Page 34 of Red

Jake nods, putting the vehicle in drive, “I know where we can take her, and they won’t let anyone know she’s there.”

I look out the window and notice the gunfire has calmed down significantly. Most of the casualties look to be from The Wolves.

We pull up to a small hospital building and I carry Blanche in. Nurses converge on us immediately, bringing a stretcher for me to lay her down. I reluctantly let her go.

“Sir, we’re going to need to take her back to check her out. You can stay here, and we’ll come back out once we know more about her injuries.”

Nodding but not being able to speak, I watch them as they head back through a set of double doors. Sitting down in a chair, I put my head in my hands, wondering how things went so badly.

She was never supposed to get hurt. I should’ve never given them a chance to take her. I can’t believe I couldn’t protect her. She’s in this hospital because of me and my arrogance.

A hand grips my shoulder. I look up to see Jake with unshed tears in my eyes. I don’t even remember the last time I cried. Maybe when I was a child and my parents were killed, but honestly, I don’t remember that either. Jake looks racked with emotion himself and I can see he’s not sure what to say.

“Man, don’t worry. She’ll come back to you. She’ss strong, she’s a survivor.”

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I nod. I know he’s right. Blanche is strong. Jake takes a seat next to me, just sitting with me in silence.

An hour later, the doctor finally comes out. “Are you Blanche’s family?”

“Yes, I’m her husband. Is she okay?”

“Blanche has taken a big hit. She has burns on the right side of her arm, contusions on her ribs, back, and head. Blanche had a laceration to her head which needed stitches. She has a probable concussion, but we won’t know until she wakes up. The nurses are setting her up in her room now. Once she’s ready, I’ll have someone come back to get you to take you to her.”

Feeling relieved that Blanche will recover and I will get to see her soon, I thanked the doctor.

“Don’t worry, son. She’s going to be just fine. She’ll just need lots of rest for a few weeks before she starts to feel like herself.”

Chapter 26

Blanche

Beep, beep, beep.

What is that sound? Someone needs to turn off the alarm. I can’t take that incessant noise. It’s making my head hurt. I try to move my body towards the noise to turn it off. I feel an arm land on my leg. Then I hear a male voice whisper in my ear, “Hold on, Red, try not to move too much.”

I know that delicious voice. I slowly start to open my eyes and see the most beautiful blue eyes looking back at me. A small smile comes to my lips. I try to whisper but nothing comes out, and my throat feels dry suddenly. Zeev anticipates my needs, grabbing a cup of water from a side table and bringing the straw to my lips. The cool liquid feels so good against my dry throat. I try to drink as much as possible, but Zeev pulls it back.

“Don’t drink too fast.”

My mind starts to fill with the events that have occurred over the last week. Anger starts to rack my body with the visions of being locked up in my grandmother’s basement, the drugging from Nicholas, and the explosion at the mansion. I look over to Zeev, knowing I need to ask the questions that are at the forefront of my mind. My voice cracks, as I whimper.

“My grandmother, Nicholas…”

My throat starts to close up, not being able to finish the question. I’m not sure what I want the answer to be. Do I want them dead? Or just as far away from me as possible? Zeev seems to understand my difficulty. He looks at me, brushing the hair out of my face with a look of sympathy.

“We have them, Red. Don’t worry, you’ll never have to see them again. I’ll take care of everything.”

I just nod my head and take his words at face value. I don’t know what to say and I don't want to know any of his plans for them. I just don’t want to have to see them ever again. Confused feelings start to take over. Suddenly, the door swings open and the doctor walks into the room.

“Glad to see you awake, Blanche. You suffered severe burns to your right arm. Antibiotic ointment will help prevent any infection. You have severe contusions on your back, ribs, and your head. Your head was hit pretty hard. I want to monitor you overnight to rule out a concussion. We have you on pain meds but if at any time you start to feel uncomfortable, let a nurse know. I’ll be back to check on you in the morning. Just make sure you get plenty of rest.”

“Thank you, doctor. I’m sure my husband will take good care of me,” glancing over him, giving him a full smile.

The doctor gives me a humorous grin. “I am sure your husband will be happy to play nurse for you.” Her face turns more serious, her voice becomes urgent. “I'm glad to see that you're in good spirits, but make sure you listen to your body.”

With those parting words, the doctor walks out. Needing to move my body, I try to sit up in bed. A sharp pain in my side causes a small whine to leave me. Without any words, Zeev moves to my side and lifts me so that I’m sitting more upright in the hospital bed. He sits down in the chair next to my bed and looks up at me. When our eyes connect, the tears at the edge of my eyes start to spill over while speaking with so much emotion.

“I can’t believe you were coming to get me.”

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