Leo Rising: Zodiac Guardians 3 by Tamar Sloan & Tricia Barr

Author:Tamar Sloan & Tricia Barr [Sloan, Tamar]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jess Connors Publishing
Published: 2021-01-31T16:00:00+00:00

21

Cassandra

“Can you tell me again what happened?”

A young and handsome police officer stands a few feet away from where Cassandra sits in the hospital room by Brielle’s bed. He has a notepad in his hands and a quizzical look on his face.

Cassandra wipes at her nose with a tissue, her eyes stinging from all the crying she’s done in the last hour. “I already told you.” She sniffs. “We were working on a science experiment for a class project and it backfired.”

“What exactly was the experiment?” he probes further.

“It was a model rocket,” she lies with all the exasperation she’s honed in her many years as a popular girl. “We must have measured the jet fuel wrong. I never thought something like this would happen.” She looks down at Brielle beside her, and her face scrunches up with fresh tears, real tears.

Brielle’s shoulders and chest are tightly wrapped in gauze, making her look part mummy, and a breathing mask is over her unconscious face as all sorts of tubes and wires string up from her body like a twisted marionette.

“Thank you for your service, officer,” says the African-American nurse as she goes straight to the vitals monitor without looking at him. “But these girls need some rest. They’ve both been through enough for one day.”

His face looking chastised and uncertain for a moment, he puts his pen and pad into his breast pocket and nods. “Alright. But please let me know when Ms. Pierce wakes up so that I can get her statement as well.”

“Uh-huh.” The sassy nurse waves her hand at him dismissively, and again he looks like a lost puppy for a minute or two before resigning to leave the room.

Once he’s gone, the nurse looks at Cassandra and winks.

“Thank you,” Cassandra says sincerely, then glances at the nurse’s name tag, “Nurse Sharon.”

“Any time, hon,” she replies with a warm smile. “I know how hard this must be for you. Are you two close?”

Cassandra looks at Brielle’s face, and her throat tightens. “She’s my best friend,” she squeaks out.

“Oh, honey,” Nurse Sharon coos as she rushes around to the other side of the bed to drape comforting arms over Cassandra’s shoulders. “She’s going to be okay. She’ll just have a few scars.”

Scars that cover her shoulders, that she’ll wear the rest of her life.

“Have you been able to reach her parents yet?” Cassandra manages to ask.

Nurse Sharon withdraws. “Yes, and they’re both on their way.”

That knowledge both comforts and terrifies Cassandra. She’s happy Brielle has parents who love her so much, and she doesn’t know how she’s going to face them knowing this was her doing. Knowing that she scarred their daughter for life and almost killed her.

Cassandra nods, and Nurse Sharon pats her shoulder.

“Can I get you anything from the cafeteria? They make a mean Philly cheesesteak.” Nurse Sharon smiles, and her ebony ringlets bounce around her face.

“No thanks.” Cassandra shakes her head. “I can’t eat right now.”

“Alright, well, if you need anything, just push the little blue button on the remote.

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