Page 73 of Finding Her Strength

Since surgery, I’ve been in and out of consciousness because of the pain. They’ve been heavily sedating me so I can heal. I’ve got cracked ribs, a fractured spine, faulty lungs, a broken collarbone, and a shoulder squarely back in place now.

My lungs have finally stabilized, so they’re working on reducing my pain medication. They need me to be lucid so I can answer some questions. I guess they called the police because my hands were zip-tied together, but I haven’t been awake long enough to give them any sort of information about what happened.

“Hope, the police are here. Are you ready to answer some questions?” my nurse, Jennifer, asks as she checks my blood pressure.

“I guess so. How much longer until my next round of meds?”

“About fifteen minutes.”

I groan. Fifteen minutes is going to feel like a year with how bad my body hurts.

Jennifer gently pats my arm. “I’ll send the officers in.”

About thirty seconds after she leaves, Cooper bursts into my room with another officer hot on his heels, their navy blue uniforms looking very official. “Fuck, Hope. Are you okay? I’ve been trying to get in to see you for days, but since I’m not family, they wouldn’t let me.”

Looking at Cooper is almost as painful as my physical injuries. He looks so much like Levi. God, what am I going to do without him?

Tears form in my eyes. I have to close them so they don’t fall. I can’t afford to fall apart right now. There are too many things I need to do before I’m allowed to break.

“What happened?” Cooper's voice makes me open my eyes again, but I don’t look at him. I can’t.

Keeping my eyes on the sheets covering my body, I tell Cooper what I can remember. “I was waiting on…” My words freeze in my throat. I can’t even say his name. “I was waiting to be picked up from the shop when Antony grabbed me. He forced me out the back door and to the car waiting in the alleyway.” Cooper grabs the chair in my room and sits. The other officer remains standing by the door.

“I tried to run, but he caught me and dragged me back to the car by my hair. When he shoved me in the backseat, he tied my hands to the headrest with zip ties. We drove to a house on the edge of town, where he packed up his stuff. He was only gone for maybe ten minutes, then we got on the highway.

“I had no idea where we were going, Antony didn’t say much to me after he grabbed me, but I knew I wouldn’t survive if we made it to the destination. He got a phone call while he was driving, which was enough of a distraction for me to release the zip tie from the headrest. Once my hands were free, I grabbed the emergency brake, which made Antony lose control of the car.

“I don’t remember much after that other than falling from the car once it had stopped moving. Then I woke up here.”

“Jesus, Hope.” I glance at Cooper as he runs his hands down his face. “I’m so sorry this happened to you.”

I stay silent. I should be used to life constantly letting me down at this point. It’s never once been kind to me.

“Antony survived the crash. He’s here in the hospital, healing before he goes to trial. We’ll try him for kidnapping and aggravated assault.”

“Will I have to testify?”

“More than likely, yes. Will that be okay?”

“Sure. Maybe this time, he’ll stay in prison.”

“I’ll make sure of it.” Steel laces through Cooper’s words.

Jennifer flounces into the room, her blonde ponytail bouncing around. She gives a quick glance to Cooper and the other officer whose name I never got, then turns to me. “Okay, Hope. Time for meds. You’ve also got a waiting room full of visitors here. Would it be okay if they came to say hello?”

“Sure,” I whisper as she finally administers my next dose. I don’t care who comes into my room at this point as long as the pain goes away. I close my eyes, hoping for the meds to kick in quickly. My hand is squeezed, then footsteps tap across the room.

Finally, silence.

As the meds kick in, my body relaxes, allowing me to drift off to sleep.

My dreams are almost as torturous as being awake.

Levi’s scent of cinnamon and home floats through my senses.

His voice echoes through my mind with words of love and apologies.

It’s almost unbearable because I know when I wake up, he won’t actually be here.

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