To Capture a Thorn (The Society 2)

“An ambulance is on the way,” Gideon said.

“Call our dads,” I said. “They’re going to want to be here.”

“Don’t you think we should do that when we get to the hospital?” William asked. “They can’t do anything here, and this is going to ruin them.”

I didn’t know what the seizure meant. Was she dying? OD’ing? I wasn’t a doctor.

Gideon and William went down to the ambulance. They had arrived within ten minutes. I stepped back as I told the paramedics everything that had happened.

They got to work on Joan. My hands were shaking as they put her on the bed, and then they were carrying her out to the ambulance.

Rather than drive with my friends, I climbed into the back of the ambulance. At first, the paramedics looked like they wanted to argue, but I gave them a look that quickly shut their mouths.

There was no way I was letting Sian’s mom ride to the hospital alone.

While they got to work with her, I held Joan’s hand.

How did this happen?

Did Alexander give her too much?

Did he fuck up?

Her hand was limp within mine, but I held her, not wanting to let her go. Sian didn’t have the best relationship with her mother, but that didn’t mean in time she wouldn’t.

We arrived at the hospital quickly. I climbed out of the back and they forced me to stay in reception to sign Joan in as we entered.

Dante, William, and Gideon joined me next.

“Our dads have been called. They’re on their way,” Dante said.

“Sian?”

“She’s coming with them,” William said.

“What the fuck do you think happened?” Gideon asked.

“Either Alexander got sloppy or Joan took something that meant he had no choice but to fucking run,” I said.

Chapter Fifteen

Dante

The tension in the hospital could be cut with a knife. The doctors had taken Joan, and so far, after an hour, we still hadn’t heard anything.

My dad was getting pissed. Lucas looked ready to explode. George and Justin weren’t much better.

Sian sat in a chair, arms folded, looking straight ahead. She looked a little pale.

William was curled up across two chairs. Gideon paced. Mateo had gone out for some air. I thought finding Joan seizing like that had fucked with his head. If I’d seen the same thing, I’d be feeling it too.

Joan was no longer at Alexander’s mercy though. We had her back.

To me, tonight was a victory, even though we went hunting for Alexander. We didn’t fail, but I had the feeling the others felt like we had failed in some way. I wasn’t sure exactly why. There was no failure here.

Unless … Joan didn’t make it.

Getting to my feet, I moved toward Sian then sat down beside her. I took her hand, locking our fingers together. She didn’t push me away, and I breathed a sigh of relief she didn’t.

“How are you holding up?” I asked quietly.

“I don’t know. I’m kind of numb.” She glanced back at me, forcing her lips up into a smile she clearly didn’t feel. “You?”

“I’m worried about you.”

She blew out a breath. “I don’t know what to think and feel right now, Dante.” She looked at our hands. “I’m surprised you don’t have your book tracing out every moment.” She winced. “Sorry, that sounded bitchy.”

“Some moments in life don’t need to be captured. The memory alone is painful enough.”

She squeezed my hand. “I feel … I feel sick. I don’t know what to think right now. I feel so guilty because…” She didn’t finish, just shook her head and then stood.

Gideon watched, and I shook my head at him, going after Sian as she ran out of the waiting room. I followed her outside. She was taking large gulps of air when I joined her.

I didn’t say anything but let her know I was there with a single hand to her back, offering her support in any way she needed it. She didn’t push me away, and I took that as a victory.

“God, this is … ugh!” She released a scream and stepped away from me. “You shouldn’t touch me. I’m a horrible person.”

“Sian?”

“No! Don’t Sian me. It’s not right.” She covered her face with her hands.

I waited. She was hurting. I got that.

“Do you know there were times after Drew passed away that I wished it was her?” she asked. “Drew would have been so disappointed in me.”

As I wrapped my arms around her, Sian shoved me away. “No. Don’t hold me. I’m a monster.” She groaned.

“Sian, this isn’t your fault.”

She laughed. “Not my fault? Am I not getting what I wished for?”

“You didn’t know. Believe me when I say this, I’m a great believer in taking full responsibility when it is shit you know and you could have done better, but not with this. How could you have known? No one did.”

“That’s my mother,” she said. “And I wished her dead.”