ling the feverish, drowsy boy into the passenger side. She cal

ld Chevrolet's engine screamed in protest, and the tires screeched on the smooth co

n, he saw the profile of a woman, her face pale and strained with worry. It was the face he had

aring up, triggering a severe asthma attack. He couldn't speak, could

art feel like it was being squeezed in a vise. The

ngested New York traffic. With one hand, she reached ov

streaming down her face. "Please, ba

state, his genius mind registered the discrepancy. But

s emergency room entrance. Eleanor didn't even bother to shut off the engine. Sh

her voice raw. "Somebo

w the situation and immediately barked orders. A gurney appeared, and Leo wa

glass panel in the door as they cut away the expensive suit. D

w! And get me a high

r legs giving out. She buried her face in her h

. Dr. Reed emerged, pulling off her surgical mask. Her f

ow. This was a severe asthma attack." She pinned Eleanor with a sharp, accusatory gaze. "As

confusion. "Inhaler? But... Cody doesn't have ast

at the disheveled, poorly dressed woman bef

e child has a chronic autoimmune deficiency that affects his respi

raised him for five years. He's never had an attack, never shown a single symptom. Maybe it's a

t, this condition doesn't just appear overnight. The scarring

landing on the small figure in the bed. The machines had stopped beeping fra

t know everything. They didn't know the hell he'd been thr

She stood over the small bed, staring down at the pal

om his forehead. She leaned closer, her eyes tracing the lines of

nt, the boy'

eyes were usually full of mischief and laughter, these were fi

ing, drilled into him since he could walk, screamed stran

gentle. She whispered an apology, her voice breaking with

erwhelmed years of cold, logical training. He forgot about the IV in the back of his hand, fo

Of course it was him. Her poor boy had been through something terribl

ll hand, her tears of relief a

" she whispered.

hand. She cleared her throat, breaking the moment. "We'll ne