With You ✔

36

Ellie

Finn pays the cab driver, slapping the bills in the man's hand so fast that he nearly drops them between the seats, and then the two of us take off practically run out of the car and towards the hospital's entrance.

Hospital's are nothing new to us, by now we both know how they work and where to go, even though we're miles and miles away from home. We're accustomed to the clean and sterile smell, we know what wings there are and which one Kit would be on, we're used to the polite smiles from doctors and nurses alike, and we know what questions we need to ask.

"They might not tell us anything." Finn says as he holds the door open for me, and follows me inside. There's people everywhere, from doctors and nurses to patients and family, this hospital is a lot busier and a lot bigger than what we're accustomed to.

There's a large, round help desk in the center of the entryway and waiting areas with coffee carts on both sides. Just behind the help desk there is a glass elevator, and when I look up I can see it transporting people from one level to another. Off to the side, behind the rows of chairs, tables, and plush couches, there is a stair case that also leads to the higher floors, as well as hallways that lead off to other parts of the hospital. I look over to the other side, and it's the same.

Finn takes a minute to look around as well, but when a woman in a wheelchair maneuvers around us, we become focused on our task once more and walk up to the desk at the center of it all.

"How can I help you?" A nice, older woman with red hair and too much matching red lipstick asks. I look at her name tag and see that her name is Joyce.

"Can you tell us where we can find Kit Kennedy?" Finn asks, flashing Joyce a smile as he tries to sound calm and collected.

"Are you family?"

"He's my brother."

"Give me one moment." Joyce smiles softly, turning her attention towards the computer in front of her and typing. I watch as her eyes scan the screen before her, and even though we are one hundred percent sure that Kit is here, there's still a chance that we're wrong. I hold my breath as Joyce types some more, and finally she looks back at Finn and I. "It seems that Mr. Kennedy was taken up for surgery an hour ago."

"Surgery?" My chest deflates as Finn struggles to keep calm long enough to get the information that we need. He's here, we actually found him. We're in the same building as him, but we could still be too late.

"Yes. He's in the OR for a ten hour craniotomy with Dr. Miller. It looks like the surgery was scheduled to begin at 7 a.m and is right on schedule."

Finn and I look at each other, and I can see my own panic looking back at me. What if we didn't get to say goodbye?

"There's a waiting room on the fifth floor, just outside the OR if you'd like to wait there?"

"Yes." We say in unison, causing Joyce's friendly smile to falter a little - almost as if she thinks she may be making a mistake giving two frantic teenagers information about a patient.

She may think that we're crazy, but she still pulls out a folder and places a map of the hospital on the desk between us. She reaches for a highlighter and circles the entrance of the hospital, "This is where we are." She then circles the OR waiting room located on the fifth floor, "Elevators are behind me, go to the fifth floor, and then take a right." She looks up at the two of us and we nod in understanding before thanking her and taking the map.

When we get to the elevators, an elderly couple is getting off, so we don't have to wait. Once we're inside, we're alone, and I swear I can hear my heart beating in my chest as Finn reaches for the button that will take us one step closer to Kit.