He took the silver stethoscope while tears poured out of his eyes. He put the plugs in his ears and leaned forward to listen to Nan’s lifeless heart. Mina waited with baited breath and prayed. They pulled onto the main highway, and the ambulance picked up speed. Veronica encouraged them to use the siren, and they caught her urgency.

Minutes ticked by with nothing. What is going on? Mina thought to herself. Maeve promised that she was going to save Nan’s life. Dr. Martin took down the hand pump and put it over Nan’s mouth and nose. He adjusted the knob on the air tank and started her on the artificial breathing; he listened to her heart and then began the chest compressions. There were no obvious signs of life coming from her, so he continued the basics of lifesaving CPR. They ambulance turned off the highway and onto the main road to the hospital. Still there were no signs from Nan.

“Come on, baby,” Veronica whispered, holding her daughter’s hand between hers. “Come on, baby, breathe.”

“You can do it, Nan,” Dr. Martin coaxed. “Do it for your mom and me.” He continued the chest compressions, but after another thirty seconds Mina could see the defeat in his eyes.

Mina began to cry again as the ambulance turned into the hospital and headed for the emergency entrance. This wasn’t part of the deal. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end.

Dr. Martin reached for the stethoscope to take it off, but Veronica grabbed his hands, desperation ringing in her voice. “Please, Robert, listen one more time.”

He hung his head afraid to look at her, but he did it. He leaned down, placed the metal circle over Nan’s heart, and listened.

Mina and Veronica held their breath in anticipation, hoping to make it quiet enough for him to hear. The ambulance pulled up to the doors, and nurses ran out to greet them. Dr. Martin dropped onto Nan’s chest and began to cry loudly. Veronica covered her mouth to keep the sobs from spilling forth. She touched his shoulder in comfort.

“It’s okay, Robert. You tried your best,” she soothed.

The back doors opened up, and the emergency team grabbed the stretcher and pulled it to the street and took Nan’s body indoors to the emergency room.

He shook his head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t...I couldn’t…” He raised his head to look at Veronica. His eyes were not filled with grief but with guilt.

Veronica’s hand flew to her heart in despair as Dr. Martin’s shoulders began to silently shake. “What is it?”

They began to shake even harder. “I heard it,” he laughed, tears streaming out of the corner of his eyes. “I didn’t believe it at first, but I heard her heartbeat! Veronica, Nan’s alive!”

They both looked in wonder at the hospital stretcher being rolled into the first emergency room, as doctor after doctor ran in to take care of a living, breathing Nan. The paramedics from the front seat turned to look at the motley crew in the back seat and started cheering.

Chapter 19

While it wasn’t the full recovery that Mina had hoped for, it was better than being dead. Nan’s heart started beating and she was breathing on her own, but she was in a deep coma. It didn’t matter to Veronica; all that mattered was that her baby was alive.

What confused Mina was the fact that she was still in a coma. That wasn’t part of the bargain, but she did try and recall her words with Maeve. Well, she fought for Nan, but obviously it wasn’t enough. She changed, she was more angry than confused. It wasn’t until she cornered Ever at school that she got some answers.

“What is going on, Pixie!” Mina hissed into the Fae’s ear before first period. The slamming of locker doors helped disguise Mina’s words. “I had a talk with Maeve. Apparently she isn’t keeping her end of the deal.”

Ever turned on Mina with eyes blazing angrily. “How dare you talk about the Fates that way?”

“Fates? What’s with the plural anyway? Are you telling me Maeve is one of the ruling Fae?” Mina asked bewildered.

“How dumb are you? Of course, she is. She’s our Queen. Haven’t you ever heard of the royal ‘we’ when speaking? When we speak of our royals, it’s always Fates.” Ever pulled out her books and shut her locker door. She walked quickly, trying to outpace Mina.

Mina wasn’t letting her get away. “Yeah, whatever. I’m talking about this bargain I made with Maeve, and she didn’t keep her end.” She picked up her speed to keep Ever from outdistancing her.

“You don’t get to call her by her first name. To you, Grimm, it’s either Fates or Queen. But did you ever stop to ask yourself if you kept your end of the bargain? The Fates aren’t dumb.” Ever turned into her classroom and blocked the door so Mina couldn’t enter.

“Don’t think you’re getting away from me that easily, Pixie,” Mina hissed out loudly. “I know that your kind is disappearing. Do you want it getting out that you are here in this school? Do you want to disappear like Mrs. Porter.” She was done with playing the helpless heroine; she had best friends to save and a family to protect.

Ever paled at Mina’s empty threat. “Meet me after school at the football field.”

The second bell rang signaling the start of class and Mina’s obvious tardiness. She didn’t care. Mina stared at Ever as the door closed and the pixie went and took her seat in class. Mina slipped down the hallway silently and entered her homeroom class. Mrs. Colbert was subbing and gave Mina a very pointed look as she humbly took her seat.

It was hard to listen to announcements when they came from someone other than the grey haired teacher. Mrs. Porter’s absence was a reminder of Mina’s failings and her current bargain. New rumors began to creep up about their missing teacher and how it wasn’t an early retirement, but a possible kidnapping. No one knew what was going on and only Mina knew that she wasn’t coming back.

Brody didn’t come to school, and actually in most of Mina’s classes the attendance was low. There was a vigil going on at the hospital, and under any other circumstance, Mina would’ve been there. But she knew, deep down that her presence at a vigil wasn’t going to help Nan.

Once the last bell rang, Mina left her books in her locker and sprinted outside and toward the football field. She knew that there was a good possibility that Ever would evade her and run away. She knew that the Pixie hated her. When Ever actually showed up, Mina was surprised.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get your panties in a bunch. I’m here,” Ever snarled at Mina, brushing past her to sit on the cold steel bleachers. “So I’m sure you’ve got tons of questions, ask away.” She did a little flourish with her hand to add to her sarcasm.

“Maeve promised me that she could save my friend Nan. And if she did, then I would find the Fae that stole the Grimoire. Well, she lied. She didn’t save Nan. Nan is in a coma in the hospital!” Mina was pacing back and forth in front of the bored Ever.

“Hold it, hold it.” Ever held up her hands, and Mina stopped to look at her. “What were the Fates’ actual words?”

Mina’s face scrunched up in thought and repeated her conversation to Ever.

Ever held up her fingertips to her temples and closed her eyes as if contemplating. “Anything else, oh, mortal one?”

“Oh, and she said ‘I cannot save her fully, but I can give you a fighting chance to save her’.” Mina rushed out.