Page 38 of Fighting for Julia
Miguel swallowed the oxy and gasped, “No more oxy. I’ll take tramadol instead.”
“Dr. Solomon will have to order it. He’ll be here later this afternoon to make his rounds. I do have good news, though. Because your labs look great and your vitals are strong, he said you can be taken off the IV. Just drink plenty of water.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Miguel settled back against his pillow as the nurse removed the IV and covered the site with a cotton ball and paper tape. The oxy took effect, and he drifted into sleep.
The same nightmare prevented Miguel from sleeping peacefully. It invaded his dreams repeatedly, playing like songs on cassette tapes that he and his siblings rewound over and over. Each time, he found himself in the snowcapped mountains of central Mexico where he used to hike and camp with his relatives. The dark green forest contrasted sharply with the gray crags of the mountains and their white caps. A thick mist obscured his vision as he searched for Julia.
“Julia! Where are you?”
“I’m here, Miguel!” Her voice echoes through the disorienting mist.
“Where? I can’t see you!”
“Here. Here?—”
A scream pierces the air. It bounces off the rocky face of the mountain.
“Julia!”
Miguel runs, blinded by the mist, stumbling, falling, driven forward and mad with fear.
He finds her. Her battered, bloodied body strapped to an altar stone.
Axis and Axalia stand over Julia. A large, serrated knife is in their hands, dripping with dark red blood.
They leer at him.
“You’re next, River. Welcome to our feast.”
Miguel screams. He tries to run. He’s frozen to the ground. Icicle chains bind his feet. He feels a sharp, burning pain as the knife plunges into his chest.
Miguel cries, “Julia!”
The knife slices him open, and everything goes dark.
The panic in his chest,his pounding heart, forced Miguel awake. He could barely breathe. As he reached for a cup of water, his hand trembled. Miguel gulped the water too fast and choked. His coughing and gasping and moans of pain brought Julia quickly to his bedside from the bathroom. He had no idea that she’d returned to the hospital.
“Miguel! Are you all right? Shall I summon a nurse?”
He waved away her concern. “I just choked on some water, that’s all. Coughing hurts.”
“Do you need pain medication?”
Miguel shook his head. “No. I’ll deal with the discomfort.” He studied her appearance. There was a fresh glow about her. She wore a pink I Heart Alabama T-shirt, a pair of light blue jeans, and a pink baseball cap. Her dark hair hung down her back in her usual ponytail. Julia’s natural beauty without makeup captivated him. With makeup, she’d look like a movie star.
“You’re staring,” she said in a soft voice.
“I can’t help it. You’re beautiful.”
Julia blushed. Her modesty attracted him even more.
“Thanks. You’re?—”
“Not at my best. I need to take a shower and brush my teeth.”
Julia glanced around and found one of those plastic kidney-shaped containers kept in hospital rooms next to the sink. She held up a small tube of toothpaste and a toothbrush. “Voila!”
“Terrific.” Miguel began to push himself off the bed.
