Chapter 21

Joshua could feel how badly Emily was shaking. He barely had the strength to speak, but he still forced his head up and wiped her tears. His voice was faint and broken as he reassuringly said, "Don't cry, Emily… Don't be scared… What matters is that you're okay…" Each word grew softer than the last until she, so close she could feel his breath, could hardly catch them. The more he spoke, the harder her tears fell. The square wasn't too far from the hospital, so the cops and paramedics soon arrived to step in. When the nurses finally stopped her at the doors of the operating room, she could still feel her heart pounding wildly against her chest. Emily sat on a bench outside and stared at the glowing red "In Surgery" sign. Her mind was still a blank. Not long after, Eleanor received the news and arrived in a hurry. Her eyes were filled with concern as she asked, "How's Josh?" She shook her head and replied in a low, muffled voice, "No idea. The doctors are still trying to save him.