My Luck (Twisted Luck Book 1)

by Mel Todd

  "Oh, good. I don't need blood in my car."

  I nodded, not paying much attention, as I focused on the papers from the school. There in black text on heavy white paper the charges were laid out. Monique Kinnison said I had cheated. The tests we took were too hard for anyone to get a nearly perfect score. That my consistent high grades and praise from the instructor pointed to both cheating and a bribing of the teacher for this course. That made me blink. The subtext was that I was sleeping with Bruce for good grades, though it wasn't bluntly said.

  I should have strangled her; it would have made life easier for everyone.

  I scrolled through my phone and pulled up Bruce's number. As the car headed, not fast enough, to the hospital I looked at his number. He had handed it out when the semester began. Finally, I shrugged. I never talked to him outside of class that I could remember. I didn't even think he lived in town as I never saw him at Grind Down. What evidence could be presented to make it look like there was anything between us? With a sigh, I hit call.

  "What?" His voice snapped out and even my numb worry couldn't prevent my slight flinch.

  "Bruce, this is Cori Munroe. I had a visit from some people about me cheating and apparently sleeping with you?" The numbness came through in my voice, and I calculated how much longer until we reached the hospital. At least twenty minutes. More than enough time to get some traction on this.

  "That little bitch. I should have kicked her out the first week." His voice was a low snarl and I could almost feel the rage coming out of it.

  "They said my license would be rescinded if I didn't prove on Monday that I didn't cheat." I flipped through the papers until I found the details. "I'll have to answer charges that I suborned my instructor to give me special treatment and assist with my grades."

  "So, she is stupid and blind. One, I would never date a student. Two, you're the wrong gender for me. And three, I prefer my dates a few years older than I am. You're young enough to be my daughter." The contempt in his voice stung, but I figured it really wasn't directed at me.

  "So, it says Monday. Is there any advice you can give me, or did I mess up just by calling you?"

  "Oh Monique, the administration, and the social groups can kiss my ass. I have nothing to hide and I refuse to act as if I do. You were right to call." His voice smoothed out and his tone became more matter of fact, less emotional. "Come prepared on Monday to take all the tests again. And study anything you didn't do perfectly on. The rest will be held in a trial-like atmosphere, and Monique will have to present her case. You can get a lawyer, but her case is so flimsy that I wouldn't unless you are really worried about it."

  A spiral of worry wormed its way up my throat. "If I pass the test, will my license remain untouched? I mean this won't affect my standing with the licensing process? I can't continue the internship if it has been suspended."

  "I'll make sure it stays intact. I am bringing a lawyer, and I'm about to make Monique and her family very sorry they ever messed with me. I have a college friend who owes me a favor and I'm calling it in."

  "Okay. I'll study and be prepared. Thanks." I sounded distant and hollow, but too much had happened today for me to even care all that much.

  "Hey, Cori?"

  I paused as I'd been about to hang up. "Yes?"

  "The only thing you did wrong was to be a damn good student. You showed her up and she had every advantage. Don't worry about this. It will all work out for the best. I promise."

  "Okay." I didn't say if I believed him. Right at that moment I didn't believe in anyone or anything, not even myself. "I'll see you Monday."

  "Yes, you will. Try and have a good weekend." He sounded resigned and reassuring at the same time.

  My sob of bitter laughter rang in the car. Bruce had already hung up, or I had. I didn't know which of us hit the button first.

  "Miss? You okay?"

  The driver's voice pulled me a bit out of my haze, and I focused on where we were. About five minutes out from the hospital. I'd been there once or twice over the years. It must have been serious if they brought him here instead of the local hospital.

  "No. But I'll live. Thanks."

  His dark eyes caught mine in the review mirror and I saw the glint of mage jewelry. I just turned my head. Nothing mattered right now. I started to open up the pile of papers that represented the Munroes and their issue with me, but then didn't bother. I read over the school stuff again, making a list in my head. But most of the charges were so fake, I couldn't figure out why they had even listened to her. Cheating maybe, but usually a retest was the extent of anything that was asked of people.

  The car slowed down and my eyes caught a sign, 'Kinnison Bone Therapy' and it clicked. She must be related to Gerald Kinnison. He'd funded a lot of medical and college buildings in the area. If that was the case, they might have been worried about losing money. I couldn't remember anything on campus called or attached to the name Kinnison. Before I could pull up my phone and dig into the campus map the driver pulled into the ER. Jo first. The Guzman's were much more important than a Kinnison could ever be to me. I slipped out of the car, paying the driver on the app, and headed into the ER.

  Saturdays were usually crowded and today was no exception. I looked around the room, frantic to find her, or any of them.

  Chapter 38

  Saving a life or taking one are the most common tropes in any story about mages. The dramatic rescue or last minute save by offering up the last thing they can spare. The number of mages that give up fingers and toes in the movies would make you think half the population is always saving people. The reality isn't that selfless, or that simple. ~ Magic Explained

  Where are they? They should be here somewhere. Unless...

  I broke off that train of thought. Jo had said broken leg, not death. While not impossible to die from a broken leg, if your femoral artery was hit, it would have been unusual. The moving mass of people made it difficult, but after getting out of the way of the automatic door, I saw them in the far corner.

  Marisol was in a chair, not moving. Her face looked pale, even at this distance. Jo sat next to her, perched on the chair as if waiting for a chance to fly and do something. Henri leaned against the wall. I didn't see Paolo, but Marco was pacing back and forth, and staring at the far doors of ER, the ones that led back to the various treatment rooms and OR's.

  I made a beeline to them, weaving around crying children, sniffling and sneezing adults, and pale, sick teenagers. I couldn't help but assess as I walked through: colds, hangovers, a nasty wound that needed stitches but wasn't life threatening. The normal ER stuff from what I could see.

  "Cori!" Jo all but shouted and launched herself at me. My arms were open and this time I comforted her. Even with me being two inches shorter, I provided the strength and solace this time. We stood there until she sighed, and only then did my arms relax to let her be.

  "Tia, Tio, is there anything I can get you?" I asked, as Jo stepped away. Marisol had risen, looking at me, her face pale. Her arms opened and I stepped into them, still trying to offer comfort rather than take it, but Marisol knew too well how people felt and we shared the support this time.

  When she pulled back, I dropped to the floor, refusing to think about what every surface of this place must be coated with. "Tell me what happened. What has the doctor said."

  He has to be alright. No one needs to lose a child. I don't want to see that happen again. I can't.

  I felt my body itch as I sat there, every bit of me feeling wired and strung out. Just stress and me being unable to help yet again.

  Henri answered. "I'm not a hundred percent positive of what happened, and I figure they'll get an insurance adjuster out there, one with Pattern or Time to replay what happened. All the lifts were full with oil changes and repair work, and someone came in that just needed the spare removed and their new tire put on. Nothing difficult. Sanchez said he'd do it and grabbed one of the standard tire jacks to lift it. Next thing I heard was the customer sh
rieking like a mouse had run up her pants. I went out there as if I had wings. He was laying under the car with the tire on his leg, crushing it. His heart was beating, so I called 911, and got the boys there. We didn't move it until the emergency personnel showed up. I was worried about causing more damage."

  I nodded at him. It made sense. The tire applied pressure and the damage to his bone would have already been done, so better to wait and make sure if there was blood it could be dealt with.

  "They said it was broken in multiple places, a very bad break. They didn't know I could hear them, because they were worried about it needing to be amputated if the bones were shattered badly enough."

  Marisol and Jo hissed in unison and Henri mumbled something under his breath.

  "Well the good news is you did everything right. Leaving the tire there until help could arrive was smart. It probably prevented a worse outcome."

  As I spoke there was a man that rushed into the ER area, carrying his wife. Even from there I could see she was having trouble breathing. The nurses grabbed her and whisked them both back in minutes. With a shake of my head I turned my attention back to them.

  "Marisol, Henri? You want something hot to drink. It may be a while depending on what they needed to do."

  They started to protest, but I rose up. "You want tea and Henri wants hot chocolate. Let Jo and me go get it. It will keep her from pulling down the walls." They both glanced at Jo, who all but vibrated with the need to do something.

  "That sounds good. Here," Henri said as he pulled a twenty out of his pocket. "You already know what we want, or at least need."

  "Come on Jo-Jo, you need to get out of here for a bit." With obvious reluctance mixed with her desire to do something, Jo let me pull her up from her chair. "There's a chain coffee place about two blocks away. You want anything, Marco?"

  "Large coffee and some sort of pastry," he muttered still pacing. "Thanks."

  I simply nodded and dragged Jo out of the place. My body still twitched, and my head felt like ants were marching over it. As soon as we were outside and a few steps away from the hospital, I gave in and bent over, scratching my scalp like it was a pan that needed scouring.

  "One of these days you're going to need to do something about that dandruff. Seriously, it should be better by now. You've tried every shampoo ever produced."

  "Ha! That would be too easy. The last doctor said this is my stress outlet. Either I need to have less stress, or I need to deal with it better." I moaned a bit in pleasure as the last of the flakes scrubbed off. "At this point I'm just glad all my hair hasn't fallen out, though it would be nice if it ever grew." I tugged on my bob a bit mournfully, though the majority of the time I was just glad that it was easy to care for. Jo had to keep hers in eternal braids because it grew so fast. If she undid it completely it would probably hit her knees.

  "Hey just think - I'll be able to learn how to use my hair to do magic. Soon it might actually be at a realistic length." She fell silent then looked at me. "Thanks," she said, and I looked at her. A smile touched my lips and I hip bumped her.

  "Nothing to thank me for. Family?" I hated the tremulous note in my voice as I said that, but she grinned and bumped me back.

  "Always. You're stuck with me until after the sun goes nova."

  "Oh? What happens then?"

  "We turn into star dust and form new stars of course. Maybe we'll be the source of life."

  Walking along the sidewalk towards the glowing green sign I smiled. "That would be nice, but I hope they don't have my luck. It can be a bit exhausting."

  "Meh. You have great luck. You found me."

  "You sure it isn't the other way around? You found me? Though that would mean you have horrible luck too," I pondered in mock heavy thought. "So maybe my good luck gave you bad luck?"

  "Neither. It was fated, written in the stars," she ginned at me. "We will always be together."

  I laughed as we walked into the coffee shop. A few minutes later we headed back. Chocolate for Henri, a large passionfruit tea for Marisol, coffee for Marco along with a chocolate croissant. I wasn't in the mood for coffee, but Jo went for their sugar iced chocolate thing. Mostly I just wanted time to read the papers. I'd left my bag with Marisol and wasn't worried about it. Later tonight I'd focus on it. Right now, it could wait.

  Walking back into the ER waiting room, I froze. The atmosphere had changed, taut and dangerous. Half the volume had dropped, and everyone was looking back at the corner where Henri and Marisol were standing talking to a black woman in a white coat. From her stance and the way she held herself it was obvious she was the doctor. Henri had his arm tight around Marisol's shoulders, all but supporting her as she leaned into him.

  We moved through the room, arrowing in on Jo's family.

  "We don't know what we can do. To not have to amputate we need a specialist, and the only one in the area at Grady is already in an operating room doing spinal surgery. We are hoping we can wait long enough for him to recover and be able to work on your son, but the fact that the transport here didn't kill him is a miracle. The bone shards are so close to his arteries, one good jolt and he'd be dead before we knew anything was going wrong. We're trying, but right now I don't have any good news to offer you." The pager went off on the doctor's hip. She lifted it up, frowned at it then shook her head. "If I hear anything else, I'll let you know."

  Before any of us could say anything, she was headed back into the restricted section. I'd never wanted my jumpsuit and badge so badly before. Maybe with that I could get back there and see what was really going on. See Sanchez. I ached to be able to do something, anything.

  Once again, the useless one.

  The mood had plummeted, and the humor and spark of life that teasing had given Jo faded. They all sat there, drowning in fear and worry. I couldn't come up with anything to do, but I also didn't want to pull out the papers now. The last thing they needed was more stress. Instead, I searched for Kinnison and tried to figure out exactly why Monique had such a hard on for me and maybe Bruce.

  I hadn't gotten too far. Yes, Charles Kinnison had given lots of money to the college and Monique was his niece, I guess. I tried to remember if I'd seen her in any of my other classes, but nothing came to mind. So it all came down to me not, what, respecting her in class? She was a whiny student and I didn't have time. And now even less of it. Maybe I had been overtly snarky, but it happened. Not a cause to try and get me expelled.

  Lesson - be nicer to people. You never know who might try to make your life more difficult. That, or kill them when you first think of it.

  I groaned a bit under my breath. Jo arched an eyebrow at me. She fidgeted in her chair and I knew she was about to latch onto my sound as something to pay attention to. Anything besides the stress, and that would bring it all out. I searched around frantically, but the hospital saved me this time.

  The same person as before came striding out, but this time she had a big smile on her face. She headed right for our little group. Marisol and Henri rose, hands tightly entwined. I could see the white indentations their wedding rings made, bright against their skin. Marco looked like he'd aged five years in the last few hours and his grip on his coffee threatened to collapse the paper cup.

  "The most amazing thing just happened, and your son is going to be the luckiest person here tonight," she started with no preamble, almost babbling. "Doctor Elon Murray was traveling through when he brought his wife in with a severe allergic reaction. He's an archmage famous for microsurgeries involving bones. He heard us talking about the difficulties with Sanchez. He offered to help. We got all the red tape cut through and he is in there right now, moving the pieces of Sanchez's femur together and doing micro fusions. He will still need therapy and time to heal, but rather than hours of bloody surgery, he'll probably spend a week or two in traction and should be able to walk within a month." She looked relieved and it chilled me to the soul. "I was about to try a life flight and get him to Grady and tell you to hope and pray, bu
t he is in there operating with ultrasound and already he's moved the most dangerous pieces away from the arteries." Her grin spread across her face. "He's got a few hours of surgery and we had to sedate him so he doesn't feel the bone moving around. There will be some damage to the muscles in the area, but that he can solve with therapy. I'll have the nurse get you the information as soon as we have it."

  She shook everyone's hand and disappeared again, leaving all of us relieved and shaky from the emotional swings of the night.

  "Talk about a miracle. I'm never going forget to send that man a Christmas card and thank you card every year, " Marisol said firmly writing something down in her phone with an intent look on her face. Henri leaned over and squeezed her shoulder. The stress fled, leaving us a bit giddy. It felt like it should be late at night, not barely three-thirty in the afternoon. The coffee shop had closed, and I might as well go home and deal with the ticking time bombs in my bag.

  "I'm going to head home. I'm glad he's okay, but he doesn't need me peering in at him on top of you guys."

  "I need to get back to the shop,” said Marco. "Dad, I'll leave you here and take the truck back? I'll come back tonight. He should be in a room by then and I'll update Paolo on the situation." Marco had pushed away from the wall, and it was clear he needed to get out of there.

  "I'll go too. No sense in having me stay. We still have cars to repair," Jo admitted as she stretched, exhaustion clear on her face. "But we're still going out Monday."

  I didn't say anything, I needed to read the papers before I could decide to celebrate my birthday.

  "Yes, you two go. Please take Cori home on the way. Thank you for coming, Cori." Marisol's voice sounded calm, almost content.

  "Family, remember?" I was about to say more when my phone rang. I pulled it out, frowning at the local number, but it wasn't in my contacts. "Hello?" I fumbled the phone and it came out on speaker in the room.

  "Cori. We need you," Sally's voice rang out. "We have a mass casualty incident and all responders are being called in."