Page 149 of A Little Crush
“It’ll only waste time,” I clarify. Hades leans his weight against my side, and I close my eyes, threading my fingersthrough his thick fur while balancing an angry Poppy with my opposite hand. “I’ll meet you there.”
“What?”
“I can drive, Dad?—”
“I know, but?—”
“I’ll meet you at the hospital. I have to go.” I disconnect the call and press my forehead to Poppy’s peach fuzz. God, she feels even hotter. If we don’t get there soon, she could seize. Thanks to Finley and Aunt Kate having epilepsy, I’m aware a seizure is the last thing anyone would want Poppy to experience. So even though it kills me, even though I could puke at the thought alone, I push to my feet, cradling a very distraught Poppy against me. “I got you, Pops,” I promise, despite the acid lining my throat. I swallow past it and grab my keys from the counter. “I got you.”
52
RORY
Fear is a funny thing. The way it can fog your mind, yet makes your focus so lasered in it’s hard to see anything else. The chair in the corner of the room is stiff, and the fabric feels scratchy, but thanks to my dizziness, I keep my butt planted where it is. On that stupid chair. They took Poppy to a different room so they could start an IV. You’d think I’d feel better now. Knowing her safety is in the right hands. It doesn’t help. I need to see her. To know she’s okay.
Please be okay.
My hands are still shaking. I doubt they’ll stop anytime soon. After arriving at the hospital, I tried calling Iris a dozen more times, but the call would never go through. It only feeds my anxiety. The doctor reassured me I did the right thing, and Poppy’s in good hands. They’re just trying to get the fever down.
It doesn’t make things any easier. I feel absolutely helpless.
“Here she is,” the nurse informs me, carrying a tiny Poppy over to me. My gaze catches on the IV in her arm as shehiccups and reaches for me. Flashbacks of Archer in a room so similar to this, with tubes and machines and my fear.
Not the time, I silently remind myself.She isn’t Archer.
Wiping the tears from my face, I take Poppy from the nurse, careful not to jostle her too much. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she returns. “She did great, and her fever’s already coming down. The IV will also keep her a little cooler, since the fluids are cold, and now we just wait for the antibiotics to do their job.” She reaches for a tissue and hands it to me. “Here.”
“Thanks,” I choke out, taking it from her before dabbing at my face with my free hand while balancing Poppy on my lap.
“I’ll be right back to check in, okay?”
I nod, unable to speak as Poppy’s exhausted body melts against me. She’s so tiny. So delicate and fragile in her little onesie. Another wave of grief filters through me, and I sniffle, dropping a kiss to her velvety soft hair. “Love you, Pops. Love you so freaking”—I hiccup—“much.” My eyes feel as dry as sandpaper from all my stupid crying, but I can’t convince my tear ducts to stop.
She’s okay.
Jaxon arrives a few minutes later with our parents in tow. When he sees me, he rushes closer, and he swallows me in a hug, careful not to squish a sleeping Poppy in my lap as I stay seated on the same scratchy chair. And it’s funny. The power in a simple hug. I swear it has the power to fix anything. I squeeze my eyes shut, grateful for it in a way he’ll never fully understand. It’s like I can finally pass the baton. Like I can finally let go and allow him to take over. Like I can finally acknowledge the crippling fear I’ve been pushing aside in an attempt to be strong enough for her. For our little Pops.
“I got you,” he rasps. “I got you.”
Nuzzling closer into his chest, I take a deep breath, letting his familiar scent ground me.
It’s going to be okay. He’s got me. He’s got Pops. Everything is going to be okay.
“How is she?” he asks.
“She’s okay.” I let him go, and my parents take his place, giving me and Pops a quick squeeze before Aunt Ashlyn and Uncle Colt do the same.
“They had to start an IV, but the fever’s down, and they’ve given her a round of antibiotics,” I tell them, replaying everything that’s happened since we arrived so I can pass on as much information as possible. But it’s been a whirlwind of chaos, and I have no doubt I’m missing a lot. “I’m sure the nurses will be in again any second and can give you all the details. It feels like they’ve barely left the room.”
At that moment, a gentleknock, knocksounds from the hall, and the same nurse who’s been helping Poppy steps into the room. “Hey, it looks like everyone made it.”
“Hello.” Jaxon’s long legs bring him closer to the nurse as he strides across the room and offers his hand for her to shake. “I’m Jax, Poppy’s dad. How is she?”
“She’s doing really well, all things considered. She has an ear infection, which can be really scary, but it’s completely normal for something like this to cause a fever, especially in kids Poppy’s age.” She tacks on a reassuring smile. “We’ve been keeping a close eye on her, and the fever broke, which was our main concern. She’s very lucky to have you two,” she continues. “And the good news is, she’s going to make a full recovery.”
A full recovery.
