Page 4 of He Will Come for Me

“Clara?” I ask. Her eyes connect with mine. “Thank you,” I whisper. She pats my hand lightly.

“Of course.” She places the bowl on the tray, with a small croissant that makes my mouth water, and a glass of water. I realize the doctor and Phoenix are no longer in the room.

“Phoenix had a phone call he had to take. Dr. Chamberland went to get everything he needs to complete an exam,” she explains. I don’t respond. Instead, I grab the croissant, tear off a piece, and dunk it in the broth. Closing my eyes, I savor the taste as I chew it slowly. Even if it is only broth and a croissant, it tastes amazing. A far cry from the bread and cheese they fed me where I was being held. Sometimes they would be moldy, but I’d eat what they gave me because I never knew for sure when they’d bring me food again.

The doctor comes in carrying his supplies. I watch as he sets everything up before picking up the spoon so I can sip some of the broth. But my hand shakes so badly it spills back into the bowl. I try again, but I can’t stop my hands from shaking. The harder I try, the more they shake. Giving up, I tear off another piece of the croissant, dunk it, and eat it. Ignoring Dr. Chamberland and Clara, I pick my spoon up again and ladle some broth on it. Instead of bringing the soup to my lips, I lean forward so I only have to move the spoon a small distance.

I huff in frustration when barely any makes it in my mouth and wipe my chin from where it spilled. Finally lifting my head, I realize everyone’s eyes are on me. Phoenix is leaning against the door, his arms crossed as he watches me. My eyes begin to sting from how helpless I feel. He pushes off the door and stalks toward me. Sitting next to me, he reaches his hand out and grabs the spoon, dipping it into the broth and brings it to my lips.

I watch him closely the entire time. Leaning forward, I open my mouth and close it around the spoon, never taking my eyes off him. His icy eyes return my stare, but when the broth hits my taste buds, I close my eyes and hum.

So good.

“I’ll make sure to let Phillip know.”

“Who’s Phillip?” I ask as he brings another spoonful of the broth to my mouth.

His lips press into a thin line before he replies. “He’s the cook.”

I eat a few more spoonfuls, but my stomach begins cramping. I scrunch my nose, deciding whether I should keep trying to eat or not, but a cramp hits again, so I take a deep breath and lean back.

“Kenz?” Phoenix leans forward, his hand extending toward me. I flinch just as he’s about to push my hair behind my ear, reminding me of the flash I had earlier.

“Don’t touch me.” His eyes darken and his face turns to stone, but he doesn’t reach for me again.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“My stomach.” I inhale. “But I’ll be fine.”

“That’s why she should only have broth until she can tolerate solid food.” Phoenix’s eyes shoot to Clara. “Other than bread, of course,” Dr. Chamberland finishes. Clara wrings her hands.

“Maybe the croissant was too much?” She asks, her eyes moving from Phoenix to Dr. Chamberland then to me.

“I liked the croissant.” Another pang hits my stomach, but I refuse to show it because I don’t want Clara to get in trouble.

Dr. Chamberland walks over with his supplies and sits down gently. “Maybe next time eat smaller bites,” he jokes. Phoenix glares at him. I roll my eyes and give Dr. Chamberland a small smile. “I need to do an exam and make sure everything else is okay.” I nod once as he shines a bright light in my eyes, looks in my ears, nose, and throat, tests my reflexes and pushes on my stomach.

I squeeze my eyes shut, hoping the pangs will go away soon. Dr. Chamberland pats my hand. “Your stomach isn’t used to the food. It will acclimate quickly,” he promises. “How does the IV feel?” I glance at Phoenix. His eyes never left the doctor as he did his exam. I shrug as I thumb the bandage on my wrist.

“Okay. I guess.”What does he want me to say?

“I know it will be uncomfortable. Hopefully, we’ll only need it for a couple of days. If you drink water and have as much broth as you can handle, we’ll be able to take the IV out and move you to a better diet.” Dr. Chamberland packs up. “Call me if you need me,” he tells Phoenix before leaving.

“I’ll go get another glass of water and take everything to the kitchen.” Clara grabs the tray and follows Dr. Chamberland out. Phoenix doesn’t move. He stays on the bed next to me. I feel his eyes on me, so I finally look at him.

“Can I take a bath?” He looks from me to the IV and I sigh. I forgot that quickly. I’m not shaking as badly as I was. I have a little more energy than I did earlier, but I’m still exhausted.

“I can help you take a shower,” he offers. I swallow and shake my head quickly. “Didn’t think so.” He stands and runs a hand through his hair. “Dr. Chamberland will be back in the morning. I’ll get him to unhook the IV so you can take a bath.” He grabs the remote and hands it to me. “If you want to watch TV.” He shows me how to work it and walks to the door.

“I’ll be back in a bit to check on you. I’m sure Clara will be in and out checking on you, too.”

I pull my lips between my teeth as I study him. “Am I your prisoner now?” I ask softly.

He places his hands in his pockets as he studies me for a few seconds. “Yes.” He walks out of the bedroom and closes the door gently.

Chapter 3

Istare at the ceiling after everyone has left. Alone with my thoughts.

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