How I manage to arrive at the hospital without getting pulled over is a complete mystery to me. The entire drive from Windhaven to Mistwood is a total blur as I skid into the hospital parking lot.
The beating in my chest has reached a fever pitch and I hope like hell that Wade’s hung on for me.
Slamming Blue into park, I rush from the vehicle and into the hospital. Mom is right where I left her in the waiting area, and as soon as she sees me, she stands up and rushes over.
“Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry,” she says, wrapping her arms around me.
“How is he?” I ask, scared to death to hear her answer.
She pulls back, tugging me into a chair beside her, as she takes a seat. “He’s stable, but not well. They can tell that whatever is happening is supernatural in nature, but they’ve never seen anything like it, so they’re not sure how to treat it.”
I raise my eyebrows. “They probably haven’t seen a helluva lot of expulsion marks from the Angel of Death.”
She shakes her head. “Not at all.”
“Can I see him? Will they let me in there?” I ask, desperation filling my tone.
“I think so,” she nods. “Let me see what I can do.”
With that, she gets up, marching herself over to the receptionist. The lady who was there when I first got here is gone and in her place is a man with cropped black hair and dark skin. As Mom approaches, he grins wide at her. I watch the exchange with bated breath, hoping like hell this guy will be more helpful than the last person.
“Thanks, Gary,” Mom says, her voice carrying across the space. She taps the countertop and spins around, giving me the thumbs up as she approaches.
“So, they’ll let me in?” I say, shooting to my feet.
“Give them a second. Gary has to go find the doctor on call,” she says. “But he seemed to think they can get you in there.”
I exhale in relief, but I’m too nervous to sit back down. Instead, I pace back and forth, waiting for someone to come out and talk to me.
Finally, a woman in a bright-white smock comes out of the locked doors beyond, clipboard in hand. Her black hair is piled in a messy bun on the top of her head, giving the impression she’s much taller than she actually is.
“Ms. Blackwood?” she asks, eyeing me for confirmation.
I extend my hand and nod. “Yes.”
She shakes my hand and nods to herself. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Dr. Lockstad, the attending physician. I understand you are Mr. Hoffman’s girlfriend?” she says, flipping through the paperwork on her clipboard.
“I am,” I say, trying not to sound too abrupt. “But I’m the closest thing he has to family.”
“I see,” she says, clearly stalling as she reads more of his paperwork.
Surely it has to say his family is gone.
My mom stands up, placing her hand along my back in support.
“Well, our hospital policy is that only next of kin—”
“With all due respect, I don’t give a damn about the hospital policy, Dr. Lockstad. I’m not letting the father of my child go through this alone,” I say. “I need to be with him.”
Her dark-brown eyes widen, and she lowers her voice. “The two of you share a child?”
“Not yet, but we will,” I say, my hands falling to my stomach. “I’m pregnant.”
She inhales slowly. Though her eyes hold a hint of suspicion, she nods. “All right. Come with me to his room. We can go over some of the details. Of course, some things will have to be confidential unless he wakes up and authorizes more.”
“Understood. As long as I can be near him, that’s what matters.”
“I’ll give you two some space,” Mom says, leaning in and kissing the side of my cheek. “I’ll run home and grab a few things for you. Is there anything specific you want?”
I shake my head, unable to think about anything I need more than Wade right now.
“Okay, well, call me if you do. I won’t be gone long,” she says.
I nod, reaching for my keys and handing them over to her. “I will.”
With that, Mom heads out the door and the doctor tilts her head toward the intensive care ward. “So, Wade is doing better, but we aren’t certain how to treat him. The infection is spreading and his body is working overtime to try to fight it off,” Dr. Lockstad says, leading the way beyond the double doors.
“My mom made it sound like he had gotten worse. Is that not the case?” I say, watching her closely.
Her forehead creases and she winces slightly. “He goes through unusual episodes. One moment, he’s stable and comfortable. Then, the next his heart rate and temp spike. He almost seizes. It’s had the nurses in a panic more than once.”
My eyes widen and all I can think to say is, “Oh.”
“What do you know about the mark on his chest?” she asks.
“Honestly, not much. His father gave it to him a couple of months ago.”
Concern flits through her features and she makes a face. “I thought you said his family was gone?”
“I—they are. Wade’s an unusual supernatural,” I say, running my fingertips along my forehead. “His father is the Angel of Death.”
Her dark eyes widen and her lips transform into the shape of an O. “Well, that explains a few things.”
“It does?” I ask.
Dr. Lockstad stops and faces me. “The mark has an ouroboros, and we were trying to understand its significance.”
“A what?” I say, tugging my eyebrows in.
“An ouroboros. A snake eating its tail. In some mythologies it symbolizes the cycle of birth and death. But the circle can also mean protection, too. So, the fact that it was snakelike had us a bit confounded,” she says. “I’ll make sure to pass this information along to our supernatural team right away.”
“Good,” I say, hoping like hell this new information is
