Part 27 (1/2)
Riley ran around her desk, past Emma and out the door. Two seconds later she ran back in and said, ”Jock and Maddie were in an accident.”
Emma grabbed her tote and ran out with Riley. ”I'll come. Lock the door, I'll be right behind you. You might need me.”
For just a moment Riley was thinking, Why would I need you? But she didn't say anything, she just locked the door without bothering to check the office, turn off the lights or anything. She bolted for her car and without looking back at Emma, she jumped in and flew out of the parking lot and down the road.
She still had Maddie on the line. ”Okay, I'm driving. Tell me how you are,” she nearly shouted into the phone.
”We're here! I'm going in with Daddy! No more phones!”
Riley growled as they were disconnected.
It took thirty minutes to get to the hospital and Riley ran from the parking lot into the ER. She asked for Jock Curry or Maddie Kerrigan and was directed to the waiting area. ”But are they all right?” she asked in a booming voice.
”Mom?” a voice called. ”Mom?”
Ignoring all protocol, Riley pushed people aside to go into a treatment area where a series of beds were enclosed by curtains. ”Maddie?” she called.
”Here!” Maddie said.
Riley found her sitting on a bed, holding an ice pack to her forehead, tears running down her cheeks. She embraced her and squeezed her too tight.
”Mom, Daddy is hurt. They took him upstairs to see if he needs surgery. I had to call Gramma and Grandpa because I'm not old enough to make decisions for him.”
”Maddie, is he conscious?”
”He was talking a little. He has pain in his shoulder and stomach and he got a cut on the head that bled everywhere and he said he was bruised all over. He says he's fine. But the doctor says he's not fine and needs X-rays and stuff and to be checked for internal injuries and a head injury, so he's gone upstairs.”
”Have you been checked over?”
She nodded. She took away the ice pack to reveal a contusion. ”I might've hit his head. Someone just ran into us-kabam! She hit Daddy's side of the car and they could hardly get him out!” Then she burst into tears. ”Mom, what if he isn't okay?”
”Shh, Maddie. He was talking and conscious-that's a good sign. They'll take good care of him.”
Adam jogged into the front entrance of the hospital and Emma was there, waiting for him. ”How are they?” he asked.
”Maddie is fine and they've taken Jock to surgery, but they're not sure they're going to operate on him. He has some kind of spleen injury that they might be able to manage with medication, but they'll have to watch him, keep him. His parents came right away. Maddie and Riley won't leave until he's completely out of the woods. And I knew you'd want to see them.”
”Where are they?”
”They're all in the third floor waiting area outside of surgery. Quite the group.”
”Okay,” he said, grabbing her hand.
”Ah... I'm going to go. Will you call me if you need me? If there's any change?”
”You don't have to go, Emma.”
”I think I should. I'm not family and I'm not family of family. I just wanted to be here until everyone arrived, just in case...well, in case Riley needed me.”
”I'm going up there,” he said. He leaned toward her and kissed her on the forehead. ”Thank you. I'll call you the second I know something.”
”I'll be around. Go take care of your girls.”
Emma was glad to be leaving, though she was worried about Jock. She had a soft spot in her heart for the guy after his amends. If they kept him in the hospital for the weekend, she'd swing by and pay him a visit.
Her phone chimed with a text and she saw it was from Lyle.
Can you call or come by the shop before we close?
She got in her car and turned it on for a little heat, but she sat in the parking lot while she called Lyle. ”What's up?”
”You might want to hear this in person. Are you far away?”
”Half hour, I suppose. Just tell me. It's been a crazy day.”
”Well it's about to get crazier. Lauren Shay stopped by the shop today.”
”My sister?”
”She wanted me to get a message to you. Rosemary wants to see you.”
”Well, that's going to be pretty difficult as I can't go to Palm Springs,” Emma said.
”She's back. She's ill, Lauren says. She's back in the family home with Lauren and Anna and...” He took a breath. ”She's in hospice care.”
”Wow. What about her husband?”
”I didn't ask. I have no idea what this is about, just that she's back and she's apparently dying and she wants to see you. I have Lauren's number if you need it.”
”I don't know,” she said. ”You know I'm afraid of Rosemary. She's mean. Do you suppose she's thought of one last mean thing to do to me before she dies?”
”I'll go with you,” Lyle said. ”You might want to call Lauren and get more information before you walk into the lion's den.”
”Are you almost ready to close the shop?” she asked. ”Can we grab a gla.s.s of wine? I have a bottle in the refrigerator at home.”
”Won't you be with Adam?” he asked.
”Not for a while. See, Jock and Maddie were in a car accident and Adam's at the hospital. Maddie's all right but Jock isn't-they might have to remove his spleen. The call came while I was in Riley's office. We were having a little meeting because one of our clients murdered her husband and a cleaning crew found them.”
”And you want a gla.s.s of wine?” Lyle asked. ”If I'd had that kind of day I'd just hook up a nipple to the bottle and go to town.”
”Want to come over and watch me unwind? I'd like to talk out this situation with Rosemary.”
”I'll be there in about thirty minutes. Don't start without me.”
Adam found Riley alone in the waiting room and she jumped up when he came in.
”How did you know to come?” she asked. ”I was going to call you and Mom in a little while, but I didn't want to scare you. Maddie is okay.”