Page 17 of This Time I'm Keeping You
“Shut up!All of you,” he added, sending a menacing look around the table that his younger siblings knew well.“Now I want to drink, eat, and hear all your news.I do not want to hear one more word about Poppy Sylvester.Is that understood?”
“Just one more question,” Em said.“Does she have family or friends who can take her home from the hospital?Because if not, who will?She can’t take a cab, surely?”
“I’ll take her home!Now shut up.”
Em sat back on her stool with a smug smile he had no idea how to interpret but knew it wasn’t good.
“Where are the books you got signed for me and Aunt Jean?”Gracie asked.
“I lost them somewhere.Possibly when I ran to help Poppy.”
“You are getting us more though, right?”Gracie said.
“Fine, I will try.All right?”
She nodded.
Thankfully, the others started talking, and everyone but him soon forgot Poppy.
Is she okay?
They laughed, joked, and talked seriously when serious talk was required, and Nick managed to enjoy the night even though Poppy was in the back of his head.At midnight, they called it quits.
“See you at home on Sunday.Twelve, right?”he said to his siblings when he reached his vehicle.“Is Gracie still picking up Aunt Jean on the way?”
“Yes, and seeing as you already got a gift, or will get a gift, we’ll leave you out of the money collection,” Gracie said.“But you get to man the grill, otherwise Dad will burn everything.”
Nick got in his pickup and started it.He then sat tapping the steering wheel for several seconds before putting it in Drive.Turning left instead of right, which would take him to his home, he headed to the hospital.
Chapter7
Walking through the hospital emergency department doors, Nick took the elevator to Poppy’s floor.It was late, but the place still had people wandering the halls—some in uniform and some not.He nodded and smiled and wondered if someone was going to stop him from getting in to see Poppy.
“Can I help you?”the woman behind the reception desk asked as he approached.She looked tired, and there was a stain on her uniform he was fairly sure he didn’t want to know the origin of.He checked her name badge.
“Hey, Nila.Long day?”
Her face moved into a smile and then a yawn.
“The longest.”
“How many hours left on your shift?”
She looked at the clock behind him on the wall.“An hour.”
Nick smiled.
“I’m getting drive-through on the way home,” she added.
“Nice.Look, I know it’s late and visiting hours are long over, Nila, but my friend is terrified of hospitals, and I’d like to check on her before I head home.I’ve had at least ten panicked text messages about her death if she has to stay in here.I just need to settle her down for the night.”
He had no problem lying if he got to make sure Poppy was okay.
“I’m sorry.We can’t allow that.”
“She’s in a room on her own.If she’s sleeping, I’ll leave,” Nick said, giving her a slow smile—the one Poppy said opened zippers in college.
“Well….”
