Page 122 of Fought and Freed

“The nurse will bring your prescription, then once your finish your fluids, you’ll be free to leave.” Dr. Ricci headed out the door as Jace and Skylar walked into her room carrying a bunch of flowers.

“For someone who hates hospitals, you sure end up in them a lot.” Skylar leaned over the bed to kiss her. “How are you feeling?”

“Not bad.” She worried at her bottom lip. “Did they give me drugs?”

“Just a local around the wound. We told them you don’t like meds.” Jace’s gaze swept over her face. “Are you sure you don’t want something for the pain, baby girl? You’re pale.”

“I’m fine, guys. Don’t worry about me.” She shifted a bit. “How’s Ryder?”

Jace and Skylar exchanged a glance before Jace forced a smile. “He’ll recover, baby girl.”

Something was wrong. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“When they finally got to him, he was passed out. He has some breathing problems, so they want to keep him overnight to monitor him,” Jace said.

“Our show?” she asked, though she already knew what the answer would be.

Skylar frowned. “There’s nothing left, honey. We’re sorry.”

“I want to go see Ryder, please.” She glanced at the nurse, who was still checking her vitals.

“You’re done with the IV, so let me just take care of that.” She got supplies and pulled the port out before pressing a cotton ball over the entry wound and taping it into place. “There we go. Now, let me get you a wheelchair. We can’t have you undoing all of Dr. Ricci’s work.”

Skylar sat on the edge of her bed. “You need to stop scaring us, Princess.”

“It was Mike.” Maddy’s hands clenched. “I’m sure of it.”

Jace nodded. “The fire marshal said the fire didn’t happen naturally.”

They needed to find Mike before he really hurt someone.

“Let’s get you into your clothes.” Jace walked over to a cupboard that held her belongings.

Her jeans were ripped and bloody, and dirt covered her shirt. Everything smelled like smoke. They had to cut the left leg of her jeans off, so she pulled them on over her bandaged leg.

The nurse returned with her prescription and the discharge papers. “Here we go. You can leave the chair at the entrance.”

“Thank you,” Maddy said as she slid into the chair.

“Good luck,” the nurse told her.

Skylar grasped the handles on the chair and wheeled her to Ryder’s room. Jace opened the door for them, and Skylar pushed her inside.

Cody sat next to the bed, but when they entered, he got up and moved the chair out of the way.

He took two steps over to Maddy and bent, wrapping his strong arms around her. “You have to stop giving me gray hairs.”

“I don’t mean to,” she said.

He kissed her. “I love you, little one.”

Maddy cupped his stern face. “I love you, too, wholeheartedly.”

He took over control of the wheelchair from Skylar and wheeled Maddy over to the side of Ryder’s bed. An oxygen mask covered half his face, with tubes up around his ears.

Cody lowered the bed railing so she could grab Ryder’s hand and squeeze it. Tears rolled down her face. Seeing him lying in a hospital bed was too much, but at least, he was alive.

Ryder took the mask off his face. “Silk, don’t cry. I’ll be back to normal in a few days.”

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