JACKSON
I pulled into the emergency department parking lot and took some deep breaths as I gripped the steering wheel. I was afraid to walk into the building, afraid of what I might find. I squeezed my eyes shut for a minute, working up the courage to go inside. When I approached the building, the automatic doors slid open, and I was hit in the face with a blast of air conditioning, like ice-cold reality. I steeled myself and approached the front desk.
"Can I help you?" A kind-looking woman asked me.
"I'm... I'm looking for my mother. She was brought in by ambulance. Sheila Barret?"
"Just a moment." She tapped the name into the computer. I could vaguely see the screen reflected in her glasses, but not enough to read what was there. She held up a finger to me, indicating I needed to wai
