across the parking lot. The tires of her car buckled from the intense heat. The dashboard stayed in one piece as it was ripped free and propelled through the back window. It landed on top of the Dumpster across the lot.
Kate lay unconscious on the floor, unaware of the destruction surrounding her.
Chapter Thirteen
“Déjà vu.”
Those were the first words out of Kiera’s mouth when she was finally allowed to see her sister. Kate had been taken to the Silver Springs hospital and had just been moved to her room and helped into her bed when both her sisters came storming in.
“Haven’t you been there and done that already?” Kiera asked with a worried smile. She was so overcome with joy that Kate hadn’t been seriously injured there were tears in her eyes.
Isabel was beside herself. “You could have been killed. Why do you have to do things like this?”
“She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Kiera said.
Isabel was shaking her head. “That’s it, Kate. I’m not going to ever let you leave the house again. I’ll even give up college and stay home to make sure you stay put and out of harm’s way.”
“Isabel, you’re not being reasonable,” Kiera said.
“Reasonable?” She sounded frantic now. “Is it reasonable to get yourself blown up twice in one week? Is that reasonable?” She looked at Kate, pointed a finger, and stammered, “You scared me.” She burst into tears and turned her back on Kate. “I mean it. I’m not going to college.”
Kiera walked over to the bed. “She’s been like this since we heard, but now that she knows you’re fine, she’ll stop crying.”
Kate’s head was killing her, and it was difficult to follow the conversation. She was in a dark room, but when Isabel pulled the drapes open, Kate winced. Isabel noticed and immediately closed them again.
“You were really lucky. Your skull should have been split wide open.”
“Oh, that’s a picture I won’t soon be forgetting, Kiera,” Isabel snapped. She grabbed a tissue and wiped her eyes.
“Jordan’s called a couple of times,” Kiera said, ignoring Isabel now. “She’s worried about you.”
“How did she know—”
“She called to say hello and Isabel told her what happened and how the fire department had to pry you out of your car. It’s totaled, by the way.”
“You should be thankful I didn’t call Aunt Nora. She’s only now unpacking, I bet, but she would have dropped everything and come back here. She’d make sure you didn’t take any more crazy chances,” Isabel said.
Kate closed her eyes. “When can I go home?”
“Tomorrow at the earliest. The doctor may want to keep you longer.”
Isabel’s voice shook. “Your face looks sunburned. It’s probably from the fire. Kate, do you have any idea how close you came to being killed?”
“You aren’t going to start crying again, are you?” Kiera asked.
“Sorry. I can’t be a robot like you and keep my emotions all bottled up.”
Kiera didn’t respond to the comment. “We should go and let you rest,” she said to Kate.
“Wait,” Kate whispered, surprised her voice sounded so weak. “What happened?”
“You don’t remember?”
She started to shake her head and quickly changed her mind. Pain shot up to the top of her skull.
“They think it was a gas leak,” Kiera said.
“We heard it on the radio on the way over,” Isabel said. “It must have been a gas leak because it’s taking forever to put out the fire.”
Kiera changed the subject. “You were fortunate the neurologist was here,” she said. “I talked to him, and he said he was happy with the scans. It appears you’re going to come out of this without any serious injuries.”
“Kiera was concerned you jarred something loose in your brain,” Isabel said.
“No, you were concerned,” Kiera countered.
“Okay, it was me. The doctor was so cute. You know what, Kiera.”
“Oh God, here we go again.”
“I was just going to say that he
Kate lay unconscious on the floor, unaware of the destruction surrounding her.
Chapter Thirteen
“Déjà vu.”
Those were the first words out of Kiera’s mouth when she was finally allowed to see her sister. Kate had been taken to the Silver Springs hospital and had just been moved to her room and helped into her bed when both her sisters came storming in.
“Haven’t you been there and done that already?” Kiera asked with a worried smile. She was so overcome with joy that Kate hadn’t been seriously injured there were tears in her eyes.
Isabel was beside herself. “You could have been killed. Why do you have to do things like this?”
“She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Kiera said.
Isabel was shaking her head. “That’s it, Kate. I’m not going to ever let you leave the house again. I’ll even give up college and stay home to make sure you stay put and out of harm’s way.”
“Isabel, you’re not being reasonable,” Kiera said.
“Reasonable?” She sounded frantic now. “Is it reasonable to get yourself blown up twice in one week? Is that reasonable?” She looked at Kate, pointed a finger, and stammered, “You scared me.” She burst into tears and turned her back on Kate. “I mean it. I’m not going to college.”
Kiera walked over to the bed. “She’s been like this since we heard, but now that she knows you’re fine, she’ll stop crying.”
Kate’s head was killing her, and it was difficult to follow the conversation. She was in a dark room, but when Isabel pulled the drapes open, Kate winced. Isabel noticed and immediately closed them again.
“You were really lucky. Your skull should have been split wide open.”
“Oh, that’s a picture I won’t soon be forgetting, Kiera,” Isabel snapped. She grabbed a tissue and wiped her eyes.
“Jordan’s called a couple of times,” Kiera said, ignoring Isabel now. “She’s worried about you.”
“How did she know—”
“She called to say hello and Isabel told her what happened and how the fire department had to pry you out of your car. It’s totaled, by the way.”
“You should be thankful I didn’t call Aunt Nora. She’s only now unpacking, I bet, but she would have dropped everything and come back here. She’d make sure you didn’t take any more crazy chances,” Isabel said.
Kate closed her eyes. “When can I go home?”
“Tomorrow at the earliest. The doctor may want to keep you longer.”
Isabel’s voice shook. “Your face looks sunburned. It’s probably from the fire. Kate, do you have any idea how close you came to being killed?”
“You aren’t going to start crying again, are you?” Kiera asked.
“Sorry. I can’t be a robot like you and keep my emotions all bottled up.”
Kiera didn’t respond to the comment. “We should go and let you rest,” she said to Kate.
“Wait,” Kate whispered, surprised her voice sounded so weak. “What happened?”
“You don’t remember?”
She started to shake her head and quickly changed her mind. Pain shot up to the top of her skull.
“They think it was a gas leak,” Kiera said.
“We heard it on the radio on the way over,” Isabel said. “It must have been a gas leak because it’s taking forever to put out the fire.”
Kiera changed the subject. “You were fortunate the neurologist was here,” she said. “I talked to him, and he said he was happy with the scans. It appears you’re going to come out of this without any serious injuries.”
“Kiera was concerned you jarred something loose in your brain,” Isabel said.
“No, you were concerned,” Kiera countered.
“Okay, it was me. The doctor was so cute. You know what, Kiera.”
“Oh God, here we go again.”
“I was just going to say that he
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