Chapter 42: Chapter 42

I'll get an ambulance," Ruby cried, running for the phone.

"Hurry!" Verna ordered, checking Aunt Flory's pulse. Her lips and fingers were blue, and she was barely breathing. Celeste watched wide-eyed, frozen with fear.

"Help me get her on her back," Verna instructed Zoey. Despite her thin frame, Verna was surprisingly strong. They flipped Aunt Flory on her back.

Zoey slipped a pillow under Aunt Flory's head, noticing her own hands were shaking. Ruby returned to the room with a blanket. She covered Aunt Flory. "The ambulance is on its way," she said.

"Get a cold cloth," Verna told Ruby. "She's breathing, and her heart is beating. We have to keep her comfortable until help gets here."

Ruby disappeared again.

"Should we call Dr. Tanner?" Zoey asked as Ruby reappeared with the cloth.

Zoey applied it to Aunt Flory's forehead, but she didn't respond. Panic overtook her.

"Yes, and go get Mr. Nelson too," Verna commanded. Ruby disappeared again, leaving Zoey feeling lost.