Page 81 of Fallen Stars

Food and drinks, ribbing and laughter.

Packing up the gear.

Pool and innuendos.

Last call.

Kissing Levi in the parking lot.

A scary as fuck man storming up to Levi as we tried to get in the car.

Darkness.

Levi struggling.

Quiet.

“Levi!” I shout as my eyes pop open. My throat burns from the simple action, but I ignore it. “Where’s Levi?” My gaze flits from Mama to Papa.

Brows pinched at the middle, Papa shakes his head. “We don’t know, figlio.” He rests his hand lightly over mine. “You were alone when they found you.”

“No.” I shake my head and pain ricochets through my skull. The backs of my eyes burn and the room blurs. “No. He was there.” Panic bubbles in my chest. Unease swells in my throat. My limbs start to shake as my mouth goes dry. “W-with me.” Tears spill down my cheeks in parallel lines.

“We’ll find him, dušo.” Mama presses her lips to my forehead. “Promise.”

“H-how?”

Papa gives my hand a gentle squeeze. “I’ll make some calls.” His gaze darts to Mama. “Let the doctor know he’s awake and ask when we can take him home.”

Without hesitation, Mama presses a button on the bed rail. She nods toward the door. “Go, moja ljubavi. Make calls.” A tender smile lifts the corners of her mouth. “I won’t leave Ollie’s side.”

On a deep inhale, Papa takes one of the cups, heads for the door and disappears into the hallway.

A silent river of tears coats my cheeks as I close my eyes and try to recall any other sounds or images from last night. A faint flash of the parking lot appears behind my eyelids. My hands tremble uncontrollably as I lock onto the memory and study it harder. As I scavenge for the smallest clue as to where Levi may be.

An ill-defined image of the man who approached Levi comes into view. Stalky build. Tall. The hood of his sweatshirt was up and covered most of his head.

“Mrs. Moss,” a warm voice says. “Did you need something?”

I open my eyes and peer up at a man in pale-green scrubs.

“Oh”—cheeriness fills his expression—“Oliver is awake.” He taps a few buttons on the tablet in his hand. “I’ve just notified the doctor. She’ll be in shortly to do a thorough exam.”

An understated smile lifts the corners of Mama’s mouth for a brief second. “Thank you.”

He nods and inches closer to the bed. “On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain, Oliver?”

I do a quick mental sweep of the dull aches and sharp pains. “Maybe a seven.” My answer feels more like a question than a statement of fact.

The nurse taps on the tablet screen. “We’ll wait until after the doctor examines you before we administer more pain medication. It’s best if you let her know how you feel without suppressants.”

I nod as a woman in a white coat and navy scrubs enters the room. She sidles up to the nurse and he hands her the tablet.

“Glad to see you’re awake, Oliver.” The corners of her eyes wrinkle as a toothy smile brightens her expression. “I’m Dr. Sharma. Is it okay if I ask you some questions?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you.” Dr. Sharma glances at Mama briefly before meeting my gaze again. “Because you’re an adult, I have to ask if it’s okay for your mother to be in the room while we talk.”

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