Two Times the Charm (Clara and Emmett) novel Chapter 454

“No idea! He’s in a deep coma right now. In the ambulance, the doctor said he was just suffering from exhaustion, that’s all. But he was rushed into the ER as soon as we arrived at the hospital. It had been hours, and still no word!”

Sophia was a bundle of nerves, her mind a whirlwind of worry. She could not even be bothered about whose responsibility it was; all she wished for was her son’s safety!

Leah furrowed her brow, glancing up at the red light, her gut telling her something was definitely off with the medication they had given him.

"Sophia," Leah said, trying to sound reassuring, "I know a guy from my college days, a hotshot doctor. Let me give him a shout, and maybe he can figure out what's going on."

"Can he really help? Then please, Leah, hurry!" Sophia urged, her voice laced with desperation.

"Don't worry, I'm on it."

Leah stepped away, phone in hand, seeking solitude in a quiet corner of the bustling hospital. She dialed Newell Milburn, her contact for all things medically dubious.

After a few rings, Newell answered with an irritable tone. "What now, Leah? I gave you the pills and made it clear about cutting ties. This could blow back on me!"

"Cut the crap, Newell!" Leah snapped back. "That pill you gave me, why did it knock him out cold so fast? You said it would take months for any serious symptoms to show up, and without the antidote, it would be nothing more than a brief blackout."

There was a pause on the other end before Newell replied, "So he's out cold now, huh?"

"Don't give me that crap! I'm not after the Melendez fortune; I'm after Emmett!" Leah hissed. "Listen up, if he dies without a warning or cure, the Melendez family won't let it go. They'll dig, and if they find out, you're toast too, Newell!"

That got Newell's attention. "What are you saying?! We had a deal! You promised not to rat me out. And now you're backing out?!"

"But you never told me the full deal with this medication!" Leah countered.

"Give me a break!" Newell argued. "How was I supposed to know Emmett would react like this? It's not my fault. This is a family recipe, untested outside our bloodline. Seriously! The last time anyone used it was on a traitor in our midst as punishment. That was our only glimpse of the outcomes. Who in the Milburn family has ever taken this stuff? I had zero clinical experience to share, Leah. And remember, I did try to warn you off, but you wouldn't listen. Now you're pinning this on me?"