Devil's Soul

Chapter 33 (in a hospital for real this time)

This time I really did wake up in the hospital. Remy was beaming down at me, her green eyes twinkling. She was wearing a colorful, checkered scarf and a bright red-orange shirt that clashed with her short red hair. She was almost blinding to look at, as the sun spilled in on her.

"I convinced them that they already gave you stitches, so they only gave you a blood transfusion," Remy announced.

"Thanks, Remy," I said, my voice coming out raspy.

Remy suddenly turned and yelled fiercely into the hallway, "Somebody get my friend some water! She's dying over here. Doesn't anyone work here?"

There was a flurry of commotion in response.

"I'm not dying," I said.

"No, you're not, but apparently that's what we have to say to get some help around here."

"You shouldn't say that kind of a thing in a hospital," I chastised, but I knew Remy would continue to say whatever she wanted, wherever she wanted.

A disgruntled nurse came in empty handed. She glared at Remy and then turned a kind expression toward me. "I'm sorry, dear, but your intestines were damaged by the shot. We sewed them up, but you can't take any food or water by mouth for at least the next few days. Don't worry. You should be getting everything you need through this." She tapped the IV bag, and I watched the unappetizing liquid lap against the sides of the bag in response.

"Oh," I said, suddenly feeling very claustrophobic. Desmond and Remy had been a little too convincing with their mind tricks. Why did they have to convince the hospital that my intestines had been damaged? Couldn't they have just implanted the suggestion that the bullet has missed my vital organs?

Satisfied with my submissive response, the nurse turned to leave. "Press the button if you need anything else, like more medication for the pain or some movies," she said on her way out, not giving me a chance to say if I wanted either of those things.

I turned to Remy, as soon as the nurse was gone. "We have to get me out of here," I said.

Remy waved off my panic nonchalantly. "Yeah, yeah. I'm on it." She rose and left to go convince a doctor that I was honky dory and okay to leave.

I endured two seconds of silence before a couple of detectives slipped into my room, saving me from the peace and quiet. "We got word that you woke up, and we just wanted to ask you a few questions about what happened, while it's still fresh in your mind," the short, balding one said.

The other detective, who had a five o' clock shadow and looked like he hadn't slept in days, collapsed onto the couch. He didn't show any interest in asking me anything.

I turned my attention back to the detective that actually seemed interested in what I had to say and proceeded to answer any questions he had. It didn't take long for him to become disinterested as well, once he figured out that my side of the story had nothing useful to add.

Remy came back, right when the detectives were leaving. They tipped their heads politely to her and disappeared as silently as they had come.

"Do I need to talk to those guys too?" Remy asked, pointing in the direction they went. By "talk," she meant using the Whisper on them.

I shook my head. "As weird as the whole incident was, it wasn't demon related. I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"You mind telling us exactly what happened?" Desmond asked, leaning against the doorway, holding a cup of coffee. I hadn't noticed him arrive. I didn't understand him. He had known that I was in danger, and he had known where to find me, but he didn't know what had happened.