I looked out the window, and Reggie was standing there looking at me. She contemplated it for a few seconds before nodding her head and taking off for her car. I noticed that the sirens had stopped, but the sky was turning an inky shade of black.
“We shouldn’t be going anywhere,” I said as I stroked Meri’s fur. He’d managed to jump into my lap before Thorn shut the door.
“I know that,” Thorn said. “But looking at you, I can see that we have to try.”
“We could stay here and call my family. Call the coven together,” I said. “Maybe together they can…”
“No,” Thorn said as he pulled away from the curb. “Maybe before the magic went wonky, but no. Not now. I can’t put you in the hands of… It’s just that there might not be enough magic…”
“To save me?” I asked. Suddenly, I wished the cruiser had a vanity mirror. “Do I look that bad?”
“You just look like you don’t feel well, sweetie,” Thorn said. He squeezed my hand, but his eyes didn’t meet mine.
We drove out of Coventry and off toward the hospital. The rain kicked in again, but at least some of the flooding had partially receded.
“We don’t have to cross any bridges, Well, one, but that one’s not close to the water. We’ll be all right,” he said as if he’d read my thoughts. “At least in that respect.”
I wanted to ask him what he meant, but I already knew. The sky was as black as night, and it looked like it was boiling. Hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention, and I knew we were in a bad place.
Thorn hit the gas and began to drive much faster than I ever would have expected him to go with me in the car. When I turned to look out my window, I saw why.
Off in the distance, I couldn’t tell exactly how far, was a tornado. The wedge was a sinister scene, and it was so close to us. Too close for me to feel safe.
“Thorn,” I choked out.
“I know, sweetie. I know. Hold on,” Thorn replied.
“Should we turn around? Should we go back? I don’t know if you should try to outrun it,” I said.
“It’s not heading right for us,” he said. “I can make it.”
I was about to argue when another wave of contractions hit me. I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed to the Goddess.
By the time I opened them, we had passed the tornado. As long as it didn’t change directions, we were in the clear.
“We should be there in about five minutes,” Thorn said as we drove into the city. “I’ll call ahead and let them know we’re on our way.”
His words sounded far away. The sky was still bubbling and black above us, but there didn’t seem to be any tornadoes. The rain wasn’t very heavy either. I recalled reading somewhere about dry super cells, but the memory was as fuzzy as the rest of my thoughts.
The pain was nearly unbearable, and somehow, on the short trip to the next town, the contractions had accelerated. They felt as though they were right on top of each other. I couldn’t catch my breath. All I wanted was a few seconds of rest.
But more than that, I was worried about my baby. If I wasn’t getting enough oxygen, then she wasn’t either. I tried to tell myself I was just panicking, but it really did feel like I couldn’t fill my lungs all the way.
“Kinsley?” I heard the terror in Thorn’s voice as we pulled up under the awning that covered the emergency room doors. “Kinsley, sweetie? We’re here. Baby, please,” Thorn pleaded as he squeezed my hand.
I wanted to answer him, but I just couldn’t. Suddenly, a rush of people came out of the automatic doors. People in scrubs and white coats with serious faces. Thorn opened my car door, and I felt myself being dragged out.
If a situation could be calm and frantic at the same time, that’s how I would have described it. There was a flurry of activity, but everyone around me was studious and professional.
Words about hypoxia and oxygen saturation swirled around me. Thorn was nearby at first, and I could tell he was on the phone with my mother.
“Brighton, you have to wait until the storm passes,” he said. “She’s here in good hands now, but you won’t be doing anyone any favors if you get killed trying to drive through that storm. Give it twenty minutes to pass and then you can come. The doctors will take care of her.”
“Meri,” I cried out as I looked back and watched the doors close with him on the other side of them. A nurse had shooed him out.
Thorn locked eyes with me and gave me a nod. He’d find a way to sneak him inside. I had to have Meri with me. I just had to have him there.
I was on a gurney being rolled somewhere. Bright lights above blocked my vision as they poked and prodded me. But it was all some sort of weird fever dream. I couldn’t hold onto a thought for more than a few seconds. I kept reaching for Meri, and then remembering that he wasn’t there.
A nurse leaned over me talking about informed consent. Could I sign a form for a procedure? What procedure? I thought. I was having a baby. What procedure could I possibly need?
Next thing I knew, Thorn was in the room. He told her that he was my husband. He signed the form.
They’d put an IV in my hand as soon as I’d come in. I felt that part as clear as day. Once Thorn signed the form, someone injected something into it. The medicine was icy at first, but
