Haunted by the Past (Original)

Chapter 63

I had next to no memory of lying injured in the middle of the street, or of the EMTs arriving to load me into the back of the ambulance, or of my arrival at the hospital. While I faded in and out of consciousness, much of what I saw was a blur. Bright lights, many people in scrubs, but I couldn't focus on anything.

Except for one thing – Henry Carmichael's face.

I saw his face with utmost clarity and could hear myself screaming, but I must have been screaming internally as he didn't react. I tried my hardest to move and get away, but my body wouldn't respond. Henry turned to look at me in the eyes directly and smiled. That unnerving smile burned into my memories, into my nightmares. The world around went darker, quieter, but that smile remained.

I woke up with a jolt, gasping to breath, but found uncomfortable tubing in my nose, going down the back of my throat. I tried to reach to pull it out, but found both my wrists were restrained to the sides of the bed. Looking around the empty room, I saw a whiteboard branded with the St. Catherine's logo across from me stating the names of the nurses on duty plus the doctor who had been assigned to me, along with a date.

Tuesday.

Where the fuck had my Sunday and Monday gone?

Beside me, a double paned window stood as the sole defense between me and a heavy rain storm outside. The noise insulation was unnerving as despite the wind and fury, I heard barely a murmur. The glass would be thick, most likely unbreakable. Escape through it would be impossible.

I heard voices arguing outside my room before the door opened and a middle-aged nurse walked in.

"Oh, you're awake," she said trying to mask her unease. "My name is Fatima and I am one of the nurses here. Do you know where you are, Ms. Cooper?" I nodded unenthusiastically. "Do you remember what happened?"

"Not really," my voice was dry and hoarse, catching me by surprise.

"You were hit by a car. Thankfully, the car seemed to be traveling within the limit so aside from some internal bruising and minor fractures, you're ok," she explained. "I'm going to call the doctor and let him know you're awake."

I raised my arm up weakly, "Why?"

Fatima looked at me confused. "Because you're a wanted woman, Ms. Cooper," she state matter-of-a-factly.

She turned and left, letting the door close behind her. Just before it shut, I saw a uniformed man standing outside beside my door.

Police.

Shit.

Well that was it folks. I was done for. If Henry didn't get to me first, I would be hauled out of here and sent directly to jail. I still wasn't entirely sure what they would arrest me on, but I'm sure they would find something. And as long as they were here, there would be someone who wasn't.

Eli.

How far away was he now? Across the border? Which border? My memory was vague at the time, but I remembered things between us had not been good. He had no reason to stay. Hell, the further away he was, the better.

After a few minutes, Dr. So-and-so came in, gave me a look over, checked my optical response, checked my bruised ribs, and left with barely saying a word to me, like I was just a number to him. Fatima returned after a short while with another nurse and they removed the nasogastric tube. One of many experiences I'd rather not have ever again. Then they swapped out my pee bag, which was yet another unsettling realization.

"How long?" I asked Fatima. "How long will I be kept here?"

Fatima shift uncomfortably, "Well, the doctor wants to keep you for observation. So I expect you'll be released into police custody maybe tomorrow morning. But we can try to delay it by another day."