Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 94140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
With a sigh, I reach across the counter and hand the woman at the hospital cafeteria a twenty-dollar bill before heading toward the tables and feeling so unbelievably grateful for Gigi. She’s amazing, giving up her lunch break to sit with Georgie so I can have this small chance to eat and refuel. I’ll never be able to thank her enough. I swear, I’ll spend the rest of forever trying to make up for all the wonderful things she’s done for me and Georgie. That’s assuming she wants to give me forever. It’s still new, only two weeks in, but I feel it in my gut, just like I did with Sara.
Like I said, she’s fucking amazing. Undeniably incredible.
I’m just about finished my lunch when a deafening alarm screeches through the hospital, bringing the cafeteria to a standstill. Everybody glances around, panic in their eyes, then like a fucking movie, chaos erupts through the big room.
I stand, looking around, trying to figure out what the fuck is going on, searching for some kind of clue as to what caused the alarm. My only guess is a lost child or some sort of overwhelming emergency in the operating room. Hell, all I know is that an alarm like this can only cause this kind of havoc if it was life threatening.
The alarm is eerie, and as a million different scenarios rush through my mind, the pagers of every single hospital staff member in the cafeteria begin beeping. My heart races, not liking this one fucking bit, and as I start to make my way out of the cafeteria, wanting to get back to Georgie, I watch as every last hospital employee around me stops and looks down.
The strangest feeling settles over the cafeteria, and despite the blaring alarm, I could hear a fucking pin drop. Tension radiates through the room, and not a second later, their eyes fill with terror and they run full speed for the doors.
My stomach sinks, and I pick up my pace, following the crowd to the cafeteria exit. “What’s going on?” I yell to a nurse as she runs past, but she ignores me in her hurry to get out. Within seconds, I find myself in the lobby with the rest of the crowd.
They push toward the main exit like a herd of animals, and I try to pull away from the crowd, desperate to get back up to the pediatric ward to find my little girl. Assuming this alarm is hospital-wide, she’s bound to be freaking out. My only saving grace is that she has Gigi with her. But depending on what this alarm means, she might have to run.
The herd continues toward the parking lot exit, but panic ensues when they find the main doors locked, and I watch in horror as people try to break them down.
What the fuck is going on?
A man in a suit stands up on the reception desk. “Attention,” he hollers across the lobby, having to say it three times before having to give an ear-shattering whistle to gain their attention.
Finally, some fucking answers.
It takes a moment, but eventually, everyone in the lobby turns to face the man, and he straightens his tie before clearing his throat. “Calm down,” he instructs the crowd. “This is not a drill. I repeat. This is not a drill. As of three minutes ago, the hospital was put on lockdown. I need you all to keep calm and take a seat. The doors have been locked. Please keep your children with you at all times,” he explains. “I’m sure the situation will be handled shortly. Your patience is appreciated.”
“What situation?” I call out.
“That information is strictly off-limits,” he replies, gaining outbursts from the massive crowd.
“Bullshit. We have the right to know if we’re in danger,” I tell him, begging him to challenge me on the law. “My daughter is upstairs.”
He presses his lips together before turning to another man, who very wisely gives a nod. The suited guy turns back to the crowd, and the fear in his eyes instantly puts me on edge. “Please do not be alarmed, however, we currently have an active shooter on the third floor of the hospital,” he explains. “Due to the lockdown, we are safe here, and I implore you all to remain calm. The situation is being handled, and I am sure you will all be allowed to go home to your families shortly.”
Fuck, no. Third floor?
Pediatrics is on the third floor.
I make a fucking run for it.
The lawyer in me screams to tell the man to unlock the front doors to let the crowd out to safety, but they’re not my priority, nor do I know anything about this hospital’s lockdown policies and procedures. Either way, I couldn’t give a single fuck right now.
Georgie and Gigi are on the third floor. They’re right there, fending off a fucking armed shooter.