"Where's Markie?" I asked.
The two stepped aside so I could see behind them. Markie was lying on the ground, her skin worrisomely pale.
"Shh, she's asleep," Georgio whispered. "She has a headache."
I could tell by looking at her that she was more than sleeping. My feet felt glued to the floor as I watched her chest, hoping it would rise and fall with a breath.
She should have heard us. She should have woken up. Why is she so pale?
"Markie?" Ariana asked. She rushed past us and fell to her knees beside her unconscious sister. "Wake up. It's time to go home."
Markie didn't even stir.
Ariana gave Markie's shoulders a firm shake.
No response.
"Get up." Ariana's voice cracked. "This isn't funny, okay?"
"Is she messin' with you?" Myles asked.
Ariana shook her head. "No. I think something's wrong. She's not... she's not responding."
I couldn't move. All I could do was stand there and watch as my world shattered. I'd found her, but I was too late.
"Is she breathing?" Bones asked, stepping forward to check.
Tension and fear mounted. The twins started crying and asking what was going on.
"Breathing. She has a pulse," Bones announced, pulling me from my stupor. "She's not dead, Ari. We need to get her to a hospital."
Ariana pulled out her phone. "I'm calling for an ambulance."
I reached out and grabbed her phone, stopping the call. "No. It'll come across the police scanner and..." I glanced at the twins. "Just no."
Ariana looked like she was going to argue, but didn't. I gently lifted Markie, cradling her in my arms as I carried her to the car. We sent Myles back to the orphanage, and then Bones, Ariana, Luciana, Georgio, Markie, and I all piled into Bones's mom's tiny Honda and headed for the hospital.
"Angel, you need to call your father," Bones said.
With my arms still wrapped around Markie, I somehow managed to phone the old man and tell him we were taking the twins to the hospital.
"Will she ever wake up?" Luciana asked, her big, innocent eyes heavy with tears.
She had to. Dr. Monte had sent the scans to some specialist. We were confident Markie could get treatment. We needed more time.
I tried to be strong for my little sister, but could barely get any words out. "I don't know."
We made it to the emergency room where a nurse had me lay Markie on a stretcher. I was vaguely aware of my family surrounding us and taking the twins. Nurses wheeled Markie through double doors and I followed, refusing to let her out of my sight.
Bones and Ariana stood outside the room, but I went in. When the nurses couldn't get me to leave, they gave up and made me dress in scrubs. I stayed by her side as doctors came and went. Finally, family was allowed in. Mamma was the first to enter.
"The specialist is on his way," she assured me. "Dr. Monte says this guy's the best, and he's confident he can remove the tumor."
"When will he be here?"
"His flight should be here in a little over an hour. We're doing everything we can, Angel."
"I know. Thank you."
