Page 152 of Summers at the Saint
“Ma’am?” the clerk called out.
Traci turned and walked to the admitting desk.
“You and your quote husband can take your quote daughter home now. An aide is bringing her out now.”
“Huh?” Whelan asked.
“Don’t ask. Just smile and nod.”
She turned back to the clerk. “What about Olivia Grayson? Is she being discharged too?”
“They’re just finishing up the paperwork,” the clerk said.
The doors from the treatment area slid open and a nurse’s aide wheeled Felice out. She was wearing a cotton hospital gown and clutching a plastic bag containing prescriptions and what was left of her clothes.
“Hi. They’re sending me home. Wherever that is.”
“My place,” Traci said quickly. “Hope you like dogs, because Lola’s there and eagerly awaiting the chance to jump up and greet you with a wildly inappropriate amount of crotch sniffing.”
“Sounds fun,” Felice said.
Whelan held out his hand. “Give me your keys and I’ll pull your car up to the ambulance bay.”
Traci handed them over.
“He’s cute,” Felice said. “Is he your…”
“Friend,” Traci said, feeling herself blush.
The doors from the treatment area opened again and an aide wheeled Livvy out, with Shannon trailing close behind. The aide parked Livvy’s wheelchair right beside Felice’s, and Livvy reached over and gingerly touched her friend’s arm.
“What happened to you?” she asked.
Felice shot a worried glance at Livvy’s mother.
“It’s the roofies,” Shannon volunteered. “She doesn’t remember most of what happened last night.”
“Wish I didn’t remember it,” Felice said.
“Honey,” Shannon said, addressing her daughter, “there was a fire at the dorm. Felice saved you. She got you out of the fire.”
“For real?” Livvy laughed. “That’s insane.”
She looked over at Traci. “Hi, Mrs. E.”
“No more Mrs. E. We’re business partners now, so it’s Traci. You too, Felice,” she said. “If we’re going to be roommates, you can just call me by my first name.”
“Huh?” Livvy looked over at her mother.
“I’ll explain later,” Shannon said. “For now, I’m taking you home with me.”
“No. I don’t wanna go to your place. I want to go back to the dorm.”
Shannon knelt down beside Livvy’s wheelchair. “Listen to me, Liv. Last night there was a fire at the dorm. It was pretty bad, but like I said, Felice got you out.”
“Oh,” Livvy said. Her face crumpled. “KJ and Garrett? Are they okay?”
“They weren’t there,” Felice said. “It was just the two of us.”
