Page 10 of Found By You
She left, and it felt like the room got smaller.
McCrae stared at me.
I wanted to cover my face again, but I simply sucked in a long breath.
“This situation sucks, I’ll give you that.”
I nodded, feeling hopeless. Suddenly, I noticed a mirror on the wall and noted that while the blood was gone from my face, my hair was haphazardly pulled back in a rubber band, and the bandage was there. The harsh hospital lights emphasized the paleness of my skin and the dark circles under my eyes.
I looked at my hands like I was surprised. The IV tube snaked from my arm to the machine beside the bed, a constant reminder of my current state.
“So you really don’t remember anything?” McCrae asked quietly.
I turned and met his dark blue eyes. Again, I noticed the man was handsome and intense. He was very muscly and probably six foot two.
“What?” McCrae asked.
“I don’t remember,” I said, feeling frustrated and looking away toward the small window that offered a view of the town below. “I don’t remember anything, except that card I gave you.”
His face went somber. “Yes, you did give me a card with ‘Pete’s Trucking,’ and on the other side, it had ‘T. Carter’? Do you have any idea what that could mean? Does that jog anything in your mind?”
T. Carter, T. Carter, T. Carter. I shook my head. “No, nothing.” My mind tried to find some answers. “Where’s Pete’s Trucking?”
“Someone I know said that Pete’s Trucking is located in Casper, and I guess last night there was also a search and rescue going on in Casper for someone who had an accident. I’m going to go back to the police station and see if they’ve tracked down any leads for any of this.”
I was dumbfounded. The continual beep of the heart monitor quickened slightly with my pulse. “Wait a second, you think I could have been the accident from Casper? How far is that?”
He shrugged. “About two and a half hours away from here, give or take.”
“Okay.” I sputtered out a laugh and then got frustrated. The rough texture of the bandage irritated my scalp as I shifted on the pillow. “That doesn’t mean anything to me.”
McCrae didn’t respond.
Dr. Chavez walked in, carrying his tablet, and Ella was behind him. The door closed with a soft thud behind them.
McCrae nodded to him. “Hey, doc.”
Dr. Chavez nodded in return, then turned to me. “The tests are normal. But, I just got off the phone with the Denver hospital, and I’m thinking maybe we should transfer you there. There are more brain experts there, and it seems like you have some short-term amnesia going on.”
My heart rate quickened. The monitor beside me beeped more rapidly, reflecting my anxiety. “What? No, I’m not going anywhere.”
Dr. Chavez hesitated. “But you don’t remember anything. They have experts in Denver.”
I put my hand up, the IV line tugging slightly. “But I don’t know anyone there. If someone is looking for me, how are they going to find me?”
Ella moved to my side, putting a hand on my forearm. “This accident is going to be all over the news, and if someone islooking for you, they’ll probably come here first, and then we’ll refer them to the Denver hospital.”
Fear pierced my soul, and I couldn’t explain it. Tears came to my eyes again. “No!” I shouted. “I’m not leaving. I don’t even know anyone. I don’t remember anything.” I reached out and grabbed McCrae’s arm. “You can’t let them take me.”
His eyes locked on mine, and something passed between us. The room seemed to fade away, the antiseptic smell and the constant beeping receding into the background.
McCrae turned to the doctor. “What other tests do they need to run in Denver that you can’t run here?”
Dr. Chavez frowned. “I’m not sure. That’s why I want to send her to Denver.”
“She really should go to a bigger hospital,” Ella told McCrae. “They have more resources and more?—”
“No!” I shouted, my voice bouncing off the bare walls. “I don’t know anyone, and I’m terrified.” My voice cracked, and to my horror, more tears were forming in my eyes. I clutched at McCrae’s arm. “I’m not going. You can’t let them take me. You found me, and you’re responsible for me.” I sounded like a frantic, sullen child, but I didn’t have anything else to hold on to. “Please. I don’t know anyone, and I’m scared. Please.”
