Glenn was waitingfor us at the ER’s entrance. My phone had died before I’d told him what was wrong, but he took one look at Ash and voiced my blind diagnosis. “That looks like a hot api for sure. Come on, buddy. Let’s get you inside so I can check you out. Pete, Joe called down. Danni’s askingforyou.”
“She’ll havetowait—”
Ash caught my hand. “Go. I’ll be fine with Glenn. I’m okay,honest.”
So maybe he did lie to me sometimes, after all, but he had Glenn on his side for this one. “Go on,” Glenn said. “It’s gonna take a while to work him up and get the bloods back. I’ve got no other patients, and I’ll call upstairs if anythinghappens.”
Every instinct I had screamed at me to stay glued to Ash’s side, even though Glenn was theoretically right. But the worry in Ash’s eyes persuaded me to leave him—because he wasn’t concerned for himself, only his sister, who was almost as precious to him as I was. “I’ll berightback.”
I left Ash with Glenn and dashed to the elevators. They were slow as fuck and crowded, so I ditched them and charged up the flights of stairs. On the labor ward, I found Joe pacing thehallway.
“She threwmeout.”
I skidded to astop. “Why?”
“Because I’m the asshole who didn’tpullout.”
The stress we were both carrying sucked any humor from a line we’d probably laugh at later. It also distracted us from the fact that we hadn’t spoken for a week. “How’s shedoing?”
Joe ran his hands through his hair and tugged. “Fuck if I know. I figured she’d drop it in the cab on the way here, but it’s beenhoursnow.”
“It should move along a bit after fivecentimeters.”
“I hope so, man. She’s gonna brain me with a bed pan if shit doesn’t start happening. Hey… where’s Ash? Did he go inalready?”
I shook my head. “He’s nothereyet.”
“What? And actually, how areyouhere? You said you’d be days, like”—Joe checked his watch—“fourhoursago.”
“Five, actually. We flew in from Portland, but Ash got sick on the plane. Glenn’s checking him outdownstairs.”
“Damn.Youokay?”
That Joe loved us enough to put his own worries aside still surprised me, even now. “I’m good. I’ll look in on Danni. Then I’ve gottagetback.”
Joe clapped me on the back. “’Kay. Let’s go. What’s up with Ash? Food poisoning orsomething?”
But I barely heard him as I opened the door to Danni’s room. She was pacing like a lioness, and it was immediately obvious that her labor had kicked up a gear since Glenn hadcheckedin.
I went to her side and took her arm. “Hey there, Mama.Doingokay?”
The malevolence in Danni’s gaze was frightening—I didn’t blame Joe for lingering at the door—but as the contraction faded, she smiled and pulled me into a hug. “Pete! We’ve missed you so much.Where’sAsh?”
“Downstairs. Stomach flu. Probably best he stays there for a littlewhile.”
Another wave of pain distracted Danni from picking apart my bullshit, which was just as well because I’d never been much good at it. I held her hand as she rocked and moaned, and I glanced at the clock. I’d been away from Ash for seven minutes, and it already felt like a year. “Joe,comehere.”
“Fuck,no.”
“I don’t want him in here,” Danni growled. “He’s driving mecrazy.”
“I don’t care!” I snapped before I caught myself. “Look, I’ve got to run downstairs and check on Ash. You two gotta hold it together forthis,okay?”
I beckoned Joe forward and pointed to Danni’s other side. Joe was used to being told what to do and came willingly enough, but Danni’s gaze snapped to mine. “What’swrong?”
“Nothing that you need to worry about right now. Stomach flu, remember? I’ve just got to checkonhim.”
Danni gasped as a contraction rippled through her swollen belly. “Pete, what’swrong? And don’t say nothing, or I’ll goddamn deck you, Iswear.”
