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“What’s wrong with her?” Crouching on Blondie’s other side, Caroline gently brushed Blondie’s hair out of her face.
“The fuck if I know. I think she just passed out.”
“But why? Do you think it’s something from her kidney transplant?”
I glanced at her, and we shared similar expressions of worry. “Let’s get her to a hospital.” I leaned forward to scoop my arms under the limp figure on the floor. “Call—”
“Already on it.” I looked up just as Caroline finished dialing and was pressing her cell phone to her ear.
“God, you’re a damn fine woman.”
She winked at me but then began to chew on her lip as she waited. “Come on, Quinn. Pick up. Pick up.”
“No way is he going to be able to hear his own phone in that place. It’s a miracle when we hear the landline ring.”
“Then I’ll call Noel and have him personally drive over and get Quinn.”
“Good idea.” I grunted when I straightened with all of Blondie’s dead weight in my arms.
“Damn fine woman, remember,” Caroline said, redialing the phone. She hurried ahead of me to open the front door. I thanked her with a quick kiss on the cheek before passing through.
“Noel?” she started, then frowned. “Hello? Noel? Damn it.” She shook the phone and scowled at it. “Crappy connection. I wonder where the hell he is.”
“Did you tell him you were hanging out with Blondie tonight?”
“Yes. Thank goodness.” As I paused to rest a shoulder against the wall and try to redistribute Blondie’s weight, Caroline glanced back and stopped. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Just...okay, let’s go.” I finally had a firmer grip.
Caroline once again surprised me with her forethought when she led us to Blondie’s car and unlocked it with a set of keys she’d snagged off the hook by the wall before we’d left the apartment.
Blondie woke up on the ride to the hospital where we had her stretched out in the backseat with her head nestled in Caroline’s lap.
“What’s going on?” She sounded disoriented and sleepy. “Where are we?”
“You passed out, sweetie.” Caroline pressed her hand to Blondie’s forehead after she helped her sit up. “We’re taking you to get checked out.”
“I did?” It was Blondie’s turn to press her own hand to her forehead. “That’s so strange. I’ve never passed out before in my life. I remember feeling woozy, so I headed to the kitchen to get a drink when the hall just kind of tipped sideways and everything faded to black.”
“Do you think it has anything to do with your kidney transplant?”
Blondie stared at Caroline for a moment before slowly shaking her head. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t think so. After the initial recovery, I haven’t had any side effects at all. And honestly, I feel fine now. We don’t have to go to the hospital.”
“Tough shit,” I called back to her. “We’re already here. And we’re going to find out what the hell just happened to you.”
“Ten?” she said, blinking at me behind the wheel of her car as if surprised to see me there. Then she glanced at the empty passenger seat next to me. “You look funny up there all by yourself.”
“Yeah, don’t mind me, driving my two Miss Daisy’s to the store.”
Blondie looked over at Caroline, who beamed back. “He really is getting so much better with his movie quoting, isn’t he?”
I chuckled and found us a place to park outside the ER. But after I got out and opened the back door for my two ladies, Blondie resisted. “I don’t...really. What if we found out something is wrong?”
“Then it’s better to find out about it now rather than later.” Caroline gave her a nudge from behind and when Blondie tumbled toward me, I grasped her hand and helped her the rest of the way from the car.
Her fingers clamped down around mine, and panic lit her face. “I want Quinn.”
Caroline’s phone appeared in her hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll get him for you.”
“No, wait. You know, this is nothing. I’m sure I’m fine. Don’t call him. I don’t want to bother him at work because of some false alarm.”
“But what if—” I started, only to shut up when Caroline sent me a warning glare.
Blondie lifted worried eyes to me, so I cleared my throat and nodded. “Okay, we won’t bother him. Yet.”