The Doll Collector's Wife

Chapter 10: Maria

My office was temporarily closed and I'd been moved into a neighboring office while the sheriff investigated Bri's death. Sitting down sorting through files was all I could do to keep the grief from permeating every thought. It didn't helped that Zach had gotten so angry with me last night when I revealed what all had been happening.

I knew he was yelling because he was worried, but still his harsh tone had set my nerves on edge. I'd been trying to protect him. By morning, my entire body was shaking. Anxiety. Hello old friend. Our morning had been curt, with a polite peck on the lips as Zach grabbed his things and left the house. Very rarely did he get angry enough with me to give me half the silent treatment. It was so out of character that it hurt more than the full silent treatment.

There was no sense in me wallowing in my own pity, so I left shortly after he did. After dropping Jordan off at daycare, I walked up the path to my temporary office space. My heart thumped painfully when I wasn't greeted by Bri and her coffee. The other doctors regarded me with pity and tossed me sorrowful expressions. Sometimes I hated psychologists and their inclination to crease their faces into condolences. I knew I'd been guilty of it when working with my patients.

But I wouldn't be able to take eight hours of this. With a sigh I settled back into my files just as my cell phone buzzed. The sheriff's department. My chest constricted with worry. Had they made the connection that I was indirectly responsible? Tears pressed at the backs of my eyes, but I suppressed the building grief and answered the call.

"Mrs. Aleksandrov?" The voice said.

I was tempted to correct him. Well
No need for temptation, I did correct him.

"Dr. Ramírez-Cortez." I said.

Even with marrying Zach, I wasn't about to legally change my name a third time.

"Pardon me doctor, but you are married to Zachary Aleksandrov?" He asked.

"Yes. Who am I speaking with?"

"Apologies ma'am, uh, doctor, uh-"

Uh sounded young.

"I'm Deputy Quintero with the Cambria Sheriff's department and I'm hoping to speak with Mr. Aleksandrov's wife."

Ugh, this kid was giving me a headache.

"That would be me. Is he alright?" I asked.

"He was in an accident."

I almost felt the blood physically drained and pool in my legs.

"What? Is he okay? Is he at the hospital?"

My shrill tone had attracted the eyes of the other doctors. Wonderful.

"He's at Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, ICU. He's suffered a terrible accident."

I dropped my phone into my purse and bounded out the door. Adrenaline pulsed through every single vein and carried me faster than I'd ever been able to run. An accident? How? He was the most annoying driver, driving five miles under the speed limit. He always signaled, came to full stops, and checked every mirror at least three times. It wasn't possible. He couldn't have been in an accident. Not my Zach.

My hand trembled as I fished my keys out of my purse and unlocked the car. They missed the ignition twice, too. Zach, in an accident? Someone must have hit him. The idea sliced through my heart. Some idiot must have run a red light or a stop sign. He was in ICU, this was serious.

The hospital came into view and I haphazardly parked in the ambulance entrance before stampeding into the emergency entrance. A sheriff's deputy was nearby and appeared to recognize me. He hurried over, offering to escort me to Zach's room. I looked down at his name tag, Deputy Quintero, Deputy Uh.