Elissa pressed her hands together, lips trembling, her tears drying on her cheeks as she stood frozen with worry.
Hadley didn’t argue with her. If she were in Elissa’s position, she knew she wouldn’t have left either—not with so much on the line. Still, worry gnawed at her.
A thought struck, and Hadley hurried over to the nurse’s station. “Excuse me!”
“Miss Pearson.” One of the nurses looked up and recognized her. “Can I help you?”
Trying to keep her voice steady, Hadley explained, “Please, don’t notify Mr. Flynn about Mr. Holland’s condition. I’m here, and I can handle anything that comes up.”
“What?” The nurse blinked in surprise. “But we already called Mr. Flynn!”
Those words hit Hadley like a blow. Dread crept in, and she braced herself for what might come next.
“Miss Pearson, is there something wrong?” the nurse asked, sounding nervous. “Mr. Flynn was clear. We’re to report any changes with Mr. Holland to him right away. He insisted!”
Hadley pressed a hand to her forehead, eyes squeezed shut. For a split second, she had no idea what to do.
She collected herself and asked, “When did you call him?”
“We contacted him as soon as we called the doctors,” the nurse replied.
So, Ernest had already been alerted—before she and Elissa even made it back.
“Thank you.”
Hadley spun around and rushed to the hospital room, grabbing Elissa’s arm in haste.
In a low, urgent whisper, she said, “Elissa, we have to get out now!”
Elissa hesitated, glancing desperately at Addy’s bed. “But—”
Your new favorite is gα?ησν?s?c?m
“No time for that!” Hadley shook her head. “The nurse has already called Ernest. He’s probably on his way as we speak. If we don’t leave right now, you’ll be trapped here. We won’t have another chance to get away!”
A chill crept over Elissa upon hearing Hadley, making her tense. “I get it!” she murmured.
Pity for Addy twisted inside her, yet she had no choice but to walk away.
“We have to hurry!” Hadley grew impatient. “We’ve been here too long, and Ernest could show up at any second!”
“Okay, let’s go,” Elissa answered without hesitation.
Pausing, she shot one last glance at the hospital room’s door, squared her shoulders, and latched onto Hadley’s hand, bracing herself as they rushed into the corridor.
“Hold on!” Hadley stopped short, digging through her bag.
She came up with a mask and sunglasses. Realizing she only had one set, she turned to Tamara. “Can you spare an extra pair?”
Tamara rifled through her purse. “I found a backup.”
“Hand them over!”
“Here you go.”
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Message from Noah: Happy holidays, beloved people. God loves you, and Noah wishes you all the best. ?( ? ? )
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