Drake Sisters 04 - Dangerous Tides

shouldn't be able to remember .

    A soft, pitiful sound caught his attention and he turned his head to see Libby Drake cowering away from him. He wasn't altogether certain she was real. Their gazes locked and they stared at one another while time seemed to slow down, until he was only aware of her, of every detail. Her face paled even more. A fine sheen of sweat beaded on her skin. Her hands trembled and she pressed into the wall to hold herself Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    up. She looked completely ill.

    Libby pressed a hand to her churning stomach, looking around her, very disoriented. Where was she?
    Elle? Hannah? Help me . She took another step back, away from the gurney and all the machines.
    Someone watched her, his eyes a piercing blue, stabbing at her, so that her breath came in ragged gasps.

    Get to the door, Libby. The door. Elle's voice was very calm. You’re not alone, I'll be with you every step of the way .

    Libby heard her sisters talking to her, encouraging her, all from a great distance, their voices brushing around her mind. Strange, she couldn't sort them out, or hear what they were saying, other than Elle.

    I'm so cold. Libby shivered as she pushed open the door and stumbled out into the hall. She looked around her, unable to recognize where she was. A hallway. There were people, some looking at her, others going about their business. A man dressed in a gray suit stood just outside the door she emerged from. He looked vaguely familiar, as if she should know him. He went to step in front of her, but she shrank back, holding up a trembling hand to ward him off. He appeared puzzled, shifting slightly. Libby blinked several times wondering if she were hallucinating.

    Keep walking, Libby. Concentrate on me. Elle encouraged her. I’m holding on to you. I've got you safe.
    Ignore him and keep coming to me. I'm on my way .

    Libby couldn't feel or hear her other sisters, except maybe Hannah. Was she weeping? If Hannah was crying then Libby had to get to her. She forced her body to move, one foot in front of the other. Two nurses were talking at the end of the hall and they turned to stare at her. Libby's vision blurred and she rubbed her eyes. Her hand came away red with blood. She blinked down at her fingers.

    Keep coming to me, Libby. Hannah needs you. Can you hear her crying? Keep walking, don't stop. I'm almost there.

    Libby only heard Elle's voice now and it was nearly drowned out by a strange roaring in her head. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, but she couldn't understand where she was or even what she was doing.
    She obeyed her sister blindly, stumbling down the hall toward the doors.

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    Before Libby managed to make it more than a few feet, a woman rushed up to her, planting herself squarely in Libby's path.

    "This is your fault, Libby. All your fault!" Irene Madison shrieked the accusation at the top of her lungs.
    Her face was twisted with fury and she clutched her handbag like a weapon. "You’re responsible for this."

    Libby wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. She could see people looking at her, but she didn't know where she was. The woman shouting wasn't making much sense. Frightened, she reached for her sister. Elle? What's wrong with me ?

    "Surely you don't think my son's fall was an accident." Irene's voice rose to a screech. "Why would Drew be out climbing the cliff? If you had just shown a little compassion, just a little, Libby, this would never have happened."

    Libby shook her head, which sent small needles drilling through her skull. She cried out and pressed her palms to her temples, looking around wildly for a way to escape.

    "You never cured him. The cancer was there, eating him alive and I couldn't just watch him die. I had to do something. You left me no choice. You refused to cure him and the experimental drug program was the only option left to me. You told me the drug could cause depression. You never said a single word about suicide." Irene's tone escalated to a high-pitched scream. "You could have healed him. Why didn't you?"

    Elle burst through the double doors of the hospital, running up the corridor, just as Irene hit Libby hard with her purse, not once, but repeatedly, driving her backward. Libby put up one arm in an effort to defend herself, but she was too weak and went down hard, sprawling on the floor.

    Even as