"Of course," June said immediately. "I just need to check on Margo and see if Dean needs a ride as well, though I suspect he's planning to stay here overnight."
"That would be great, thank you," Holt replied. "Before we leave, though, I want to track down and talk to whichever first responder was the first to break into the veterinary clinic. I want to get their firsthand account of what they found and how they gained entry."
"That's a good idea," June agreed. “I think Lucy will be your best bet at finding out where he is.”
"I’ll meet you back here when you're finished with Margo?" Holt suggested.
June nodded and watched as Holt walked away down the hospital corridor, his posture radiating the kind of determined energy that came from having a clear mission to accomplish.
As she stood alone in the hallway, June found her heart racing wildly at the thought of sitting down with Willa and Rad to discuss her and Holt's shared history. The conversation wouldinevitably involve explaining why they'd gotten divorced, what had gone wrong between them, and how they'd managed to build completely separate lives afterward.
She wasn't sure she was ready to revisit all of those painful memories, especially not with their children watching and judging their choices. But Holt was absolutely right that it would be better for Rad and Willa to hear the truth from them directly rather than discovering it accidentally. June just had to figure out what to say and what to filter out. June took a deep breath and knocked softly on Margo's door before pushing it open and stepping into the room pushing the inevitable conversation from her mind.
15
LACEY
The afternoon sun streamed through the hospital windows as Lacey sat on the edge of her bed, fully dressed and increasingly impatient with the discharge process that seemed to drag on forever. The mandatory wheelchair waited beside her bed like some kind of medical chariot she had no desire to ride in.
"I still don't understand why Margo got to leave this morning, and I have to wait until mid-afternoon," Lacey grumbled as a nurse appeared with the inevitable paperwork that seemed to multiply every time she thought they were finished.
"Your sister explained this to us already," June replied with patient amusement from her position in the visitor's chair. "Margo had a less severe concussion, and her blood work came back completely clear of any residual chemical exposure. You, on the other hand, had a more significant head injury, and Lucy wanted to monitor you for an extra twelve hours to make sure there were no delayed complications."
"I feel fine," Lacey protested, though she had to admit that standing up too quickly still made her slightly dizzy.
"You feel fine because you've been lying in a hospital bed for the past day and a half," June pointed out reasonably. "Lucy wanted to make sure your balance and cognitive function were completely stable before releasing you to the wild."
The nurse finally finished her documentation and stepped back, smiling professionally. "All right, Dr. Peltz, you're officially free to go. Hospital policy requires that you use the wheelchair to the exit, but after that, you're on your own."
Lacey suppressed the urge to argue about the wheelchair requirement, recognizing that it would only delay her escape from the antiseptic confines of the medical facility. She settled into the chair with as much grace as she could manage and allowed the nurse to push her through the corridors toward the main entrance.
"I'm perfectly capable of walking," she muttered under her breath as they passed other patients and visitors who glanced at her with sympathetic expressions.
"Of course you are," June agreed cheerfully, walking alongside them with Lacey's discharge instructions and personal belongings. "But sometimes it's easier to just go along with the rules than to fight every battle."
At the hospital entrance, Lacey immediately stood up from the wheelchair, waving off June's offer of assistance with perhaps more emphasis than was strictly necessary.
"I'm fine," she said firmly, taking a few steps to prove her point. "See? Steady as a rock."
June just laughed and stepped back, recognizing Lacey's need to assert her independence after being treated like an invalid for the past thirty-six hours.
They walked to Carmen's car, which June now used regularly since Carmen was driving the EMT Captain’s vehicle. As June started the engine, Lacey was already focused on the practical concerns that had weighed on her throughout her hospital stay.
"Did you manage to get in touch with Dr. Vernon about rescheduling her interview?" Lacey asked before June had even pulled out of the parking space. "I'm worried that all this drama with the fire and me getting attacked might have scared her off."
"I did speak with her," June replied calmly as she navigated through the hospital parking lot. "She was very understanding about the circumstances."
"Did you tell her about the clinic burning down?" Lacey asked with growing worry. "Because if she's looking for a stable practice to join, the fact that someone tried to murder me at my workplace might be a significant deterrent."
"I kind of had to mention it," June admitted as they pulled out onto the main road. "She was in town this morning and saw the damage herself."
Lacey felt her heart sink. Dr. Vernon had excellent credentials and impressive experience with both domestic animals and wildlife rehabilitation. As a widow in her mid-fifties who was looking to settle down in a small coastal town like Sandpiper Shores, she had seemed like the perfect addition to the practice.
When the woman had contacted Lacey just a few days ago, it had felt like the answer to her prayers. Finding qualified veterinarians who were willing to work in small towns was challenging enough without adding the complications of arson and attempted murder.
"And she's still interested in the position?" Lacey asked, hardly daring to hope. "June, I really need her expertise. Between the regular domestic animal practice and the wildlife rehabilitation work, I can't handle everything on my own."
"I know you do," June said with a reassuring smile. "She did agree to reschedule, and I'll fill you in on all the details as soon as we reach our destination."
