Page 5 of Sweet Revenge

“I was standing by a building.” My lips tipped up at the corners. “He was getting married. I thought I dreamed that.”

Dr. Colbert smiled. “No, you didn’t dream that. What else were you dreaming about?”

I squinted against the light, trying to remember and a new kind of agony tore through me when I finally did. “My mom.”

Sympathy overwhelmed his features before he spoke again. “The day of the wedding, Maggie, do you remember leaving?”

I frowned when I saw Snake’s dark eyes in my mind, but that’s all I could remember. “I saw Snake’s eyes.”

“Anything after that?” he asked softly.

“No,” I admitted.

“That’s fine, Maggie, you did very well.” I moved my head in a nod, but cringed when pain shot up the back and around the side toward my temple.

I closed my eyes. “My head.”

“Maggie,” Dr. Colbert called, and I opened my eyes, once again focusing them on his kind ones. “You have substantial injuries.”

“He beat me up?” I asked, even though I knew the answer without really remembering the details.

“I’m afraid so,” he said sadly.

I wanted to shrug and tell him not to be sad, but I remained still and listened as he continued. “Your right arm is broken, and your left shoulder is dislocated. We fixed your shoulder and set your arm, which is why you have a cast on the right arm and are wearing a sling over your left shoulder.”

I looked down because I hadn’t realized any of that was on me. My eyes ran over the cast on my right arm before traveling back to my left hand lying across my belly and over the sling attached. I looked back at Dr. Colbert when he started talking again.

“You also have four broken ribs.” He stared at me, and I smiled sadly. He knew I’d had them before. “I know you realize they heal very slowly.”

I did know that.

All too well.

“I’m most concerned about your head right now. When you were brought in, you had a significant gash along the right side of your head that ended at your temple. We put in sixteen staples to close that up, and it’s healing well, but head injuries are very serious.”

No wonder my head hurt so badly. I didn’t answer. What could I possibly say to that? I let my eyes, now becoming tired, move from his face to the blank spot on the wall again. I felt stares on me and knew they belonged to Bear and Becs, as well as the nurse who still stood quietly near the door.

“There’s one more thing.” Dr. Colbert’s voice broke the silence, but filled the room with tension. I flicked my eyes back to his, hoping this was the last thing I had to learn before I could close my eyes again. I was almost sorry now that I had ever opened them.

“What?” I asked quietly.

He closed his eyes briefly before they settled on me once again and squeezed my hand that was still grasped in his. “If you’d like, we can discuss it in private.”

My eyes stayed locked on his even though I heard the door open again and saw flashes of color out of the corner of my eye. There seemed to be movement everywhere, but I still couldn’t look away.

“That’s okay.” I recognized the sympathy in his eyes and knew what he was going to say. “Just say it.”

He squeezed my hand gently again and lowered his voice. “I’m afraid you were violated sexually. Do you remember that?”

“No.” Exhaustion was starting to take over, and I felt my eyelids growing heavy.

“Maggie?” Dr. Colbert called and I lifted my lids.

“Yeah?”

“We did a rape kit as soon as you were brought in, and the detective on the case has been given the results. I’ll let him know that you’re awake, and he can question you.”

“Already done.” Bear’s deep voice brought my attention back to him. I blinked slowly when I saw Gunner standing beside him, his eyes watching me.

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