Better

Chapter 4

Emma closed her test booklet, sealing it shut. She grabbed her pencil as she stood, carrying her answers to the front of the room. She dropped the pencil into the box along with all of the other identical ones, laying her answer booklet on top of the others. She let out a deep breath, stepping back as she offered the professor a nod.

She walked back up to her seat, sitting down with a loud sigh. She looked around the classroom, a smile growing on her face as she realized she had been one of the first people to finish, something that rarely occurred. But she had known everything on the test, even having enough time to check over her answers. She pulled out her phone, hoping to see a text or message from Tyler, but her notifications were empty, her heart sinking. Please be okay.

She put on her navy rain jacket, throwing her bag over her shoulder as she stood, offering a smile to Katherine who was erasing an answer, again. Emma walked to the door, smiling as for once she felt good about a test. She pulled out her umbrella, opening it as she walked outside. The rain was coming down in buckets, the streets flooding along with everything else. It was raining so heavily one could barely see five feet in front of them.

Emma ran to her car, her rain boots splashing in the puddles. She pulled out her keys, quickly opening the door where she then had to figure out how to close the umbrella without getting soaked. Once she shut the door, the car roared to life, the radio coming on as she changed gears, pulling out into the parking lot. She drove with her lights on, crawling along the road as if one went too fast, they were sure to get into an accident.

Eventually, she reached the hospital, pulling into her usual parking spot. She stepped out, deciding she would leave her bag and umbrella in the car. She zipped her phone in her water proof pocket along with her keys, taking a deep breath before she opened the door. She ran through the rain, feeling childish as the rain splashed under her feet. She smiled to herself as she saw her breath in front of her, the sound of the rain hitting her hood filling her ears.

She reached the door, quickly entering the hospital. "Hi Deb" Emma smiled as she passed, showing the security guard her ID. She entered the common room, her eyes doing a sweep of the room. No Dylan. "Shit" she groaned, jogging to the window, looking out onto the patio. He wasn't there and she wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad thing. She backed away from the window, pulling off her hood. "Excuse me" Emma smiled, walking over to one of the nurses which she had spoken to the first day.

"Hi, how can I help you?" she asked, her eyes wide along with her smile. Emma tried not to let it creep her out.

"Um, yeah, I'm looking for Dylan Rockwell, he's my partner" Emma explained, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She tilted her head to the side, pursing her lips.

"Oh, I remember you. Still haven't switched partners?" she asked, Emma sighed in frustration. She bit her lip, holding back rude words.

"Nope. So um I'd really like some help finding him" Emma forced a smile, the woman nodding as she stepped back, discussing something quietly with another nurse. Emma sighed heavily, looking around the room again, hoping that some how she had missed him but as the second search confirmed, he wasn't in there.

The nurse turned back around, smiling. "Dylan's in his room. He's in one of his moods" the nurse explained, Emma's eye brows furrowing together.

"Why? What happened?" she asked, her heart rate increasing. The nurse chuckled softly, shaking her head.

"What hasn't happened, is the better question. I mean he's got P.T.S.D, acute anxiety and depression, everything has happened to-"

"No I mean what happened to set him off" Emma interrupted, pausing to let that sink in. She knew Dylan had his issues but that was the first time she had heard his full diagnosis. The nurse blinked, smiling again once she understood the question.