Between the Lives - By Jessica Shirvington Page 0,47

…

Ethan.

The thought of seeing his face when I spoke those lines in German ignited a hope in me I’d never dared entertain.

Of course, when I remembered the way I’d left things in Roxbury, my confidence faltered. All of this would rely on me being … Well, I’d need to be … alive.

When I Shifted tonight, knowing how much Digoxin had been in my system, I couldn’t be sure what would be waiting for me. Had I played it too close to the line? Taken too high a dose? Would I even get my chance to show Ethan the truth and make him believe me?

‘Sabine? What’s wrong with you? You look like you’re about to explode out of your seat,’ Mom said, her eyes going to my bouncing legs.

‘I … er … I just need to get to the library before it closes!’ I blurted. ‘There’s a book I need before graduation.’ I shrugged and pushed back my chair, knowing I couldn’t wait any longer. ‘You don’t mind if I catch up with you at home, do you?’

I had to try. I had to find a way to make him believe me. At least one person in my worlds was going to damn well know me, know the truth. Someone had to.

Mom’s shoulders dropped. Clearly she’d been hoping for more than just coffee. She’d probably had visions of a shopping trip afterwards. I felt a pang of guilt, but there was no way I was going to give up this opportunity. When Mom gave a sigh and nodded, I leaned down and gave her a tight hug. I’d make it up to her later.

‘Thanks, Mom,’ I said, and then I was out of there, headed straight for the library in the centre of town – straight for proof of my crazy existence.

It wasn’t a perfect translation, but the words were there and in order and that night I sat in bed, a piece of paper resting on my lap. A small, crumpled square of paper that suddenly meant so much.

I was glad I’d set my alarm. I’d never imagined I’d be able to fall asleep, but after enduring a gossip-filled dinner, where Mom and Lyndal ran through the checklist of every scandal in Wellesley, I’d slipped away to my room and shortly after exhaustion had struck. Thanks to my alarm, I woke up fifteen minutes before the Shift. Just enough time to do a final run-through of my lines.

My pronunciation wasn’t brilliant, but it would have to do.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Roxbury, Tuesday

My eyes flickered open. I was shaking uncontrollably, the tension and confusion from the Shift only adding to my body’s free fall.

I was back in Roxbury.

The room looked yellow; the halo around the ceiling light pulsed above my head.

Oh god. I couldn’t breathe. My chest was pumping so hard, but slow. It hurt. There was yelling, someone called out for a crash cart. Not encouraging.

I squeezed my hand. Someone was still holding it, thankfully, acting as my anchor. Ethan?

I had mere seconds before my mind would slip away.

‘Ethan,’ I croaked.

People all over me.

Fussing with tubes.

Sticking in needles.

‘E-than!’ I choked out.

Suddenly he was there, close beside my face.

‘I’m here.’ His voice was breathy. Scared.

It was now or never. ‘Mein name … ist Sabine.’ I had to pause, each breath shorter than the last. ‘Ich habe zwei Lebensunterhalt … und ich mochte … Ethan mussen mir glauben. Bitte, bitte glauben … Sie mir.’

Someone called out, ‘She’s talking. Is she coming around?’

But I wasn’t. I was going under.

Someone else: ‘Why is she speaking German?’

More urgently, another voice: ‘Where’s the Digibind?’

Footsteps came running into the room. ‘We’ve got it. Here, we have it!’

Something cold pressed down on my chest. A needle in my arm.

‘Jesus, her bradycardia is at twenty-six. I don’t know how she’s still conscious, but she won’t be for long. Someone get that IV in.’

More jabbing. I was fading. Could feel my body taking over, pulling at my mind. It felt like I was drowning.

Then … ‘What did she say? In German, what did she say?’

Someone cleared his throat. ‘She said her name, that she has two livelihoods and that Ethan must believe. Then she pleaded for him to believe. Or something like that, it was broken German.’

‘What time is it?’ Ethan’s voice. It sounded near and distant all at once.

‘Just gone midnight. Why?’

Disorientation and pain reached their peak as the last of me started experiencing the full extent of the damage I’d done to myself. Even so, I heard him. His voice close