couldn’t hear, so I got up quickly and walked to the lobby where I found a quiet corner.
"Claire, don't freak out, but we are headed to the hospital with Maggie. She fell. I think she may need stitches."
My heart began to race as I listened to the next voicemail.
"Okay, we just got to the hospital. Call me!"
Frantic, I listened to the next message.
"Claire, everything is okay. I just want to say they’ve taken her to an examining room. I’m not sure my phone will work in there."
I glanced at the time. It was only five minutes since the last call. I dialed Annie’s number, but it went straight to voicemail. Shit! I needed to find Buck and get to the hospital. I scanned the lobby for his tall figure and spotted him, but halfway there I stopped in my tracks. He was talking to his colleagues, but next to him, her tentacles draped around him, was Jenny. She was whispering into his ear, her hands all over him. I swallowed nausea at the sight. At that moment Jenny looked up at me, a devilish grin forming on her face. She leaned into Buck and kissed his cheek, never taking her eyes off me. Bile rose up my throat. Abruptly, I turned and walked toward the lobby. I found the exit and continued outside, not even worrying about my jacket. Tears crashed down my cheeks. I was at least a mile and a half away from the hospital, but I didn't care. I needed to be with Maggie. I headed in that direction, scared for Maggie and heartbroken by Buck. How could I trust him so easily? Why would he let her touch him all over while on a date with me? My phone began to ring. I grabbed it and looked at the name. Buck . I hit the ignore button. I began to shake from the cold but my skin was on fire.
By the time I arrived at the hospital, my feet were aching. The warm blast of air in the lobby burned my skin. I looked frantically around the waiting area, searching for someone to tell me what was going on. I hurried to a nurse sitting at a desk.
"I’m looking for my daughter, Maggie Blair. She was brought in by my sister, Annie Grayson." The nurse clicked at the keys on her computer.
"Yes, she’s in room five. Just go through there and you will see it." She pointed at a set of double doors to her left.
I pushed through the doors, scanning for room five. I noticed Matt pacing in the hallway. He looked up and saw me, relief evident in his expression.
"What happened? Is Maggie okay?"
"She’s fine. She knocked over a vase and slipped and cut her hand." Tears filled my eyes. I pushed past Matt and into the room.
"Mommy, I'm getting stitches!" Maggie exclaimed. Only my little girl would think this was cool. I took a deep breath. She just had a small cut on her hand needing only a few stitches. I wrapped her in my arms, Rose and Annie watching with pale faces.
"Are you okay, sweetie?" I asked. Maggie nodded. "Are you okay, Annie?" She looked sick, but shook her head no. "Why don't you go get some coffee? I’m here, so I can take care of Maggie." Both Annie and Rose left the room looking like zombies. I shook my head at the sight.
"Annie doesn't like blood. Neither does Rose. I thought they were going to puke."
An older balding man walked in just as I was about to laugh at Maggie's comment. He put three tiny stitches in her hand and gave her a sucker and a pair of doctor gloves she absolutely adored. We returned to the waiting room and to my sister and her family.
"Claire, I am so sorry! It happened so quick. One minute we were dancing, the next there was blood everywhere."
"It was a couple of drops" Matt stated.
"It was a bloodbath!" Annie appeared ready to faint.
"It's not anyone's fault,” I assured her. “I’m just glad Maggie is all right. Do you think you can give us a ride home?"
"Where's Buck, and how did you get here?"
"I walked, so can we get going? I think I’ve had enough excitement for one night."
"You walked? Why? What happened?" Annie gave me a questioning look as we started for the car.
"I don't want to talk about
"Claire, don't freak out, but we are headed to the hospital with Maggie. She fell. I think she may need stitches."
My heart began to race as I listened to the next voicemail.
"Okay, we just got to the hospital. Call me!"
Frantic, I listened to the next message.
"Claire, everything is okay. I just want to say they’ve taken her to an examining room. I’m not sure my phone will work in there."
I glanced at the time. It was only five minutes since the last call. I dialed Annie’s number, but it went straight to voicemail. Shit! I needed to find Buck and get to the hospital. I scanned the lobby for his tall figure and spotted him, but halfway there I stopped in my tracks. He was talking to his colleagues, but next to him, her tentacles draped around him, was Jenny. She was whispering into his ear, her hands all over him. I swallowed nausea at the sight. At that moment Jenny looked up at me, a devilish grin forming on her face. She leaned into Buck and kissed his cheek, never taking her eyes off me. Bile rose up my throat. Abruptly, I turned and walked toward the lobby. I found the exit and continued outside, not even worrying about my jacket. Tears crashed down my cheeks. I was at least a mile and a half away from the hospital, but I didn't care. I needed to be with Maggie. I headed in that direction, scared for Maggie and heartbroken by Buck. How could I trust him so easily? Why would he let her touch him all over while on a date with me? My phone began to ring. I grabbed it and looked at the name. Buck . I hit the ignore button. I began to shake from the cold but my skin was on fire.
By the time I arrived at the hospital, my feet were aching. The warm blast of air in the lobby burned my skin. I looked frantically around the waiting area, searching for someone to tell me what was going on. I hurried to a nurse sitting at a desk.
"I’m looking for my daughter, Maggie Blair. She was brought in by my sister, Annie Grayson." The nurse clicked at the keys on her computer.
"Yes, she’s in room five. Just go through there and you will see it." She pointed at a set of double doors to her left.
I pushed through the doors, scanning for room five. I noticed Matt pacing in the hallway. He looked up and saw me, relief evident in his expression.
"What happened? Is Maggie okay?"
"She’s fine. She knocked over a vase and slipped and cut her hand." Tears filled my eyes. I pushed past Matt and into the room.
"Mommy, I'm getting stitches!" Maggie exclaimed. Only my little girl would think this was cool. I took a deep breath. She just had a small cut on her hand needing only a few stitches. I wrapped her in my arms, Rose and Annie watching with pale faces.
"Are you okay, sweetie?" I asked. Maggie nodded. "Are you okay, Annie?" She looked sick, but shook her head no. "Why don't you go get some coffee? I’m here, so I can take care of Maggie." Both Annie and Rose left the room looking like zombies. I shook my head at the sight.
"Annie doesn't like blood. Neither does Rose. I thought they were going to puke."
An older balding man walked in just as I was about to laugh at Maggie's comment. He put three tiny stitches in her hand and gave her a sucker and a pair of doctor gloves she absolutely adored. We returned to the waiting room and to my sister and her family.
"Claire, I am so sorry! It happened so quick. One minute we were dancing, the next there was blood everywhere."
"It was a couple of drops" Matt stated.
"It was a bloodbath!" Annie appeared ready to faint.
"It's not anyone's fault,” I assured her. “I’m just glad Maggie is all right. Do you think you can give us a ride home?"
"Where's Buck, and how did you get here?"
"I walked, so can we get going? I think I’ve had enough excitement for one night."
"You walked? Why? What happened?" Annie gave me a questioning look as we started for the car.
"I don't want to talk about
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