turned his head to find Marisa’s mother pale and wide-eyed. He gave a start to see so many people watching from a few feet away.
“Her pulse is steady.”
“She will live?”
“I don’t see any broken bones, Anjelita. I don’t know if she’s injured.”
“She has never been in an accident before. All these bad things happening.” She crossed herself.
Nick had thought the same thing; only it had begun with his dad’s death. “I won’t let her die.” It was a stupid, rash promise he couldn’t possibly keep, but he’d die trying.
Anjelita’s eyes filled. “Thank you.”
And just like that he felt like a hero, with nothing but a lie. But it hadn’t felt like a lie. In fact, Marisa’s pulse felt stronger under his fingers.
The noisy Jaws of Life halted further conversation. Finally, Marisa’s door was opened. Nick leaped from his seat and barreled around the car.
“Nick!” Brian shouted.
But then Nick remembered how to be an EMT, how to protect an accident victim from further trauma, how to probe for injuries. As he worked alongside the Watkins Glen paramedics, Marisa groaned.
Her eyes fluttered open. “What happened?”
“You were in a car accident,” Nick said. His legs trembled and he leaned against the car for support.
Her eyes flew to his. “The brakes wouldn’t work. Oh my God, Nick, I couldn’t stop the car!”
• • •
The Montour Falls ER staff poked, prodded, scanned and x-rayed Marisa for hours after the accident. Finally, they shook their heads, proclaimed it a miracle she hadn’t received more than a bump on the head and numerous bruises, and cleared her to go home.
Throughout the ordeal, both Nick and her mother had stayed by her side. Her mother she understood, but Nick? There was a wild look in his eyes, not one she’d ever seen before, and one she couldn’t name. He had a white bandage on his arm covering a deep scratch he didn’t know how he got, but the blood stains on both of them told her it had happened in her car.
Now that she officially had calmed everyone’s fears for her health, she realized where she was and what she had to do. It was as though fate had wanted to make sure she came here.
She swallowed and took hold of her mother’s hand. “Mamá, it’s time.”
Anjelita frowned. “Time, mi hija ?”
“For the test.”
Her mother looked terrified for a moment, but then she nodded. “Yes.”
“What test?” Nick straightened in his chair. “I thought the doctor cleared you.”
“The DNA test. Remember, I’m supposed to have it done here.”
“Oh.” He glanced toward the nurse’s station. “They’ll be able to direct us.”
In moments, she was whisked off to a lab where a very bright-eyed technician and a Middle Eastern man in a white lab jacket waited.
The man introduced himself as Dr. Ziad Smail. “The Watkins Glen lawyer briefed me. You can be assured I’ll handle the test personally in the most expeditious manner possible.”
Nerves fluttered in Marisa’s stomach. This was it. She’d finally find out the answer she’d been waiting for.
“Whose DNA will you compare it to?” Nick asked.
Marisa’s gaze jerked to him. That hadn’t occurred to her. How would they track down the man who’d left town because her mother was pregnant?
“Watkins Glen is getting a court order to exhume Andrew Easterling’s body.”
“What!” Marisa exclaimed.
Her mother swooned, groaning, and Nick caught her, easing Anjelita gently into a chair. The technician brought smelling salts and waved it under Anjelita’s nose until her mother pushed the young man away.
“Mamá, are you all right?”
“Poor Andrew! To defile his grave like that.”
“There is another way.” Everyone in the room looked at Nick. He took a deep breath and continued. “His daughter, Carolyn Wentworth, is in the morgue. You could test her.”
“Oh, God.” Marisa covered her mouth and closed her eyes, fighting off sickness.
“A half-sister?” Dr. Smail
“Her pulse is steady.”
“She will live?”
“I don’t see any broken bones, Anjelita. I don’t know if she’s injured.”
“She has never been in an accident before. All these bad things happening.” She crossed herself.
Nick had thought the same thing; only it had begun with his dad’s death. “I won’t let her die.” It was a stupid, rash promise he couldn’t possibly keep, but he’d die trying.
Anjelita’s eyes filled. “Thank you.”
And just like that he felt like a hero, with nothing but a lie. But it hadn’t felt like a lie. In fact, Marisa’s pulse felt stronger under his fingers.
The noisy Jaws of Life halted further conversation. Finally, Marisa’s door was opened. Nick leaped from his seat and barreled around the car.
“Nick!” Brian shouted.
But then Nick remembered how to be an EMT, how to protect an accident victim from further trauma, how to probe for injuries. As he worked alongside the Watkins Glen paramedics, Marisa groaned.
Her eyes fluttered open. “What happened?”
“You were in a car accident,” Nick said. His legs trembled and he leaned against the car for support.
Her eyes flew to his. “The brakes wouldn’t work. Oh my God, Nick, I couldn’t stop the car!”
• • •
The Montour Falls ER staff poked, prodded, scanned and x-rayed Marisa for hours after the accident. Finally, they shook their heads, proclaimed it a miracle she hadn’t received more than a bump on the head and numerous bruises, and cleared her to go home.
Throughout the ordeal, both Nick and her mother had stayed by her side. Her mother she understood, but Nick? There was a wild look in his eyes, not one she’d ever seen before, and one she couldn’t name. He had a white bandage on his arm covering a deep scratch he didn’t know how he got, but the blood stains on both of them told her it had happened in her car.
Now that she officially had calmed everyone’s fears for her health, she realized where she was and what she had to do. It was as though fate had wanted to make sure she came here.
She swallowed and took hold of her mother’s hand. “Mamá, it’s time.”
Anjelita frowned. “Time, mi hija ?”
“For the test.”
Her mother looked terrified for a moment, but then she nodded. “Yes.”
“What test?” Nick straightened in his chair. “I thought the doctor cleared you.”
“The DNA test. Remember, I’m supposed to have it done here.”
“Oh.” He glanced toward the nurse’s station. “They’ll be able to direct us.”
In moments, she was whisked off to a lab where a very bright-eyed technician and a Middle Eastern man in a white lab jacket waited.
The man introduced himself as Dr. Ziad Smail. “The Watkins Glen lawyer briefed me. You can be assured I’ll handle the test personally in the most expeditious manner possible.”
Nerves fluttered in Marisa’s stomach. This was it. She’d finally find out the answer she’d been waiting for.
“Whose DNA will you compare it to?” Nick asked.
Marisa’s gaze jerked to him. That hadn’t occurred to her. How would they track down the man who’d left town because her mother was pregnant?
“Watkins Glen is getting a court order to exhume Andrew Easterling’s body.”
“What!” Marisa exclaimed.
Her mother swooned, groaning, and Nick caught her, easing Anjelita gently into a chair. The technician brought smelling salts and waved it under Anjelita’s nose until her mother pushed the young man away.
“Mamá, are you all right?”
“Poor Andrew! To defile his grave like that.”
“There is another way.” Everyone in the room looked at Nick. He took a deep breath and continued. “His daughter, Carolyn Wentworth, is in the morgue. You could test her.”
“Oh, God.” Marisa covered her mouth and closed her eyes, fighting off sickness.
“A half-sister?” Dr. Smail
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