and relax. Before we hung up, I asked him to pick up a used laptop if he had a chance on their way up. Lainie could use it to start writing her book instead of the notebooks; she had already filled up two of them and was working on the third. I picked up three more and added them to the pile of groceries in case he couldn’t find one.
For a little Mom-and-Pop store, they sure had a good selection. I picked out a couple of pork chops to cook for dinner before choosing some fresh produce for a salad. I almost got a bottle of strawberry vinaigrette until I remembered that Lainie was allergic to strawberries. I ended up getting the raspberry flavor instead.
The timer dinged, bringing me back to the present and letting me know the stuffed pork chops were done. I pulled them out of the oven to let them rest as I took the salad over to the table.
“Do you mind if I start on my salad?” Lainie asked as she scooped the leafy greens out of the bowl onto her plate.
“Go ahead, the chops need to rest for a few minutes before we eat.”
I sat down and scooped some salad onto my plate and admired her as she took a bite.
“What? Do I have dressing on my chin?” she asked, clearing her throat.
“No, just enjoying the view,” I replied as I got up and went over to get the chops. I heard her start coughing and clearing her throat again. Then she dropped her fork on her plate and started gasping.
“Lainie? What’s wrong?”
“Must be,” (cough), “strawberries,” (cough), “in the dressing…”
Shit. I grabbed the bottle and looked at the ingredients. My heart was in my throat when I saw strawberry extract on the list.
“No EpiPen.” She was gasping for air.
I grabbed the nearest cell phone and prayed the two bars of signal would last as I dialed Jordan’s cell number while lowering Lainie to the floor, praying she would pick up a call from an unknown number. Luck was on our side—she answered. “Lainie’s having an allergic reaction. Tell me what to do!”
“Jax? Get the first aid kit I sent with you. Elaine told me she left her EpiPen with her purse, so I put some epinephrine and syringes in there.”
After putting the phone on speaker mode, I tossed it down on the table and ran to the bathroom to pull the first aid kit out from underneath the sink. Running back to Lainie, I almost lost it when I saw her struggling to breathe, gasping and coughing, her lips starting to get tinged with blue.
“I’ve got it,” I said, opening the box looking for the vials.
“Jax, Elaine’s not going to be able to administer this to herself. You’re going to have to do it.”
Blood rushed out of my head at the thought of using a needle on her. My vision cleared when Jordan’s voice penetrated the fog in my brain. “Jackson. Focus. You have to do this or she will die.”
Lainie was barely moving any air, and her lips were blue. “God, Jordan. Tell me what to do.” My hands were shaking as I followed her instructions, willing myself not to pass out as I filled a syringe and tapped it to get the bubbles out.
“I have faith in you, Jax,” Jordan said as I turned to my precious love, seeing that she was barely breathing now. I swallowed hard, willing my hand to stab her with this needle. I hesitated. God, I can’t do this. I looked at Lainie and couldn’t see her breathing at all now. A lone tear dropped from my eye onto her hand, and I closed my eyes…
“Jackson! Jackson McKenna, you answer me.” I heard her voice as if from a distance. What? How did Jordan get here? I opened my eyes and saw the empty syringe in my hand. I dropped it fast.
Lainie’s chest was rising and falling as she gasped and coughed.
“I did it, Jordan,” I said as my brain processed what I had done. I stumbled to the door, almost puking right there on the rug. Once out on the porch, I leaned over the railing and dry heaved for what felt like an hour. My legs gave out from under me, and I slid down against the railing.
“Jax?”
For a little Mom-and-Pop store, they sure had a good selection. I picked out a couple of pork chops to cook for dinner before choosing some fresh produce for a salad. I almost got a bottle of strawberry vinaigrette until I remembered that Lainie was allergic to strawberries. I ended up getting the raspberry flavor instead.
The timer dinged, bringing me back to the present and letting me know the stuffed pork chops were done. I pulled them out of the oven to let them rest as I took the salad over to the table.
“Do you mind if I start on my salad?” Lainie asked as she scooped the leafy greens out of the bowl onto her plate.
“Go ahead, the chops need to rest for a few minutes before we eat.”
I sat down and scooped some salad onto my plate and admired her as she took a bite.
“What? Do I have dressing on my chin?” she asked, clearing her throat.
“No, just enjoying the view,” I replied as I got up and went over to get the chops. I heard her start coughing and clearing her throat again. Then she dropped her fork on her plate and started gasping.
“Lainie? What’s wrong?”
“Must be,” (cough), “strawberries,” (cough), “in the dressing…”
Shit. I grabbed the bottle and looked at the ingredients. My heart was in my throat when I saw strawberry extract on the list.
“No EpiPen.” She was gasping for air.
I grabbed the nearest cell phone and prayed the two bars of signal would last as I dialed Jordan’s cell number while lowering Lainie to the floor, praying she would pick up a call from an unknown number. Luck was on our side—she answered. “Lainie’s having an allergic reaction. Tell me what to do!”
“Jax? Get the first aid kit I sent with you. Elaine told me she left her EpiPen with her purse, so I put some epinephrine and syringes in there.”
After putting the phone on speaker mode, I tossed it down on the table and ran to the bathroom to pull the first aid kit out from underneath the sink. Running back to Lainie, I almost lost it when I saw her struggling to breathe, gasping and coughing, her lips starting to get tinged with blue.
“I’ve got it,” I said, opening the box looking for the vials.
“Jax, Elaine’s not going to be able to administer this to herself. You’re going to have to do it.”
Blood rushed out of my head at the thought of using a needle on her. My vision cleared when Jordan’s voice penetrated the fog in my brain. “Jackson. Focus. You have to do this or she will die.”
Lainie was barely moving any air, and her lips were blue. “God, Jordan. Tell me what to do.” My hands were shaking as I followed her instructions, willing myself not to pass out as I filled a syringe and tapped it to get the bubbles out.
“I have faith in you, Jax,” Jordan said as I turned to my precious love, seeing that she was barely breathing now. I swallowed hard, willing my hand to stab her with this needle. I hesitated. God, I can’t do this. I looked at Lainie and couldn’t see her breathing at all now. A lone tear dropped from my eye onto her hand, and I closed my eyes…
“Jackson! Jackson McKenna, you answer me.” I heard her voice as if from a distance. What? How did Jordan get here? I opened my eyes and saw the empty syringe in my hand. I dropped it fast.
Lainie’s chest was rising and falling as she gasped and coughed.
“I did it, Jordan,” I said as my brain processed what I had done. I stumbled to the door, almost puking right there on the rug. Once out on the porch, I leaned over the railing and dry heaved for what felt like an hour. My legs gave out from under me, and I slid down against the railing.
“Jax?”
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