A Pocket Full of Posies (Book 2)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I expect to wake up to screams, but it's silent. They better not have increased my painkiller dose. My thoughts are fuzzy, and while my entire body no longer aches, I'm annoyed. I'm really pissed off. I don't need painkillers. I'm fine. I'm worse off having them than I am not.

Carmen is still asleep on the sofa, and there's no sign of Annabel. I need to get out of this place. I look down at my hand. What will happen if I rip this IV out? I saw someone do it on TV once, and blood started spurting everywhere, which wouldn't be ideal. I'm just going to have to convince the doctors and nurses I'm fine, aren't I?

The next few days are absolute crap. And boring. So, so boring. The most exciting thing to happen is my conversation with a few cops, where I relive everything that happened, only edited in a way that omits all the paranormal crap. When they ask me what I think my brother's motivation was in kidnapping me, I just shrug and tell them I don't know. He wants to unleash the underworld probably won't cut it.

They didn't say it, but they're clueless. They have no idea where Connor has gone. They've assured me they have an officer on duty at the hospital keeping an eye out, but unless he's a spirit talker, I doubt he'll be much help. The police knowing helps on the whole, I guess. They might have no power over any dark spirits, but Connor himself won't be able to get anywhere near here without having his arse thrown into a prison cell.

I'm basically begging the doctors to discharge me at this point, but they keep telling me just a few more days. I've been asking to go cold turkey on the painkillers, but I've had no luck there either. I've still not seen Annabel. The dose is now low enough for me to be able to hear her most of the time, but it's not the same.

I've tried to discharge myself, but the budget ghostbuster gang turned paranoia patrol blocked my attempt completely, except for Tom who said someone told him in a dream that I should be discharged, and he swears down it was a spirit. His argument didn't exactly strengthen my case, but I appreciated it nonetheless. I would just say screw it and leave, but even I'm not dumb enough to step out of this place alone. 

It's been nearly a week since I woke up when my prayers are answered, while my worst nightmare simultaneously comes true. My mind is the clearest it's been for a while, and I wake up to the sound of a strained, angry murmuring, so I guess the doctors have finally agreed to cut the painkillers. There are other voices though, ones that are in the room, not inside my head.

I lift myself up, and for the first time in weeks, I see Annabel. She looks exactly the same as she always has, with dark hair framing her pale, thin face as she stands with her arms tightly crossed. My attention doesn't stay on her long though because standing a few feet away from her, a look of desperation or fear--or maybe both--on her face is Lucy.

"If you don't get the hell out of here before he wakes up, then I'm going to figure out a way to break your dead neck, okay? I don't care what--"

"Annabel," I snap. "Stop."

Both girls whip their heads to me. The fear in Lucy's expression amplifies tenfold, while the frown on Annabel's face turns into a look of confusion. 

"Give her a chance."

"Are you joking?" Annabel exclaims. "She almost got you killed! She's the reason you ended up trapped with our psychopath of a brother! What is--Wait, can you see us?" she asks, to which I nod. A smile breaks onto her face, but it quickly disappears. "How can you not be angry at her? Have you actually lost your mind?"

"I'm not asking to be your friend, Annabel, please, I'm trying to help," Lucy argues. She turns back to me. "You need to get out of here."

"Why would we trust you? How do we know you're not telling us this so that we leave the building to let Connor go in for the kill? I'm not letting you hurt him again!"