The black sedan screeched to a halt outside the hospital, its tires grinding against the pavement. The gardener, who had driven like his life depended on it, jumped out of the car and hurried around to help Lana and the unconscious matriarch out of the back seat. His arms trembled under the frail weight of the old woman, but he gritted his teeth and rushed her toward the emergency doors. Nurses spotted him immediately and a stretcher was wheeled out.
"ICU, quickly," one nurse barked, and within moments Axel's grandmother disappeared through the swinging double doors, surrounded by medical staff.
Lana stood frozen in the hallway, her chest rising and falling in ragged gasps. The fluorescent hospital lights made her already pale face look ghostly. She hugged her arms to herself, almost shivering even though the building was warm.
