Page 12 of Red Queen (Red Thorns Crew 3)

“No, Miss Young. It’s just me. Is there anyone else you want us to call?”

“I need you to hold still. Nurse, can you hold her down? I have to get her to stop moving.”

“Miss Young! Stop talking and hold still.”

I wanted this nightmare to be over. I wanted all of this to go away. I wanted to feel Max wrapped around me again so I could listen to his heartbeat. So I could remind myself that he was still alive.

It was the only thing that kept me grounded sometimes.

“Can you remember what happened?”

“Were your wrists and ankles tied together?”

“Nurse, I need another ice pack down here.”

Everything felt like a whirlwind. It felt like my life was nothing but flashes and images of things taking place around me. But after what seemed like hours of tests and machines and things being shoved down my throat, I was upright. I was awake and coherent.

And I still needed Max.

“Miss Young, how are you feeling?”

I sighed. “Can I see him now? Max? Where is he?”

He patted my leg. “He’s being checked out himself. The man was pretty beat up. He’s got some injuries of his own that needed to be taken care of.”

“Is he going to be all right? What happened? What was wrong?”

He licked his lips. “Miss Young, what happened tonight?”

I blinked. “What?”

“You have both suffered a great deal of trauma. Did you get into an argument?”

“What? No!”

“Has he hurt you in any way?”

“Get him in here now. Max!”

The doctor nodded. “Close the door, please.”

I shook my head. “Don’t you close that door. Where’s Max? I want to see my boyfriend.”

“Right after you answer some questions I have regarding yours and his injuries.”

“You can ask him if you have questions.”

“Well, I’m asking you. And I need you to answer. Okay?”

I sucked air between my teeth. “All right. Fine. What do you want to know?”

“What were you bound with?”

I blinked. “Come again?”

He sighed. “Your wrists and ankles have some serious abrasions on them. Almost like they were tied. Your boyfriend told us you got snagged onto a chair that tipped into a pool. Your injuries say differently.”

“Look, it’s been a long night, Doctor. Am I going to be okay?”

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