An Exchange

Chapter Fifty-Nine - A Night in Hospital

Giles

I shot out of Zoe's house, the door banging behind me. A tight knot crushed my stomach as tears burned my eyes. What had he done to her? How could he even dream of hurting her?

"Giles!" Zoe dashed up beside e, catching my elbow before I climbed into my car. "What's going on?"

"I can't..." Seeing Seth hurry up behind her made everything hurt so much more-for them, for Penny, for me. "I have to go."

"What is it?"

"Penny." I flopped into the car before she could ask anymore and drove away.

Plugging my phone into the speakers, I went to call Jonas, but remembered his phone was with Penny. So I called their landline.

"Giles?" Brother Taylor said in a heavy voice. "Is everything all right?"

"I don't know." I let out a long breath. "I need to pick up Penny. I don't know the details, but I think she's hurt."

"She's hurt?" His voice rose, suddenly alert. "Where? What happened?"

"I don't know." I pulled over, tears blurring my vision. "All I know is that she needs help. I'll call you back when I know more."

"Pat!" he called, then turned his attention to me. "We'll be praying, you get to her as fast as you can."

He hung up.

I fought back the tears, taking deep breaths. She'll be okay, she just has to be.

Several minutes later, I turned onto the street. Ryan stood by the side of the road with a rag doll version of Penny under his arm. Everything inside me turned cold.

*

Ryan

I marched across the lawn and stood by the street, gazing up and down the endless string of parked cars. I didn't even know what car Giles drove, so I stood there and waited, hoping he would see us. Within moments a car pulled up and Giles leaped out. He rushed over, grabbing Penny's arm and taking some of her weight from me.

"What did you do?" he hissed at me.

"I didn't do anything. Someone tampered with her drink."

He pulled us over and sat her in the back seat. I stood back and let Giles buckle her in.

The movement roused her and stared at him. "Giles? What are you doing here?"

He met her gaze and smiled. "Oh, not much. Just lending a helping hand."

She smiled back and touched his hair. "That's my Giles-always the first to help out." Her hand dropped and she grasped his tightly. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

He stared at her, then he touched her face with his free hand. "Don't be sorry. Never be sorry. Not for me."

A tear ran down her cheek. "How could you love me, Giles?"

I shifted uncomfortably, seeing something in her eyes and hearing something in her voice that made my blood run cold.

Giles pulled back sharply. "Now's not the time."

He stood, closed the door, and turned to me. "What's going on?"

I rubbed my eyes feeling a headache coming on. "Someone must have slipped her something at some point. I don't know when, but she just kinda lost control."

I gestured to her in the car.

He glared at me and pulled open the passenger side door. "Get in."