Claire's breathing grew heavier and heavier, her body burning up hotter by the second. Her consciousness had long slipped completely into unconsciousness, and she did not react at all to any movement around her.
The car pulled up at the emergency entrance. Charles pushed open the door, gently gathered her into his arms, slipped one arm under her knees and around her back, and with a slight push, lifted her horizontally out of the car seat.
"Go back, and pick us up on time tomorrow." He tossed this brief instruction to the driver following behind him.
The driver acknowledged the order and drove off.
The emergency room was brightly lit, with the sharp, strong smell of disinfectant hanging in the air.
Charles's arrival and the clearly unconscious patient he held in his arms immediately c
