Ready or Not

Chapter 29

When you return from completing your MRI, Namjoon, Eric, and Warren had already reassembled. As you get wheeled back into the room in your hospital bed, Namjoon asks, "How did it all go?"

You reply, "I spent 95% of the time waiting for my turn. The whole thing took less than twenty minutes."

The nurse finishes hooking you back up to your monitors and leaves the room. Then Eric says, "Oh, I brought your stuff back from my apartment. It's just your coat and purse. I brought my charging cable in case your phone is dead or dying."

You reply, "Oh, Eric. Thank you so much. I need to get in touch with my Saturday students to let them know that I'm not coming today. When you pull your phone out, you see that your phone is indeed dead. Eric hands you the charger and plugs it into an outlet. Within few seconds, your phone reboots. After a minute or two, your phone is fully on and charging. You get couple of text notifications from your two Saturday students. You get back to them and their parents immediately and explain to them what has happened with you. They all wish you a fast recovery. You tell them that the tutoring will resume as soon as possible.

Namjoon, unable to wait much longer, asks, "Did Austin get in touch with you?"

You check your messages and see that he has not reached out to you. You reply, "No, he has not."

Namjoon asks, "Is that usual?"

"What do you mean?"

"Does he usually go a whole day without texting you like this?"

"No, he usually sends me a good morning text and then we have a back and forth throughout the day."

"So, the fact that you had gotten nothing from him in the past twenty-four hours is indeed unusual then."

You say, "Maybe I should just text him and see how he is, where he is, etc."

All three men lean forward and shout, "No," simultaneously.

You look at the three of them and ask, "Why not?"

Eric explains, "Right now, no one knows exactly what happened to you last night. Well, except for one person, Austin. Because he was most likely there with you."

Warren asks, "Do you remember anything else about the party?"

The three men watch you looking as if you are in deep thought. Then you reply, "I think I have bits and pieces but none of the pictures make any sense."

Namjoon asks, "Maybe if you can talk about whatever it is that you can remember, we can help you make sense of it." Namjoon gives the two men a quick glance.

You say, "I have a flash of my reflection in the bathroom mirror." The three men exchange another knowing glance. And you continue, "Then... well, this is more like a feeling or a sensation, I remember feeling cold. I also get a snapshot of sitting on Austin's lap. That's really all I have right now."

Eric asks, "You know how you said you saw of flash of your own reflection on the bathroom mirror?"

"Yes."

"Do you see anyone else's reflection in the mirror?"

You focus your eyes on the middle distance, trying to conjure up that flash in your mind to see if you can pick up any other detail. Then you say, "Maybe someone standing behind me? but it's hard to tell. I don't have a whole picture, just a little focal point."

Another knowing look is being exchanged amongst Namjoon, Warren, and Eric. Noticing it this time, you ask, "What do you guys know that I don't? What aren't you telling me?"