“I know you’re not big on feeling sharing, but you know I’m here if you need to talk to someone who isn’t questioning you.”
I try to fake a smile but I can’t, my heart is breaking. Sam lies on the bed next to me and pulls me into her arms, stroking my damaged hair. “Everything’s going to be okay, I’m going to help you heal.”
I shake my head. “He’s gone and it’s all because of me. It fucking hurts. It hurts more than anything that has ever happened to me.”
I fist her t-shirt and her hand stills. “I wish I knew who you were talking about because you sure as hell can’t be talking about the guy who took you and tortured you.” I flinch. “Oh god! I’m sorry, Kee. I didn’t mean to sound so callous. I’m just so angry!”
I decide to tell her about Hunter coming to find me and about him trying to get me help.
“So the two guys that were there, they were helping you?”
I nod and look at her. “How do you know there were another two guys there?”
Her eyes widen then she sighs. “I heard the cops overtalking. At the time I hoped the both of them rotted in jail, but if they were there to help you, you need to give your statement to the cops if you can. You can’t leave them locked up like that.”
I shake my head, tears flying. “There is no them, just Jacques.”
She stands and brushes her hair back with her fingers to tie it into a messy bun. “Well yeah, but the other will be taken there as soon as he’s healthy enough, so if-”
“Healthy enough?” What the hell is she talking about? “Sam you need to start talking real fast.”
My heart flutters in my chest. She looks really confused but holds up a finger. “Give me ten minutes, I’ll be back.”
She just leaves me hanging!
I sit here, picking at my broken finger nails. They’re the only thing I can concentrate on right now, it takes my mind off the pain radiating through my body. My neck and my knee are the worst.
The door opens and a doctor walks in before Sam. “Finally caught you awake, mind if I check you over?”
I watch him move closer to me and a constricting feeling wraps its way around my chest, but I try to control my breathing. Calm down, Kee, he’s a doctor. “Sure.”
He shines a little torch in each eye and looks over the few of the worser gash’s. “Healing up perfectly fine. How are you feeling though?”
I shrug. “Head hurts like hell and I’d kill for some food.” Both his and Sam’s eyes widen and I roll mine at them. “Too soon? If I don’t be myself then I’ll lose myself.”
He looks at Sam and nods at her. “Just make sure none of those tubes fall out or get tangled when you take the drips with you.”
Take the drips? “Where are we going?”
“I want to show you something,” she says, wheeling a chair in for me and Connor follows after her.
He chuckles. “Don’t worry, I’m not tagging along. Apparently I’m just the ‘muscles’.”
She slaps him on his tattooed forearm and he pulls her closer to plant a kiss on her forehead before walking toward me. Seeing them together being normal makes my icy heart happy.
“So how d’ya wanna do this?” He asks, rubbing his hands together, seeming a little anxious.
“Well these little hospital gowns don’t leave so much to the imagination so I’d like to try get down myself.” He nods his head and waits. “Well turn around then.”
Both me and Sam laugh as he startles and faces the back wall. I blow out a breath and shuffle down the bed, gritting my teeth against the pain the whole way so much that my jaw starts to ache.
I sigh and concede. “A little help?”
I’ve already lost my dignity, so why the hell not? Connor turns around but keeps his eyes trained on my face as he walks toward me, making me feel a little uncomfortable but I know he’s just trying to be a gentleman.
He lifts me under my knees and tells me to hold onto his neck, I do but the movement pulls at my ribs. I let go of his neck and I nearly fall but he catches me in time, jolting my aching body. “Ouch!”
“Shit, are you okay?”
I take deep breaths. “Yeah, just get me in the chair so I can rest.”
He places me in the wheelchair and Sam wheels the drips on their metal poles to the side of me and slots them into the side.
“You want this blanket?” She asks, holding up a gray, itchy number.
I flinch. “No, please get rid of it.”
Her mouth moves up and down before throwing it in the little locker in the corner of the room, but she doesn’t question me. I’m not ready to go into details, I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to talk about it all with her but I can tell she understands.
Connor opens the door for us and Sam pushes me into the hallway and down another into an elevator. “Where are we going?”
I’m really not in the mood for a tour of the hospital right now, I want to be left alone in my misery and turmoil. “I told you I’d help you heal, but you’re beating yourself up and not processing this all properly, I can tell.”
I worry my lip. “No. I’m just a hard ass, remember?”