Page 67 of The Scrooge Effect

But I was alive.

“I am alive… right?”

“Edu?”

My gaze snapped to the floor where Lock was struggling to get up as Brock and Scottie sat on top of him.

“Edu!” he cried out. “Uh…I’m gonna have to call you back.”

I could hear Harper on the other end of the phone, shouting at Lock, but then the line went dead, and the three of them scrambled to their feet, rushing to my side.

“You’re alive!” Lock laughed. “See? I told you guys there was nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah, you were the picture of calm,” Scottie said, rolling his eyes.

I tossed off the covers and got to my feet, grabbing Brock by the arms. “This is real? I mean, you’re not gonna send me off to some other timeline, right? I really don’t want to go back to London.”

“Uh…” He chuckled, glancing over at Lock. “Maybe we should get his head examined.”

I shoved past him, feeling a burst of energy rush through me. This was real. No question about it.

Well, maybe a little doubt filtered into my mind.

I ran over to the mirror and looked at my reflection. I looked normal. I had all my teeth, my fingers, my toes. But then again, dream me had those things too. There was only one way to be sure.

I rushed over to the door, but the moment my hand touched the handle, I hesitated.

“What’s he doing?” Lock muttered.

“Just do it,” I whispered to myself. “You can do it.”

“Do what? Edu, maybe you should lie down,” Brock suggested.

I ignored their pleas. None of that mattered. Only Harper and my kids mattered, and they were a world away. Nothing would be right until I held them in my arms.

Closing my eyes, I turned the handle and opened the door.

And on the other side was…the hallway. Huffing out a laugh, I took a hesitant step forward. Then another and another until I was all the way in the hallway, and when I turned, my teammates were staring at me like I was about to lose my mind.

“I’m really here!” I shouted. “I’m back!”

“Okay,” Scottie nodded. “We definitely need a CAT scan.”

Letting out a whoop, I started running down the hall. Every person I met, I pulled them into my arms and gave them a big hug.

“I’m alive! Can you believe it?”

“Sir, are you supposed to be out here?” a nurse asked.

“Yes, I am! Do you know why? Because I’m alive!”

“Sir—”

But I was already running down the hall toward the next person. An elderly man was holding a pole and walking gingerly toward a room. I swooped him up in my arms and gave him a tight squeeze, only hearing his groan of pain when I set him down.

“Ooh, sorry. Are you okay?”

“I think you pulled out my catheter,” he mumbled.