His skin turned to ice, and a fist wrapped around his heart, squeezing and twisting…yanking him back into the past. Into a time when the world had been dark and lonely.
His phone rang, and he looked down to see Jesse’s name on the screen. “Hey.”
“Hey, you got a sec?”
He had a million seconds, because he didn’t want to spend a single one of them just waiting and thinking about worst-case scenarios. “Yep.”
“I’ve got Scarlett’s cause of death.”
Holden straightened. “Tell me.”
“A mix of fentanyl and morphine was injected into her neck. She then went into respiratory depression and the lack of oxygen killed her. This possibly happened while she was sleeping over her desk.”
So she was murdered…probably by the medical staff member she was investigating. He glanced around. Fuck, was Clara even safe in this hospital?
He started moving down the hall.
“Where are you?” Jesse asked.
“At the hospital. Clara passed out.”
“What?”
“She’s with her oncologist now—”
“Her oncologist?”
“He was already here, so he’s running some tests.”
Jesse cursed. “I need to call Mom. But Holden, I need you to do something for me.”
“Anything.”
“Don’t let them give her anything unless absolutely necessary, especially fluids.”
“Why?”
“It’s looking like that’s how some of those patients got sick. We think something was added to the bags of fluids.”
Holden cursed and ran down the corridor, not stopping until he reached her side.
CHAPTER 22
“It’s a combination of a virus and the chronic fatigue, which was probably induced by stress.”
“So the cancer isn’t back?” Clara asked her doctor, almost breathless.
“No, the cancer isn’t back, Clara.”
Air rushed from her chest while tears pressed at her eyes.
The cancer wasn’t back. It was just a virus.
Holden’s fingers tightened on her thigh. Since returning to her room, he hadn’t left her side. But he’d been quiet. Almost silent. Offering her support with gentle touches here and there. Little squeezes of her leg or hand.
Dr. Bennett kept talking, but Clara just nodded. A mixture of relief for herself and concern for Holden swirled inside her. He didn’t like hospitals. And he was already scared at the prospect of losing her to illness. This was the last thing he needed.
“Now, I need you to get plenty of rest and fluids at home.”
