The low tone of repeated vibrations broke into my rest. Amnesia was practically lying atop me, draped across my chest like skin. The first thought I had was of Sadie, of how, just hours ago, Am woke up insisting she was in here.
Right after that thought, the reason I even awoke took over. Flinging out an arm, I snatched my phone off the bedside table and hit the screen without looking at it.
“Yeah,” I nearly barked into the line. It was early, and we hadn’t slept the best last night.
“Eddie?” Mary Beth said, her voice hushed. I knew that tone.
Fully alert, I sat up, holding on to Am so she didn’t go rolling off me. “Mary B, what’s wrong?”
“I thought you’d want to know,” she quickly said. I could hear the stress in her voice. Mary B stressed wasn’t something I often heard; she was usually pretty cool. “Robbie was just brought in.”
“What!” I exclaimed, totally awake now. “Why?”
Against me, Amnesia stirred.
“He’s, um, badly injured. In and out of consciousness. We haven’t gotten ahold of his parents yet. It’s very early, and—”
She was rattled.
“Mary,” I snapped, gripping the phone tight. “What happened to Robbie?”
The words tumbled right out, nearly tripping over each other. “Someone tried to kill him.”
My entire body jolted. Am pushed off me, sitting up in the center of the bed to blink widely at me. I catapulted out of the bed and began to pace.
“I’ll be right there,” I insisted, then cut the call.
“What’s wrong?” Am asked, fear in her expression.
“Robbie’s been brought into the hospital,” I said gently, not wanting to upset her. “I need to get down there.”
“I’m coming, too.” She scrambled out of bed, nearly falling over on her ass.
I caught her, pulling her up. “You don’t have to.”
She made a rude sound, pushing at my chest. “He’s my friend, too!”
Pride swelled within me. “Get dressed.”
We rushed out the door, ran through the yard and around the house, and jumped into the truck.
On the way there, Amnesia turned to me. “Did she say what was wrong with him? Is he sick?”
I grabbed her hand, wishing I had something not quite as heinous to impart. “No, baby,” I said and swerved around a corner. “Robbie isn’t sick.”
“Then what!” she demanded.
“Mary Beth said someone tried to kill him.”
Am gasped, flattening against the back of the seat.
We went the rest of the way in silence, then ran hand in hand into the ER entrance.
“Robbie,” I said, slapping my hand down on the desk.
“Are you family?” asked the nurse who’d known me since I was a kid.
I felt my lips curl up. “You know damn well who I am to him!”
“Eddie,” Mary Beth called out, appearing around the corner.
We left the idiot nurse in our dust as we rushed down the hall. She tried to call out we couldn’t go down there, but I gave her the finger.
She was totally going to tell my mother.
Oh well.
“Mary, what’s going on?” I demanded.
“Is Robbie okay?” Amnesia worried.
Mary gestured for us to go back around the corner. We stepped into the hall from where she materialized.
“He was stabbed. Twice. They’re prepping him for surgery now.”
“Surgery!” Am gasped.
I cursed low. “What the fuck happened?”
“We aren’t sure yet. He managed to call 9-1-1, but when they arrived at his place, he was unconscious. He’s been in and out since. They haven’t been able to get any information from him.”
“Can we see him?” I asked.
“Surgery.” She reminded me and shook her head.
“Is he going to be okay?” Amnesia asked.
Mary Beth hesitated, and that’s when I knew it was really bad.
Running a hand over my head and down the back of my neck, I paced the hallway, trying to figure out how something like this happened.
We had a lot of weird things happen in this town, a lot of secrets and rumors. But murder? I was thinking that was a first.
“Go sit in the waiting room,” Mary Beth instructed. “I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything.”
I felt helpless in the moment. I wished there were something I could do. “I’ll keep trying his parents,” I offered. It wasn’t much, but it was something.
Mary nodded, grateful, and went swiftly down the hall.
I took Am’s hand to lead her toward the waiting room. As we went, the sound of squeaking came from behind.
Amnesia glanced over her shoulder, jerking to a halt. “Robbie!”
I spun. It was him lying prone in a hospital bed, an oxygen mask strapped to his face, a surgical cap that looked like a hair net over his head, looking like death was definitely knocking on his door.
“Rob.” I let go of Amnesia and rushed to the beside.
“You need to wait outside,” an orderly insisted.
Keeping pace with the bed as it rolled toward the elevators, I stared at my friend. His eyes were closed, his entire face drawn. I wasn’t used to seeing him so lifeless. “Everything’s going to be okay, Robbie. Amnesia and I, we’re here. We’re not going anywhere.”
Amnesia rushed to the other side of the bed and touched his arm. “We’re here,” she told him. “We love you.”
My heart pinched a little. I wasn’t sure I realized before just how unconditional Amnesia’s feelings were. She was innocent despite so much “experience.” It was proof good existed.
The bed stopped in front of the elevators, and the orderly pushed the button on the wall.
I watched Am reach out to adjust the cap on my best friend’s head. As she slowly pulled away, Robbie’s hand shot out, grabbing her by the wrist.
Amnesia gasped. Her body fell forward as he yanked. Her chest came right up against the bedrails at his side.
His eyes were wide, kind of wild and filled with pain.
“It’s okay.” Amnesia assured him. “Everything’s fine.”
“You need to go!” the orderly demanded.
The elevator dinged, and I knew it would open in seconds.
Robbie turned his head back and forth, making noises.
“He wants to say something.” I reached for the mask covering his nose and mouth.
Despite the orderly’s protest, I lifted the mask, hovering it over his face. Robbie turned his head toward Am, still gripping her arm.
He said one word.
One word before his eyes closed again and they rushed him off to the OR.
“What is it, Robbie?” Amnesia asked, leaning close.
He drew in a ragged breath. The sides of his eyes crinkled in pain.
“Sadie,” he rasped, clear enough there was no mistake.
“We’re going,” the orderly demanded, pushing the bed onto the waiting elevator. As if the guy hadn’t just heard his patient drop a name… drop an accusation.
We both stepped back without a word.
The second the doors closed, we glanced up at one another.
I knew the same look Amnesia wore was mirrored on my face.
Sadie.