Page 3 of Reclaiming Venom

“First, do you know the date?” the doctor asked.

I stared at him, trying to figure out why he was asking me that. I rattled off what I thought was the correct answer, and he made a note but didn’t comment.

“And your name?”

“Venom,” I said. He stared at me over the top of his glasses but fuck if I was telling him my legal name. I hadn’t used it in forever. “I’m the VP for the Dixie Reapers MC. Venom is the only name you’re getting out of me.”

I saw his lips slightly twitch, but he just made another note on the device in his hand.

“What do you remember?” he asked.

My brow furrowed. “Look, I don’t know why I’m here, but I want to go home.”

The doctor set the device aside and folded his arms. “Mr. Venom, you’re in the ICU. You were shot twice in an altercation, died twice and came back, and you’ve been in a coma for months. My questions may seem tedious, but I assure you there’s a reason for them.”

“Months?” I asked. What the fuck? And shot? I didn’t remember doing anything that would have gotten me into that situation. At least, not recently. It wasn’t like I was an angel. The club had good days and bad days. Had a job gone wrong? I doubted the doctor knew the particulars, but I did know things had to have been really fucking bad for the club to send me to the damn hospital.

“It seems you’re suffering from amnesia. It could be temporary, or… Well, there’s always the chance it’s permanent.”

“But I remember things just fine.”

The doctor stared at me, as if trying to decide what he wanted to say. When he did speak, it didn’t give me a lot of confidence.

“Mr. Venom, the situation is more serious than you realize, but I don’t think we should push. It could end up having disastrous results. It’s best to let your memory return on its own. The brain is complex. What we may think wouldn’t be a big deal could have lasting consequences.”

Clearly I wasn’t going to get anywhere with this asshat. “Where’s the woman who was here before?”

“Ridley?” one of the nurses asked.

“Pretty blonde with blue eyes,” I said.

Her lips parted and then she snapped them shut. She quickly pasted a smile on her face. “We’ll send her back in when we step out.”

Her reaction said I’d forgotten more than just how I’d ended up in this damn hospital bed. Who was that woman to me? Why did these people seem to think I should know her? I had to admit, she’d seemed a bit familiar, even though I couldn’t place where I’d seen her before.

“You have a catheter in,” the doctor said. “We’ll take it out today and you’ll be able to get up to use the restroom. Please don’t try to get out of bed on your own. Press the call button and a nurse will help you.”

“Why the fuck would I do that?” I asked.

“Because you’re a fall risk, Mr. Venom. You’ve been lying prone in that bed for months. Your legs aren’t going to be as strong as you’re expecting them to be.”

Fine. I’d do as he said. Once. After that, all bets were off. I wasn’t a fucking child who needed someone to take them to the damn bathroom.

It took a while longer before everyone finally left the room. I closed my eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. And after what felt like forever, the woman they’d called Ridley came back into the room, giving me a cautious smile. She looked like she’d been crying, and for some reason, I wanted to pull her into my arms and comfort her.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, her tone gentle.

I cleared my throat. “Like I’ve been hit by a damn semi,” I said, my voice sounding more like a growl. “What the hell happened? The doctors wouldn’t tell me much. Something about being shot and being in a coma.”

A flicker of pain crossed her face before she schooled her expression. “Did they tell you that you were unconscious for months?”

I nodded. Yeah, they’d mentioned that, the shooting, and not a hell of a lot else. Something felt incredibly wrong about this situation, but I didn’t know why. Nor did I understand my reactions to this woman. Even now, I wanted to take her into my arms. What the fuck was wrong with me?

She reached out as if to touch my arm, then thought better of it. Her hand hovered uncertainly in the air between us before dropping back to her lap. The gesture struck me as oddly intimate.

“Venom,” she said softly, “do you know who I am?”

The use of my road name sent a jolt through me. The way that nurse had acted, I’d assumed I knew this woman somehow. I studied her face more closely, searching for any hint of recognition. There was something achingly familiar about her blue eyes, the curve of her lips. But try as I might, I couldn’t place her.

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