𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐲 | ✓

43

Beep... beep... beep.

Ugh. The sound is unbearably obnoxious, drilling into my head.

I squeeze my eyes before cracking my eyelids apart. I blink several times. Harsh white light hurts my eyes and everything is blurry. The ceiling is white. So is the wall across from me.

Am I in a hospital?

Shock snaps my eyes open and I frantically look around, seeing too many machines set up around me with one too many IVs and cannulas pierced into my arms with an oxygen mask placed firmly on my face.

What happened?

A brain-splitting headache spreads across my skull. Flashes of Spencer's face in the vacant hall of Judy Corp pass through my mind. He said something to me... I left crying... I got into the car, behind the wheels... the heavy rain... the truck!

The beeping of the machines around me increases as I gasp for air, my heart racing as the truck's headlight, the sound, the pain, all come crashing down on me.

The door flies open and unfamiliar people dressed in white coats and blue scrubs, Doctors and nurses, enter the room.

I glimpse one of them injecting me and all too soon everything goes dark.

I wake up again, but the number of beeping has decreased, and I slowly, open my eyes, blinking rapidly until my eyes adjust to the sharp lighting of the room.

I wring the stiff muscles of my fingers. From my side, I hear someone gasp, and not a second later, Mom is standing, hovering over my face. Her hazel eyes glisten with tears as she talks too quickly for my dazed mind to catch up and keep up.

"I-I'm f-fine, Mom," I stammer in a hoarse voice and she kisses my forehead, crying and caressing my cheek.

Soon doctors and nurses file into the room, checking my vitals and condition. After listing down the numerous tests I have to take, they leave the room.

A nurse helps me to prop up against the pillow before she too leaves.

Mom sits down on the stool next to the bed and grasps my hand in both of her eyes.

"I'm fine, Mom," I say again.

She presses her lips to a thin line and nods, fresh tears springing up to her eyes.

"So... how long was I out?" I try to ask casually, my other hand's fingers fidgeting.

A tear escapes from her eyes and she wipes it away immediately. "Seven days."

My eyes widen with surprise. Seven days! Holy shit!

The company! The case Sophia and I had prepared!

And Spencer.

I open my mouth but Mom sternly looks at me, holding up an index finger. "Don't you dare start talking about work. Mason's been handling it just fine."

I lift my shoulders and shake my head, mumbling, "I-I wasn't going to ask about work."

She raises her eyebrows and her gaze hardens. "And no men."

I huff a laugh and instantly regret it as a sharp pain slashes across my ribcage, making me wince.

Mom tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear and sighs. "I've decided we'll go to London for the duration of your recovery. The doctors said you'll probably need therapy to regain full mobility and just for the safety of the muscles and to reduce the pain."

"But Mom-"

"No!" she snaps.

Her harsh tone catches me off guard and I gape at her with surprise.