Page 9 of Drive
“Hmm?” Holi responded, but she didn’t pull her eyes from the page. Typical. It was probably the most annoying thing about her sister. Once she had a book in her lap, the rest of the world fell away. And it was probably the reason she was with someone like Ash. Adam David Ashy was not a man easilyignored.
“The Uber driver just asked for mynumber.”
Holi slammed the book shut and shot her gaze to Rainey. “You’rekidding.”
Rainey shook her head, and she watched a wicked smile crawl across her sister’s face before Holi succumbed to a coughing fit. Once she could breathe again, Holi cleared her throat, shook her head, and said, “I was about to say I should get sick more often, but thissucks.”
Rainey arched a brow. “Notfunny.”
“Oh, c’mon,” Holi sighed. “At least you’re out of the house. One day out in the world, and a guy asks your number. That should be encouraging… So, was hehot?”
Biting her lip so she wouldn’t smile, Rainey onlyshrugged.
Holi gasped. “Hewashot. Rain, what was hisname?”
Rainey studied the ceiling and asked herself why she’d said anything. She knew better, but it was so rare that she had news of her own. Reading everything she could get her hands on meant that she always had something to talk about, but not much of it had to do with her. And Holi could be relentless with her encouragement, so if she knew Jacques’s name, she’d never stop slipping it inconversation.
Chances were he’d never callanyway.
“Tell you what. If he ever calls, I’ll tell you hisname.”
“You’re no fun,” Holi accused before her cough returned. Holi’s usual caramel-brown coloring was even more washed out today than it had been yesterday. And yesterday, she’d been lightheaded and struggling tobreathe.
Rainey winced. “Aren’t you gettingbetter?”
Holi nodded, but she stillcoughed.
Liar,Rainey thought. But Holi had been on IV antibiotics for more than twenty-four hours now. She should have started to improve. Shouldn’tshe?
“Don’t look so worried,” Holiscolded.
“What did the doctorsay?”
Holi gave her a tired look. “No doctor since yesterday, but the nurses aregreat.”
As a development officer for United Way, Holi knew hard work when she saw it. If she said the nurses were great, it meant she saw them busting their behinds for her and their other patients. “I’m sure someone will see me later during rounds. Maybe they’ll send mehome.”
Rainey found herself hoping they wouldn’t. Her sister looked terrible, and Rainey wouldn’t know what to do with her if they sent her home. She was about to say as much when a knock sounded at thedoor.
“Come in—” Holi called, the words choking off in acough.
A doctor, tall and thin as a reed, poked his tufted gray head around the door. “Seems I’ve found the right room,” he said lightly, smiling just alittle.
Rainey stood and drew back from Holi’s bed, relieved that someone with expertise was finally there tohelp.
“I’m Dr. Roberts. How are you feeling, Ms. Reeves?” he asked, stepping into the room and setting a tablet on the rolling table by Holi’s bed. He took up the stethoscope draped around his neck before she evenanswered.
“Not great, Doc,” Holiadmitted.
Rainey bit her lip. Holi almost never cried“Uncle.”Even the day before when Rainey had insisted they call the ambulance. That was when Holi’s lips had turned gray, her fever had reached 102, and she was wheezing forbreath.
Dr. Roberts hooked the earpieces to his ears and pressed the diaphragm of the stethoscope to her chest. “Slow, deep breaths,” hesaid.
Rainey knew Holi couldn’t take slow, deep breaths without coughing, which was exactly what happened. Dr. Roberts helped her sit forward so he could listen as he held the instrument to her back, frowning the wholetime.
Rainey sat on the end of the bed and put a reassuring hand on Holi’s blanketed foot. Of course, she wasn’t sure if she was trying to reassure her sister orherself.
The doctor draped his stethoscope around his neck again and reached for his penlight. “You say this respiratory infection has been lingering for some time now?” he asked, using his thumb to draw down Holi’s lower eyelid and shining the light on the exposedflesh.
