Shadow Visions by Leslie Rush

Author:Leslie Rush [Rush, Leslie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Champagne Book Group
Published: 2024-07-29T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

NINE OF WANDS

It’s like every other ER visit in my life.

Sometime after eight o’clock, a doctor in scrubs and a white coat comes out of the wide double doors and leads us into a curtained bay. Cam lies on a hospital bed, hooked up to a beeping machine and an IV. He’s pale, but smiles as Star hugs him gently, then takes his hand.

“I’m Dr. Morgan.” The doctor shakes Joanna’s hand, smiling at me and Star, then slaps an X-ray on the light box and flips the switch. “Okay, family, here’s what we’re looking at.”

The doctor points out the diagonal break with a pen. “There’s an oblique fracture of the fibula. It’s slightly displaced—see here, where the bone doesn’t quite line up? There’s some soft tissue damage here, probably some bleeding”—the pen circles a fuzzy whitish area—”but that should heal without much trouble. We’re going to have to put a pin in surgically, to hold the bone in place.”

“An operation?” Star’s voice is faint and she holds Cam’s hand tighter. “He can’t just get a cast?”

Dr. Morgan nods at her, then turns to Joanna. “He’ll get a cast after the operation. Even though he’s had a nasty jolt, the EKG is normal. I’ll operate tonight, and if all goes well, we’ll cast him and send him home the day after tomorrow. I’ll have the paperwork here shortly.”

“Hey,” Star interrupts. “I’m the one who asked, not her.”

“Of course. I’m just explaining to your mother—”

“She’s not my mother. I’m the family member here!” Star’s face is fierce, and she’s practically growling at him.

I take her other hand. The injury’s different but the attitude never changes. Here you are with the most important person in the world in a hospital bed and they almost died—and everyone’s talking over you or around you like you’re furniture, because you’re just a kid.

“Star.” Cam’s voice is weary, but stern.

“I’m so sorry, Star,” Dr. Morgan says smoothly. “If you give me your number at home, I’ll keep you updated as we go.”

“Yeah, no. I’m staying right here until he wakes up from the operation.”

“That’s quite all right.” He looks at Aunt Joanna and me. “You two will have to leave the ER, but she can stay. Star, when we operate, the nurse will take you to the waiting room upstairs. It’s a little more comfortable up there.”

Dr. Morgan leaves and Aunt Joanna goes looking for a restroom. A nurse comes in to check Cam’s vitals, as his pain medication is kicking in. She examines the bandaged hand.

It looks really red, but there’s no trace of the blistered, blackened edges I saw in the lantern-lit panic of that dark room, before Ian wound the gauze around Cam’s hand. When that shimmer gathered and flowed from Ian to Cam, the same way his energy flowed around me out in the desert.

Obviously in the fear and confusion, with the memory of my mom taking over my senses, I must not have seen what I thought.

“I’ll stay with you, Star. I’ll meet you upstairs.

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