Read Online Opal's Wish: Book Four of The Crystal Warriors Series by Maree Anderson - Free Book Online Page A

Dan’s throat. She snagged Opal’s gaze and gave her a thumbs up. “Out cold,” she said. “Pulse is strong. Everything seems okay but hey, what do I know? Better get him checked out.”
    “Dan! Daa-aa-an!”
    Sera’s sobs sounded like her little heart was breaking, and joined the chaos churning in Opal’s head. She patted her daughter’s back and made soothing noises… that weren’t having the desired effect because Sera’s hiccups had morphed to hacking coughs interspersed with ominous little whoops.
    “I-I-Inhaler,” she said for Desiree’s benefit as she lurched to her feet with Sera in her arms and headed for her daughter’s bedroom.
    The inhaler was in the top drawer. Opal snatched it and shook it. Almost full because she’d recently refilled the prescription. No reason to panic. She perched on the edge of the bed and maneuvered Sera so she would be upright as possible. “H-H-Here, sweetie.”
    Sera knew the drill. She fastened her lips around the inhaler while Opal gave it one sharp puff timed with Sera’s attempt to inhale.
    A pause while Sera coughed and wheezed. Another puff….
    Opal shoved down the panic and the crippling fear, and steeled herself for the inevitable waiting game. Just as she was beginning to relax, Sera had another coughing fit. Numerous harrowing nights spent listening to her daughter’s whooping breaths left her in no doubt the inhaler hadn’t done its job. She suspected Sera had worn herself out during the earlier attack and was now overwhelmed by everything that had happened these past few hours.
    Opal had no choice. It was going to be a long, painfully expensive night.
    She weighed the pros and cons of somehow loading an unconscious Dan into the vehicle Desiree had borrowed, and driving him and Sera to the nearest E.R. She could leave him there—let the professionals figure out what was wrong with him… and what to do with him. He was a stranger. It wasn’t like she owed him anything. Right?
    Except she did owe him—everything she had to give and more. If he hadn’t intruded, Sera might have died while Liza and her fricking boyfriend were getting it on in the next room. Plus, Sera saw Dan not only as her savior, but a friend. And she would only fret and work herself into a worse state imagining what might have happened to him.
    Opal carried Sera back into the living room. “You should head back to Brooklyn, Desiree. I don’t want you getting in trouble with the event organizers for going AWOL.” Her stutter had vanished again—some small mercy given the circumstances. Odds on it would return, though. And it was likely that by the time she got Sera to the hospital, Opal wouldn’t be capable of uttering even a peep.
    Desiree’s beautiful face twisted into a scowl. “And what are you going to do, may I ask?”
    “The only thing I can do. Call the emergency line and tell the dispatcher I’ve got an unconscious stranger in my living room, and that my daughter needs urgent face time with a nebulizer.” At least, that’s what she tried to say but the words got mangled during delivery.
    Desiree seemed to have a knack for interpreting barely comprehensible words and phrases. She chewed her lip. “I’m hazarding a guess a night in hospital isn’t exactly in the budget. Wouldn’t be surprised our handsome asshole’s in the same boat. Friend of mine works at a free clinic not too far from here. I’ll give him a ring and get him or one of his colleagues down here, stat.”
    Sera coughed and sagged against Opal’s chest, and Opal abruptly lost the will to argue. What an unholy mess. Hot tears stung her eyes, tracked down her cheeks. Another wave of guilt shrouded her. She should never have tried to break out of her shell and attempt something daring, something fun. Something just for herself. It wasn’t worth it.
    Desiree’s arms came about her in a brief but fierce hug. “It’s okay to ask for help, honey. You don’t have to do it all on your own. Let me