Hook Shot (Hoops 3)

“You go home, August,” Iris says. “With Michael and Sarai. Relieve the sitter. I’ll let you know when he’s awake.”

I’d forgotten August was here—forgotten Yari and Billie, curled up in hard chairs, nodding off to sleep. August gives me a quick reassuring squeeze and then leaves.

“Hi, Lotus,” Decker says. “Not sure if you remember me.”

“Yes, I remember,” I say, managing a smile and accepting the hand he offers. “And Kenan’s talked about you a lot, Deck.”

“Same.” Decker squeezes my hand. “I need to go report back to the team, but wanted to at least say hi.” He leans close enough to whisper, “He’s a great guy. He’ll make you happy.”

Tears prick my eyes, and my smile widens. “I’m gonna make him happy, too.”

Decker smiles down at me

. “He deserves that.”

And then he’s gone. The room is quickly emptying, everyone taking Dr. Madison’s advice, but I cannot leave. I won’t.

“You okay?” Iris asks, studying me closely.

“Yeah.” The exhaustion I’ve ignored since we landed in San Diego falls on me like a pile of rocks, but I don’t want to go to sleep. “I think I’ll grab some air to clear my head.”

“I could use some fresh air, too,” Billie says, standing.

“I’ll come with,” Yari says.

“I’m gonna call the sitter.” Iris fishes her phone from her jeans pocket. “I know August is on his way home, but I need to talk to her myself.”

“We’ll be right back,” I tell her.

Once outside, the “fresh air” Billie needed is a smoke break. Yari and I step a breathable distance away from her noxious puffs. It’s later than I realized. Or rather, earlier. It’s morning. We arrived in the middle of the night, and the sun has already started its climb, illuminating another day. A vise cross-stitched from anxiety and fear still grips me by the throat, but with each passing second, I breathe easier. He’s not out of the woods yet, but he will be. Void of complications, he’ll recover. I cling to that and try to clear my mind of the scenarios that tortured me while I tried to reach him.

“Glad the rain stopped,” Yari says, leaning against the brick wall a few feet down from the glowing tip of Billie’s cigarette.

“I know.” Billie takes a long draw. “It supposedly never rains in Southern California.”

I’m about to agree when I hear it. The faintest whisper I’ve learned to trust.

Look up.

And I see what I’ve only ever seen once before. The thing most never witness once in a lifetime, I’ve now seen twice. Colors set aflame, an omen streaking through the clouds. A fire rainbow.

“No.” The word ejects itself from my body. A denial. A rebuttal to the sky’s prophecy. “No.”

“What?” Billie asks. “No, what?”

I don’t answer. I can’t. I sprint back to the hospital entrance and down the hall, my legs and arms pumping, my heart exploding. I barrel around the corner and into the waiting room. Iris sits there alone, still chatting with the sitter, I presume.

“Iris,” I say in a rush of breath and terror. “Something’s wrong. I have to go to him right now.”

Eyes widening, she says a hasty goodbye and disconnects the call. “But the doctor said—”

“I don’t care what the damn doctor said,” I scream and start down the hall I saw Dr. Madison take, dragging Iris with me.

“Wait!” Iris resists, digs her heels in and stops us. ”You heard Dr. Madison. We can’t see him yet. Void of any complications—”

“I need you to come with me, Iris. Please shut the fuck up and help me find him.”

Yari rushes in, chest heaving. “Lo, what’s wrong?”