and blame Honor for this. Bottom line is, this was Charity’s doing and no one else’s. No one forced those pills down her throat. It was her choice.” He glanced between him and her mother. “You really can’t see that? Or is it that you don’t want to?”
The words hung in the air between them like a taunt, an axe ready to fall. Before it could, a middle-aged doctor came through a door at the end of the hall and strode toward them. “Mr. and Mrs. Girard?”
Her father whipped his head around. “Yes.”
They all moved with him toward the doctor, meeting him in the middle, and he motioned for them to follow him into a private room down another hall. Wishing they’d had this kind of privacy for the past ten minutes, Honor stood in the room behind her parents, Liam at her back with his hand on her waist. She gripped his fingers tight in her own, grateful for his presence even though it had escalated things.
The doctor smiled at them, oblivious to the drama. “Your daughter has been stabilized. We were able to pump a large portion of the drugs and alcohol out of her stomach and we’ve given her medicine and fluids to help flush the rest out of her system. Her vitals look good. We won’t know for sure until she regains consciousness but I’m confident there won’t be any long-term effects. I don’t see any reason why she shouldn’t make a full recovery in a few days.”
Her mother gave a soft cry of relief and went limp in her husband’s arms. “Thank you,” her father told the doctor, his voice rough. “When can we see her?”
“Just as soon as she’s awake. We’ll do a few tests to verify everything’s okay, then we’ll let you in to see her. It might be best to limit her visitors for a while, until she’s more emotionally stable. You can discuss everything with the social worker who’s coming to see you shortly, and Charity’s psychiatrist will be in to see her in the morning. She’ll want to speak to you as well.”
When he left and the door shut behind him, a heavy silence filled the room.
“You need to leave now,” her father said without looking at her.
His cold dismissal sent a flare of panic through her. “I want to see her first.”
He rounded on her so fast she instinctively reared back and bumped her head against Liam’s chest. “You’re the last person on earth she’d want to see, and the last person I’ll allow into her room. Except maybe him .” He spat the word like an epithet, his accusing gaze flicking to Liam.
Slowly, her muscles so taut she feared they’d snap, Honor shook her head. “I don’t want to go.”
“I don’t care what you want, you’re not wanted here! Get out!” her father exploded, flinging his arms outward. “Just get out and leave us the hell alone, both of you.” He shot her a venomous glare that sliced her to ribbons inside, then whirled away, giving her his back.
Honor absorbed it without reacting, already turning numb inside. She was still breathing in and out, but she wasn’t sure how. Her entire body felt like it was made of concrete, including her lungs.
She didn’t resist when Liam eased her back into his arms. He turned her to face him and cupped the back of her head in one hand, his eyes steady on hers as he wiped her tears away. “What do you want to do?”
I don’t know! She wanted to yell the words. It was all too much, the shock, their anger and blame, the guilt writhing inside her. The ring in her pocket seemed to burn through the denim, branding her skin. Had she driven Charity to this? Had she known on some level that this would happen and just hadn’t cared?
She took a step toward the door.
“Honor, no.”
The plea in her mother’s voice stopped her. When she turned her head, Honor found her reaching for her.
“Come here.” Her mother forced a wobbly smile and nodded in
The words hung in the air between them like a taunt, an axe ready to fall. Before it could, a middle-aged doctor came through a door at the end of the hall and strode toward them. “Mr. and Mrs. Girard?”
Her father whipped his head around. “Yes.”
They all moved with him toward the doctor, meeting him in the middle, and he motioned for them to follow him into a private room down another hall. Wishing they’d had this kind of privacy for the past ten minutes, Honor stood in the room behind her parents, Liam at her back with his hand on her waist. She gripped his fingers tight in her own, grateful for his presence even though it had escalated things.
The doctor smiled at them, oblivious to the drama. “Your daughter has been stabilized. We were able to pump a large portion of the drugs and alcohol out of her stomach and we’ve given her medicine and fluids to help flush the rest out of her system. Her vitals look good. We won’t know for sure until she regains consciousness but I’m confident there won’t be any long-term effects. I don’t see any reason why she shouldn’t make a full recovery in a few days.”
Her mother gave a soft cry of relief and went limp in her husband’s arms. “Thank you,” her father told the doctor, his voice rough. “When can we see her?”
“Just as soon as she’s awake. We’ll do a few tests to verify everything’s okay, then we’ll let you in to see her. It might be best to limit her visitors for a while, until she’s more emotionally stable. You can discuss everything with the social worker who’s coming to see you shortly, and Charity’s psychiatrist will be in to see her in the morning. She’ll want to speak to you as well.”
When he left and the door shut behind him, a heavy silence filled the room.
“You need to leave now,” her father said without looking at her.
His cold dismissal sent a flare of panic through her. “I want to see her first.”
He rounded on her so fast she instinctively reared back and bumped her head against Liam’s chest. “You’re the last person on earth she’d want to see, and the last person I’ll allow into her room. Except maybe him .” He spat the word like an epithet, his accusing gaze flicking to Liam.
Slowly, her muscles so taut she feared they’d snap, Honor shook her head. “I don’t want to go.”
“I don’t care what you want, you’re not wanted here! Get out!” her father exploded, flinging his arms outward. “Just get out and leave us the hell alone, both of you.” He shot her a venomous glare that sliced her to ribbons inside, then whirled away, giving her his back.
Honor absorbed it without reacting, already turning numb inside. She was still breathing in and out, but she wasn’t sure how. Her entire body felt like it was made of concrete, including her lungs.
She didn’t resist when Liam eased her back into his arms. He turned her to face him and cupped the back of her head in one hand, his eyes steady on hers as he wiped her tears away. “What do you want to do?”
I don’t know! She wanted to yell the words. It was all too much, the shock, their anger and blame, the guilt writhing inside her. The ring in her pocket seemed to burn through the denim, branding her skin. Had she driven Charity to this? Had she known on some level that this would happen and just hadn’t cared?
She took a step toward the door.
“Honor, no.”
The plea in her mother’s voice stopped her. When she turned her head, Honor found her reaching for her.
“Come here.” Her mother forced a wobbly smile and nodded in
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