Page 134 of Against The Tide

“Yes, sorry.” My lips tip up at the edges instinctively as though she can see me and it’ll make a difference to how she feels.

“Can I talk to him? He said he was taking me to school today, but he’s not here.”

“And you don’t have school.”

“I miss him too,” she murmurs, and it takes everything in me not to break down.

Swallowing down that briny swell in my throat, I sit straighter and hold on tighter to Rhett’s hand.

Come on, Doc, wake up. I thread my fingers with his and take a long gulp of sterile air.

“I love you, Mommy,” she tells me quietly, and I reply as fast as I can, as though I have no more time left.

“I love you more, Iris. I love you more than you will ever know.”

“More than your last smudge of frosting?”

“So much more, baby.” I can’t help but smile

“I love you more than my last bite of cake.”

Because I know that’s exactly what Rhett would say if he was awake, I tell her, “And Doc loves you more than his last crumb of pie.”

“He said that?”

“He did.”

“Okay,” she sings happily before adding, “Can you tell him I didn’t let Jesse read the last part of The Cat in the Hat? I’m waiting for him so he can make the funny voices.”

“I’ll let him know.”

“Bye, Mommy.”

“See you later, sweet girl.” I loathe saying goodbye to her. A part of my weeps for that alone as my chest constricts painfully when she hands the phone to Callie.

The entire time I fill her in on the situation here, I’m holding my breath, still begging Doc to wake up. My silent supplication goes unanswered, and by the time she finishes filling me in on what the FBI have said they’re doing, I’m practically half-asleep.

The constant beep, beep, beep of the monitor becomes the only thing I can hear before I can wake myself up, and I fall into a black hole of slumber.

I’m not sure how long I’ve been out when I wake to my hand being squeezed. It takes me a while to get my bearings as I open my eyes to find Callie beside me in a less comfortable chair.

“I brought you coffee. The real shit you love, a slice of red velvet, and a change of clothes.” Nodding at the over bed table, she pulls it closer and lowers it enough that the breakfast she’s brought me sits in front of my face.

At first the sugar-and-caramel scent is the best I’ve ever smelled, but then it really hits me and I can’t explain how badly it turns my stomach. It doesn’t make sense. It smells so good, but my stomach protests even before I’ve tried it, making me clammy and uncomfortable.

“What the hell?” she calls behind me as I practically climb over her to get to the small bathroom in the opposite corner of the room.

Of course, Callie doesn’t leave me to spew my guts on my own. Instead, she sits on the bidet that is awkwardly close to the toilet and holds my hair back even though it’s in a messy ponytail. This is a new low for me as I cross my arms over the edge of the toilet seat and lay my head down. Everything is spinning, and I’m so clammy that the scrubs I’m wearing stick to my skin.

“Can I make a suggestion?” she asks, and before I can say anything, she does the most Nora thing ever and replies to herself, “Have a shower. Wash the last twenty-four hours away and put them behind you.”

Helping me up, she grabs a small duffel from the floor beside her.

“Wash bag, makeup, and clothes.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she smirks, backing out of the bathroom. “You’re also smelly, and those scrubs…don’t want him waking up and thinking it’s some weird role play or…”