“I knew you’d come.”
I crossed the room and knelt in front of her.
My hands wanted to touch everything.
Her face.
Her shoulder.
The bruise forming beneath her collarbone.
But training told me not to move her unnecessarily.
“Look at me, Mom.”
She did.
“Any dizziness?”
“A little.”
“Nausea?”
“Yes.”
I stood and turned toward Sergeant Dwyer.
“Ambulance.”
“It’s already being called.”
“Not called. Here.”
His jaw tightened.
Five minutes later, paramedics were fitting a cervical collar around my mother’s neck.
As they wheeled her through the station, her fingers caught mine.
“Kelsey.”
“I’m here.”
“There’s something you need to find at my house.”
I leaned closer.
“What?”
Her eyes moved toward Sergeant Dwyer.
Then back to me.
“Later.”
The ambulance doors closed.
Dwyer asked me to step into his office.
A printed incident report lay on his desk.
Ryan’s name was on top.
