Linger

S E V E N T Y - F I V E

My heart hadn't stopped racing all the way to the hospital.

Fortunately, right after we all received Daniel's email, we all left the game to get ready for prom. I ended up giving some lame excuse to Kelsey, telling her I'd catch up with her later. Whether the game ever started or not - I didn't know . . . All I could think about was Daniel and why he would even be at the hospital.

Countless possibilities spun through my mind at top speed but I didn't have it in me to even figure them out.

The hospital came into view and I turned into the parking lot, holding my breath and braced myself for the worst.

I tried to ignore the red letters that labelled the building or the amount of paramedics parked at the door as I walked up to the large building. But the knots in my stomach tightened as my legs grew heavier with each step.

Before I could even step up to the building, the automatic glass doors burst open, making my heart pound a million miles per minute.

Just one step inside the small room & panic instantly flooded me.

Nurses and doctors wearing white lab coats were bustling as they rushed in & out of the large door at the back of the door. The waiting room to my right was crammed with families, some holding each other as they cried into each other's arms and others simply sitting in silence as they waiting with anxious expressions. A television in the corner displayed the news, alerting viewers of a tragedy. But nobody was watching, too overwhelmed by the tragedy occurring in their lives to even pay attention to anything else.

I froze in my place.

What was I supposed to do?

Daniel called to meet me but he didn't say very much other than that.

Why was I here?

I dug in my pocket for my phone to call him--

"Madison."

I turned to see Daniel emerging from a door by the front desk with little Bennie and Jenny holding each of his hands.

A wave of relief washed over me and I rushed up to them. "What's going on?"

Daniel looked to his niece and nephew.

They remained quiet, staying close to his side.

My chest tightened, my mind spinning faster with even more worst case scenarios.

He lifted his eyes to me. Their gorgeous brown color filled with weary and exhaustion. Dark circles hung heavy beneath his eyes and the stubble along his jawline had grown darker and thicker. His usual neatly styled dark blonde hair was now disheveled and spiked up in odd places, as if he had run his fingers through it one time too many.

"We need to go," he said lowly.

"Where?" I asked, immediately mentally slapping my forehead. I needed to stop asking so many questions.

"Did you drive here?"

I nodded.

"Can--Can you give us a ride to Jade's place?"

I nodded again before turning toward the exit.

"Pardon," a new voice spoke up.

We all turned to see an older man in a lab coat walking up to us.

"Are you Daniel Hayden?" the man asked Daniel.

Daniel nodded. "I am. Y--Yes." He swallowed hard.

"Splendid. If I may have a word with you, Mr. Hayden, please."