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“I’ll have more of that for you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Abagail’s cheeks were tinged red and her breathing was coming in shorter rasps. “I thought you said you were on your?—”

“See you!” Nicola interrupted with a broad smile and quick wave. She turned on her toes and spun out of the room, swaying her hips extra as she went.

As soon as she was outside, she pressed a hand to her heart and held back the tears. She didn’t need Abagail to know what was going on. She didn’t need anyone else to be in the middle of business that was solely and squarely hers. This washerresponsibility, and she needed to take care of her sister.

She found Cal downstairs in what was clearly the employee lounge area—although it looked much nicer than any lounge area that Nicola had access to when an employee. She smiled and waved Cal over.

“I need you to take me somewhere.”

“Sure thing, Miss Nicola.”

He nodded at her and then started to leave the room. Nicola’s heart raced. The drive to the hospital wasn’t long and she didn’t tell him not to tell Abagail. If she made a deal out of it, then he’d likely tell Abagail anyway. His loyalties were definitely to his boss and not to the woman who was only going to be living there for a few weeks. Paid as a sex puppet.

God, she hated the feeling that had settled into her belly.

Surely it’d go away eventually, wouldn’t it?

As soon as Nicola got to the hospital, she raced to Information to figure out exactly where Alanna was. They took her back to the small area where Alanna was. She was hooked up to an IV already and her body was still, which meant that they likely had the seizure under control—at least Nicola hoped that was the case. But her sister wasn’t moving at all, and she definitely wasn’t awake.

The next few hours flew by and dragged on. Nicola tried to process all of the information that she could. Alanna was still having a seizure. They’d just given her medication to make it look like it had stopped. Nurses were in and out constantly, doctors every once in a while, but more frequently than Nicola had seen any other time when Alanna had been hospitalized.

Once they did finally get the seizure to stop, they admitted her and moved her to an entirely different floor and room. Nicola’s head spun from all the information she’d been given in the last few hours. Some of it had been given and then taken back as plans changed. And she’d completely forgotten all about Alanna’s binder of medical information that was sitting in the backseat of her car that she didn’t have.

She really needed to get her fucking car back.

Nicola turned sharply when she saw Alanna’s eyelids fluttering open just as the sun breached the sky. She grinned as she leaned closer onto the bed and snagged Alanna’s stiff and permanently clenched hand in her own. Alanna moaned lightly,clearly struggling to get her eyes open, but Nicola was never happier to see this kind of life from her sister.

She waited patiently until Alanna started to move her mouth slightly, her tongue peeking out to wet her lips and her breathing increasing from the regular pattern she’d found in sleep. “W-where am I?” Alanna croaked.

“Hospital,” Nicola answered, finally squeezing her sister’s fingers. “You had a nasty seizure so they ended up transporting you here.”

Alanna hummed her response, closing her eyes again as she seemed to relax. “Time?”

“It’s like six in the morning.”

Alanna didn’t have to say anything else as she processed that information. Nicola knew she was working through it in her head, figuring out what had happened and just how bad it was. Her sister might be halfway paralyzed, physically damaged from the car accident, but she’d never been stupid. And the number of nurses, doctors, and staff that the two of them had run into over the years who didn’t understand that was astronomical.

“How long will I be here?” Alanna said finally, her voice far stronger than it had been before.

Nicola breathed in deeply. “Now that you’re awake, they can work on telling us that. My guess is a day or two at least.”

Alanna hummed again. “Your new job.”

“Is fine, I promise. I still have it.” Nicola hoped she did anyway. Especially when she wasn’t going to be around much in the next few days.

“Go to work if you need to.”

Nicola shook her head, her eyes watering. “No, I’m not due in today. Tomorrow.”

The lie was so easy as it fell from her lips, but she couldn’t have her sister thinking that she was the cause of all of this. She wasn’t. It was the fault of some drunk who had decided to getbehind the wheel. Nicola pushed that thought and anger deep down inside her. She didn’t need it to surface right now. What she needed was to focus on Alanna and her recovery.

And fuck, she hated how easy it was becoming to lie lately.

She squeezed Alanna’s hand and smiled at her. “The nurses said to call them when you woke up, but I thought you might like a few seconds before the flock descends.”

Alanna barked a laugh, the sound dry and raspy in her throat. “Thanks. I wouldn’t mind a few more minutes.”