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“But you need medicine!” Nadine cried.
Quentin scowled. “Not according to the doctors. They said something about a coven-wide healthcare reform.”
“We’ll find a way to pay for this,” Nadine promised.
Quentin sniffled. “It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters anymore.”
My brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”
Tears filled his eyes. “It’s Lydia. I just got the call. Her diagnosis… it’s…”
He broke down into sobs. I could barely make out what he was saying. “Even if I find a way to pay my bill, there won’t be enough to pay hers. Her parents were both laid off a week ago. Her insurance is gone. I’m on my way… t—to see her…”
“We’ll go with you,” Nadine offered.
Quentin sniffled and wiped his nose. “That’s really kind of you, but I—”
He tried standing up, but he swayed on his feet. I rushed to catch him, and he sagged against me. “Woah,” I said. “You’re still recovering.”
“I need to see her,” he snapped. I knew he would, whether we were with him or not.
“Then let us help you,” I said. “We’ll make sure you get there safely.”
Quentin hesitated. “Fair enough.”
He seemed a little more confident in his footing, but I stayed close to him, in case he passed out. We made it to the school’s infirmary without incident.
I’d been to the infirmary more than once, and it was always quiet and slow. Today, though, it was like stepping into an entirely different hospital. Doctors rushed down the halls, and nurses shouted orders at each other.
“I’ll be with you in a minute,” the receptionist told us.
Quentin glanced up and down the halls, fidgeting with a small velvet box he’d conjured.
“What’s that?” Nadine asked. It sounded like she was trying to make conversation, to calm Quentin down.
He glanced down at the box, like he forgot he’d been holding it. “Oh, I um…”
He sighed. “I guess you’ve already figured it out, huh? It’s a ring, for Lydia. I was going to propose last night before… well, before the accident.”
He opened the box and showed us the ring. A shimmering diamond sat upon a twisted gold band.
Nadine smiled. “She’s going to love it.”
Quentin placed the box in his pocket, but he looked heartbroken. “I hope so.”
The receptionist caught our attention, and Quentin rushed to give her information. She pointed us down the hall toward Lydia’s room. My stomach twisted as we passed by rooms with patients connected to IVs, and others with tubes down their throats. There were people of all ages here, not just students. I’d never been more grateful for my protection magic, because it was the only reason Nadine and I weren’t in the same situation.
We stepped into Lydia’s room. She lay flat on her back with her neck in a brace. She tried to turn her head to look at Quentin, but she couldn’t move. Bruises covered her skin, and she had an IV in her arm. She was conscious, so that was reassuring.
Quentin dropped to his knees beside her bed and took her hand in his. He began kissing her hand, all the way up her arm, until he pressed his lips to hers.
He pushed the hair out of her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Lyd. The doctors say—”
He choked up before he could finish.
“It’s okay, Quen,” she told him, but her voice was barely audible. She was in rough shape.
“But you… you’ll never walk again.” Quentin’s voice broke, and my heart crumbled into a million pieces along with it. I had no idea her diagnosis was this serious.
