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Chloe couldn't take sitting in the plastic chair any longer. The seats were hard, uncomfortable, and not even hooked together. Considering that she had contemplated hurling one at Lilith's head didn't bode well for anyone, so Chloe did the only thing she could—remove herself from the situation before she made things worse.
"I'll go grab us all some coffee and tea."
Chloe stood, leaving her purse tucked in the seat. She winced as the squeak of the metal legs echoed throughout the quiet waiting room, causing others to put their focus on her. She brushed her bangs away from her eyes and began to walk across the dull linoleum floor. The laminate counter held an assortment of disposable cups, lids, creamers, sugar packets, and even wooden stir sticks. An industrial-sized coffee maker sat on the counter next to a hot water dispenser, both looking well-worn from frequent use.
Chloe noticed a couple sitting close together, their chairs pushed up against each other. The woman had messy brown hair pulled up on the sides, wore yoga pants paired with a baggy sweatshirt, and had a chafed, red nose. The man had his arm wrapped around her shoulders.
"…remember when she died," the woman whispered to her husband, not paying any attention to Chloe as she stood in front of the coffee counter. "Jenna's death affected the entire town. My parents never let me go ice-skating again. At least, not on any of the ponds in the area. There was this ice-skating rink that they…"
Chloe pretended to study the selection of teas as the couple continued their conversation.
"I was friends with her, you know." The woman lifted a tissue and blew her nose loud enough to cause Chloe to inch a bit to the left so that she wasn't too close to being exposed to whatever sickness had brought the woman to the hospital. "We weren't close, but I do recall hearing a rumor that her death wasn't an accident. Her group of friends weren’t too happy about her spending less time with them than—"
“Margot Capri?”
"Isn't every death a conspiracy of some sort?" the woman's husband asked as the two of them stood from their seats after being called back to a room.
Chloe continued to pour two cups of coffee without missing a beat. She might be upset with how Lilith had treated Phoebe this evening, but Chloe would do her best not to let it show. She would also make sure that Phoebe was armed with the information Margot had inadvertently provided them before they started questioning those involved with Jenna's life back then.
By the time Chloe had poured hot water into a Styrofoam cup, chosen a random teabag, and managed to carry three hot beverages back to her seat without spilling a drop, Phoebe's aunt and uncle had come rushing through the sliding doors of the emergency room.
Chloe decided it was best to set the drinks down on the small side table. She used her elbow to shove the stack of wrinkled magazines to the side. They scattered across the hard surface with a soft flutter of pages.
"Lilith!" Trish called out in a rush as she quickly came to a stop and wrapped her arms around her younger sister. "Is there any word yet on Kenneth’s condition?"
"No, nothing." Lilith's eyes filled with a sheen of tears. "We've just been sitting here…waiting."
Lilith's voice cracked on the last word.
Billy walked over to Phoebe with his arms open wide.
"Hey there, kiddo. C'mere." He wrapped Phoebe in a tight hug when she stood and buried her face against his sweater. "How're you holding up?"
"I'm okay, Uncle Billy," Phoebe said in a muffled voice.
Chloe had been keeping a close eye on Lilith, hoping that she wouldn't mention anything to Trish and Billy about the conversation that had prompted the 911 call. Doing so would have only added more stress to an already tense situation.
"Kenneth grabbed his chest. We called 911." Lilith dabbed at her eyes with a crumpled tissue. "The EMTs wouldn't really tell me anything, though."
"Was he conscious?" Trish asked, sharing a concerned look with her husband.
"Yes, the entire time," Lilith responded with a shaky voice as they all remained standing. Chloe stood to the side, not wanting to intrude on such a private moment. She was Phoebe's best friend, but she was just getting to know Lilith and Kenneth. She had only met Trish and Billy a handful of times over the years. "It's been over two hours. I don't know what could be taking them so long. They would have told us if they had taken him into surgery, right?"
"Mrs. Burrow?"
Every single member of the Burrow family stepped forward, and it was Phoebe who motioned that Chloe should join them. She folded her arms so that her bracelets wouldn't make any noise that could drown out the doctor's speech.
Chloe observed the doctor as he came to a stop in front of the group. He appeared to be in his mid-fifties, with brown hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His green scrubs were wrinkled from what was obviously a long shift.
"Mrs. Burrow?" the doctor asked again, wanting clarification on just who he should be speaking with this evening.
"That would be me," Lilith said firmly after clearing her throat. She instinctively reached out and clasped Phoebe's hand. Chloe was glad to witness such a moment between the two women. "How is my husband?"
The doctor gave her a reassuring smile.
"Kenneth is doing just fine. His heart went into a rapid rhythm called tachycardia. Essentially, the electrical signals in his heart started firing abnormally, causing his heart rate to suddenly speed up. It was likely triggered by his hypertension. It's not uncommon."
Lilith closed her eyes in relief and squeezed Phoebe's hand as she absorbed the news.
