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I WALK THROUGH the sliding glass doors and head straight for the desk where an older woman sits She continues to click on her keyboard like I’ three feet in front of her I’et her attention, when she looks up and gives me a fake smile Apparently, someone doesn’t like their job

“Can I help you?” she asks with a phony pleasant tone

“Yes” Her eyebrows shoot up into her bangs at ives me a nervous look “You can tell me where my sister is”

Licking her peach-colored lips, she looks down at her keyboard and hovers her fingers over the keys “And what’s her name?”

“Ella Hendrix,” I answer shortly “She was brought in a while ago”

She types so, and a minute later, shoots off a rooer have her in the eency department They moved her upstairs to the ICU”

I grunt my thanks and head to the elevators Silver Hill General is the s since the fifties and could definitely use some refurbishments Silver United Memorial was built when I was a kid and is the one where all the rich folks go

Stepping out of the elevator on the third floor, I turn right and start looking at the room numbers When I come across number thirty-six, I take a moment to settle my rapid heartbeat The entire way here, I’ve tried to block out the i in o to tellthat kept me stable was the kid as in the shop with his dad while he got a tattoo Mom said Ella’s condition wasn’t critical; just some bumps, scrapes, bruises, and a possible concussion, so I finished up the ten uy’s ink, waited another fifteen for Jazz to get there, then took off

My jaw aches fro it so hard, so

I work it in circles to loosen it When I step around the doorway and into the roo beside the bed,on one of the chairs

Sensing my presence, Mom looks up and spotsthat look on her face Helen Hendrix is one of the strongest women I know, but when it comes to her children, any time one of us hurts, she hurts with us She tries to put on a brave face, but we all see past it

She holds her hand out to rab it It puts e to her face Her left eye is swollen halfway shut with deep purple and blue bruises around it There’s a butterfly bandage over her left eyebrow covering a gash and she has scrapes on her cheekbone and at the corner of her mouth Her chin is scraped to hell and back and there are purple e that wraps around her hand all the way up to her elbow

She tries to crack a s brother,” she croaks “Do you like my new look?”

“Who?” I de to make a joke

“Luca—”