“Okay. That’s good.”
“That is good.” Leaning against the bedrail, he says, “I’d like to make sure everything’s healing nicely before I sign the paperwork for the transfer.” After I lift the gown to my ribs, he lifts the bandage very carefully away from my skin. “This looks good. Clean. No signs of infection. There’s some swelling still, but that is expected with the bruising. When you’re settled into your room, a nurse will go over the aftercare and how to change bandages. There will be a point where you’ll stop covering it, but that will be after a post-release checkup.” He pats my hand gently. “You’re a very brave and strong woman.” Once I’m tucked back in, he asks, “Ready for a change of scenery?”
“Definitely. How long do you think I’ll need to stay in the hospital?”
“If all continues to go well, maybe two more days. Infection is a concern, but that’s not a reason to hold you here longer than necessary if you show no signs of one.”
My dad says, “This is good news, Sara Jane.”
The doctor types on his iPad while I lie in bed caught between my father and Alexander. The two men are on opposing sides of the bed, each holding a bedrail. The room is too quiet, so noticeably that the doctor looks up at the awkwardness. “Everything okay, gentlemen?”
Alexander replies right away, “As long as Sara Jane is good, I’m good.”
The anger that floods my dad’s features isn’t there for long, but I catch it. When I glance to Alexander, he did too. My dad finally turns to my mom and ignoring the doctor’s question, says, “This is good news, Doctor. We’ll be ready to help her however we can.”
My mom rests her hand on my shin on my father’s side of the bed as if the weight will favor their side in this battle.
Torn between the two men who love me most, I glance from one and then to the other. When my eyes settle on my dad, I reply, “It’s great news. I’m definitely ready.”
The doctor laughs. “Let’s not rush things. We’re not in the clear quite yet, but I’m optimistic, as you should be, but let’s take a few days and keep an eye on things. Do you have an appetite?”
“Not really.”
“The nurses will talk to you more about that, but I’m here for the next twenty-four hours if you need me.”
“Thank you.”
“Take care, Sara Jane.” He steps toward the door and adds, “Make sure to get some rest.”
“I will.”
As soon as he’s gone, my mom says, “I’ll cook your favorite meals this week if you’re up for it and those cookies you always loved. We can settle you into your room or set something up downstairs if you prefer to be by the backyard window and TV.”
They’re desperately trying to hold on to me, and as much as I appreciate it, I reach for Alexander’s hand, wanting him to know he’s not alone. I’m on his side. Did I ever have a choice? I don’t remember having that option from the moment we met. “We were talking earlier, and we think it’s best if I recover at the manor.”
Alexander stands tall beside me, his jaw tense, his eyes focused on them, but the smallest of smiles playing at the corners of his lips. When my father’s eyes slide from me up to his, a reignited anger brews inside as a red haze creeps up his neck, and he tugs at his collar. Mom says, “You’re going to take care of her?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Alexander replies. “I’ll give her the best care.”
She meets my father’s eyes, and winces under his hard-set glare. She’s not deterred from making peace. “And love?”
“I love her with all that I am,” he replies, his voice strained by the weight of the words he feels so deeply.
Staring at him, my mother’s lips press together, and the tension around her eyes softens. “I know she feels the same about you.” Walking around the bed, she approaches Alexander. “She can’t be replaced.”
His Adam’s apple bobs with a harsh swallow that I can’t hear over my own. He then whispers, “I know.” The pain and guilt he carries finally get the best of him.
She moves closer and wraps her arms around him.
“Jenny,” my dad warns. Ignoring him, she takes a step back, her eyes trained on Alexander. I’m not sure Alexander embraced her, my tears clouding my vision. As they topple over my lower lids, my dad’s wedding ring clashes with the metal of the bedrail, startling us from the sweet moment. “As if you haven’t put her through enough already, you think you can just waltz in and take her home with you. This is serious, son. She almost died because of you.”
“She was attacked,” Alexander counters, “out of—”
“No! You and I both know this comes back to the Kingwoods, to you, and to your corrupt father. Are you going to keep dragging her back until she’s six feet under? I won’t allow it this time. I will fight every step of the way.”
“Daddy!”
His eyes swing my way. “I don’t care what you say, Sara Jane. He’s no good. His family is evil, and it will seep into your skin and strangle you. I don’t know what happens at that manor, but nothing good can come of it if everyone eventually ends up dead.”
“Stop,” I demand.
“David,” my mom cautions, “Not now.”
“When?” he retorts. “When we’re standing over her casket instead of a hospital bed?”
I’m about to speak, but stop when Alexander says, “She’s my wife. As such, you’ll stop talking to her like she’s a child.”
“Like my daughter? Is that what you mean? I can’t talk to her like she’s my daughter, you bastard?”
“Dad!” My monitor alarms, my heart beating in rapid succession. “Ow,” I cry out, grabbing my side, which inflicts more pain. “Alexander, help me.”
Stroking my hair, he soothes, “I’m here. I’m here, baby.” He stretches across and pushes the button for a dose of morphine. “Take a deep breath.”
A nurse runs in and stops in surprise when she sees everyone, the tension thick as she wades through to check on me. “Try to calm down. Take a breath and calm your heart rate or you’ll be stuck with me a lot longer.”
The joke is lost on me, the pain too much. Tears fall for new reasons as the room begins fading to black. I reach for Alexander, but my hand falls to my side, numbness taking over. “Please,” I say, my mind disconnecting from the world.
“Please what, Firefly? Anything. Anything. What do you need?”
“Please don’t leave me.”
“Never.”
My lids grow heavy and I let my mind drift away.
9
Sara Jane
The insides of my lids glow red. Air enters my lungs through dry lips, my eyelids fly open, and I gasp for more. When I see a man next to me, I jump. “Jason?”
He stands with his hands in front of him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Exhaling loudly, a calm takes over my body when I realize I’m safe with him. My breathing steadies. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see you. I was worried.”
Glancing to the door and back to him, I ask, “Where’s Alexander?”