Ben barreled through the entry of the hospital, nearly slamming into the sliding glass doors. “Could these things be any slower?”

“Dude, calm down,” Emmett said next to him.

They rushed to the small desk surrounded by glass.

“Can I help you?” An older women dressed in scrubs asked.

“Yes, my mother was brought in by ambulance.” Ben punched at the words, trying to catch his breath. He feared he might be having a heart attack as well.

“Name?” she asked.

“Sumner, Valerie Sumner. S-U-M-N-E-R,” he spelled out.

The woman took forever, clicking on the keyboard, searching her screen.

Ben banged on the counter, startling the woman.

“Calm down, Ben,” Emmett whispered next to him. “You’re going to get us kicked out.”

The woman scrutinized Ben and Emmett, a perfectly arched brow indicating her disdain. “Are you related to her?”

No, I roll up to the ER every Thursday night, asking to see random people, he wanted to shout.

Emmett tugged on his arm, pulling him away from the counter and stepping into his place. “Yes, she’s our mother.”

The woman nodded then wrote on a piece of paper, slipping it through the small opening in the glass. “She’s in room E14.”

Ben snatched the paper from Emmett’s hand.

“I’ll buzz you in,” the woman said. “It’s through those doors and to the right, just past the nurse’s station.”

Before the woman had finished her instructions, Ben rushed toward the double doors marked ‘Do Not Enter.’ He scrubbed his hand through his hair, wanting to kick the doors open himself.

After painfully long minutes that were probably just seconds, the doors clicked and slowly opened.

Emmett caught Ben’s arm again and pulled him back.

“What the hell, Em, let me go.”

“Dude. Calm the fuck down. You can’t go in there like this, all freaked out. It will just freak Ma out.”

Emmett was right and Ben hated him for it. He drew in a deep breath and counted to three before releasing it. “Happy now, Oprah?”

Emmett snorted and Ben felt some of his anxiety ease. Some.

As they rounded the corner, Ben froze.

Maggie stood outside a sliding glass door, face in her hands, her shoulders racked with sobs.

As much as he wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her, he couldn’t, not after the spiteful things she’d said. Of course, he’d only added to the argument by spewing out his own hateful words, pushing every button he knew would hurt her.

“What did the doctor say?” Emmett asked, reaching for Maggie. “Have they seen her?”

Maggie lifted her head, her face blotchy, cheeks stained with tears. She was a hot mess, but she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

She nodded her head. “Yes, they’ve been in to see her. They’re doing some tests now and asked me to wait outside.”

“Did they say anything else?” Ben asked, wanting to both shake her and pull her into his arms all at once.

Maggie relayed the news that the doctor believed his mother had suffered a panic attack but they were performing all the necessary tests to rule out anything else, including a heart attack.

“I don’t know how long the ECG will take,” Maggie answered quietly.

“I’m calling Aaron,” Emmett said, pulling his phone from his pocket.

“Don’t bother him until we know what’s going on for sure,” Ben said.

Emmett ignored him, tapping his phone. “He’s a cardiologist. He needs to be down here running the show. Especially if you’re leaving.”

“I’m not going anywhere until Mom’s better,” Ben said, his eyes trained on Maggie.

Maggie pushed off the wall and moved around Emmett and Ben. “I’m just going to get something to drink. If she needs me, I’ll be in the waiting room.”

“Maggie,” Ben caught her arm, “you know she’ll want you here.”

She froze under his hand and shook her head, not meeting his gaze. “I’ll be in the waiting room. You should go in and see her.”

“Just,” he paused, unsure what to say, “just, don’t go too far, okay?”

Slowly she lifted her head, her green eyes meeting his. Her look of anguish and fear hit him square in the gut. What was she trying to say?

“Okay,” she finally whispered.

Slowly, he released her and watched her walk away, a sickening feeling burning in the pit of his stomach.

“No, they aren’t letting us in yet,” Ben heard Emmett say over his shoulder.

He turned and saw Emmett still on the phone.

“So, when do you think you can get here?” Emmett paused. “Okay, yeah I’ll call you as soon as we know more. See you soon.” He stared down at his phone.

“Em,” he called.

Emmett looked up, his hazel eyes huge and glistening with tears. “What are we going to do if she’s not all right, Ben?” Emmett had always been the more passionate brother. He felt things deeply. His ability to tap into human emotions and connect with readers had made him a best-selling author.

“Ma’s too stubborn to let this keep her down.”

“I would have said the same thing about Dad two months ago.” Emmett’s words rang hauntingly through the air.

“She’ll be fine,” Ben said quietly, not sure of his own words. “She has to be.”