Page 7 of Mason
The crowd had scattered, but now they were gathering around once again, and the numbers kept growing.People spoke in low murmurs, cameras still aimed on Sutton.Fucking vultures.Neil kept them back a few yards, giving the EMTs plenty of room to do their job.
“BP 109/62.Pulse is steady at 85.O2 is at 98,” Martin told his partner, who was waiting for the glucose monitor to give a reading.
“Sutton, your blood sugar level is sixty-one milligrams per deciliter.Do you have a history of hypoglycemia?”
“I just forgot to eat.It’s fine.I’m fine.”She shifted her legs, grimacing and grabbing her side.
“Don’t try to extract it,” Trent warned.“The doctor will do that at the hospital.”
She huffed, dropping her hand away from her injury.
“On a scale of zero to ten, zero being no pain and ten being the worst, what would you rate how you feel right now?”Martin asked.
“I don’t know.Maybe a six?”
“Your blood sugar level is really concerning, though, hon.”Trent was digging through his bag, grabbing gauze, a vial of something, and a syringe.“Do you remember when you last ate?Because this could be something more?—”
“It’s really not that big of a deal,” she argued.Her pale cheeks filled with a pretty pink color that I couldn’t look away from.“Like I said, I simply forgot to eat.”
“And when was the last time you did eat?”Martin asked, rephrasing the question as he pulled a notebook from his pocket and clicked his pen, jotting down her vitals and waiting for her answer.
“Um…” Her face was almost glowing, going from pink to red.“I don’t know.Maybe…yester…day…”
“Maybe?”I growled at the same time Mom gasped the question.
Martin made a double click of his pen before jotting down the information.
“What the fuck is this maybe bullshit?”I demanded, not realizing how harsh my voice was until I saw her flinch.
“Yeah, maybe.I forget.It happens.Fuck,” she snipped and finally gave me her eyes.
They were on fire, annoyance mixed with so many other things.I got lost in the caramel brown, helplessly drowning in them.
“You don’t have to make it a whole thing.It wasn’t on purpose.And why is it any of your business?”she complained with another cute huff.“I don’t even know your frigging name.Are you a doctor?If not, then shut the hell up.Stand there and look pretty.Christ.”
Mom snickered but made the introductions.“Sutton, this is my son, Mason, who is definitely not in the medical field.Honestly, it was a relief to his father when he emphatically declared he would never be a doctor.My husband has an extreme aversion to blood.”
“No offense, Harper, but your son is kind of an a-hole.”Sutton side-eyed me.“I mean, I just met you, and you seem very sweet.Kinda bummed your offspring didn’t inherit that from you.”
“Finally!An actual breathing human who doesn’t fangirl at the sight of his dreamy blue-gray eyes.I love it!”Mom laughed out loud then bent closer to Sutton, lowering her voice.“Which he got from his father, by the way.My guys are so handsome.His dad is who he gets his attitude from too, by the way.Majority of it anyway.”
“Umph,” Sutton responded noncommittally then cursed.“Warn a girl before you go stabbing her with needles!”
I shifted my gaze to find Trent working on her arm.“Almost done.And the IV is in.We’re gonna get you locked and loaded for transport.Would you like anyone to ride along with us?”
“I’m going,” Mom and I said in unison, causing Sutton to snort.
“You win one little talent show, and suddenly, you’re getting fought over by complete strangers.Fun times,” she snarked and then frowned.“Hey, Trent, did you give me painkillers?”
Trent’s eyes narrowed on us.“It is the patient’s choice.And yes, darlin’, I did.Remember when I asked if you’re allergic to anything?”
“Nope.”She popped the p with extra enthusiasm, making me fight a laugh.Beautiful and adorable.But I didn’t remember anyone asking about allergies either.I had been too enthralled with her to hear his questions or the whispers from all the onlookers who were still gathered round, being held at bay by Neil and the school’s lackluster security.
Obviously, the new headmaster didn’t take safety into account like mine had more than a decade before.I spotted the man standing just offstage, having a heated conversation with the woman I’d been sitting beside earlier.Jasmine?Jacklyn?Fuck it.I couldn’t remember and didn’t care enough to find out.Annoying was the only adjective I needed to know, and that was plenty.
“I am going with her,” Mom said firmly, cutting off any further argument.
Seeing the relief that washed over Sutton’s face, I relented.“Neil and I will follow you.”
