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His sister and a few of the other guests said things, too, but they blurred in Natalie’s head Everything was blurring in her head

Why had Matthew shrugged away her touch? For thatafter Carrie’s fall?

Wanting to ask hi noasn’t the time, Natalie climbed in, pushed the button to start the car and had them on their way

Her , she drove on autopilot

Carrie went back and forth bethi she didn’t want to go to the eency room, that she didn’t want Matthew, that she wanted her mommy and daddy

As she glanced in the rear-view aunt expression tore at Natalie

“You’re going to be okay, Carrie,” he soothed fro to be okay”

He didn’t address her request for her parents, but then, what could he say?

The eeon who’d taken Carrie to surgery to reset the bones, leaving Natalie and Matthew in the waiting room

Carrie heeled ahile Matthew looked as if he ery

Natalie understood Part of her wanted to be at the child’s side to ically, she knew that Matthew or herself would just be in the way, a distraction that eon do what he’d been trained to do

She tried to coain, he wasn’t receptive to her touch Natalie sank into one of the waiting room chairs and watched him pace back and forth

His mother, sister and a slew of other family members arrived minutes behind them, despite Matthew’s request that they stay hoed him and co more and more like an outsider

They’d been waiting for what seeot a call Carrie was in Recovery, that everything had gone fine and they’d allow him to come to see her very soon