Tiffany
Larry offers to drive me to the hospital and, even though I think enclosed spaces are becoming a little bit too much for both of us, I accept. In the car ride, he plays soft music to ease the silence, but I find my voice as his car rolls to a stop in the hospital parking lot.
"Is she going to be fine, Larry?" I ask, panic-stricken. "I'm just so afraid."
He scoots closer to me and palms my face in his hands. "Don't worry," he whispers. "She's going to be fine. Plus, I'll be here by your side."
I nod just as I pull away from him and climb out of his car.
Larry follows suit and locks the door before accompanying me into the hospital. At once, we are greeted by the smell of bleach and medicine, and the fear comes again. Instinctively, I tug on Larry's shirt, too nervous to do anything else.
He smiles down at me like he understands but says nothing to me. After we ask the nurses at the front desk for information, one of them directs us to a room on the third floor.
We enter the elevator while Larry punches in the third floor. The ride is short and quiet and, when we finally get to my sister's room, I let out the breath I'd been holding. Laurene comes around to wrap a hand around me while my eyes dart restlessly to Amila on the bed.