Free Desolate (Riverband #2) by Sara Daniell, J. L. Hackett Page A

as he coughed and stumbled until he was leaned heavily against the wall.
     
    “Who?”
     
    “Reese!” He yelled the best he could.
     
    "She's at school." I caught him before he fell. Within seconds, he was passed out in my arms. I was going to need help getting him out to my truck.  He wasn’t the smallest guy and was leaning against me with dead weight.
     
    He needed a doctor. I laid him down carefully and called for an ambulance. I kept my hand on his wrist to make sure his heart was still beating and watched his chest to make sure he was breathing. I didn't know a thing about CPR, but I'd try if I had to. 
     
    I texted Reese.
     
    Me: Go find Garrett and tell him to bring you to the hospital.
     
    It wasn't long and I heard sirens.  I opened the door to let the medics in.  I explained to them what happened as they loaded him on to a stretcher.
     
    Reese: Okay on my way. Why am I on my way?!
     
    After they got him in the ambulance, I got in my truck to follow.
     
    Me: Your dad isn't dead.
     
    Reese: I’m on my way!
     
    As I drove, I wondered how he knew to come to my house. And where exactly did he come from? Who had him? Or did anyone have him at all? Did it have to do with the witch stuff? I shook my head.
     
    I pulled up to the hospital and followed the medics and Mayor Johnson in. A nurse stopped me and started asking me questions while another nurse and the medics got him into a room.
     
    "Havock?!" I heard Reese yell.
     
    I turned and opened my arms. She launched herself at me, and I held her.
     
    "He's in a room. I don't know anything yet."
     
    The nurse smiled at her. "We will let you back there as soon as they get him stable."
     
    Reese nodded. "What's...what’s all wrong with him?"
     
    "We don't know yet."  The nurse patted her shoulder as she walked past us.
     
    "I need you two to wait in the waiting room," a lady said from behind a counter.
     
    I took her hand and walked with her into the waiting room. I explained everything that happened.
     
    Tears were streaming down her face as she looked towards where her dad was.
     
    Janet came over to us with a bruise on her cheek and a bloody lip. Reese looked at her. "Janet? What are you doing here? What happened to you?”
    She smiled a little. She sat next to me and Reese. "I heard about your dad and thought I’d come to see how you were doing."
     
    Reese looked at Janet’s face. “What happened to you?”
     
    “Nothing for you to worry about.” She leaned back against the waiting room chair.
     
    Janet was like me.  If she didn’t want to tell you something, she wouldn’t.  There would be no convincing her to say a thing.  I held tightly to Reese’s hand.  “Where did Garrett go?”
     
    “I don’t know. He said something about going to get a snack.” Reese put her head on my shoulder.
     
    “There he is,” Janet said as she jerked her head towards the door. She shifted in her chair and winced.
     
    I laid my head on Reese’s.  I loved how her hair always smelled like pears and vanilla.  Garrett walked over and immediately looked at Janet’s wounds.  “Uh oh,” I whispered to Reese.
     
    “What happened, J?”  he asked as he sat down next to her.
     
    She shrugged. “Ran into a door,” she lied badly. She took the snickers out of his hand and took a bite.
     
    “That was one badass door,” I mumbled as I closed my eyes.  
     
    Garrett didn’t push Janet for the truth.  He nudged me.  I opened my eyes.  “How’s Mayor Johnson?”
     
    "We don't know anything yet."
     
    A nurse walked in. "Reese, you can go see him now."
     
    She looked at me then the nurse. She nodded and stood to follow the nurse.
     
    I shook my head in disbelief and looked at Janet and Garrett.  "Shit you guys that was weird as hell. He just shows up, asks for Reese, and then passes out." I shook my head again. Between my girlfriend being a witch and her mangled dad showing up on my porch, my life had become a really horrible