Page 52 of My Everything

My eyes struggled open to a bright white light shining down on me. My mind was fuzzy, thoughts drifting by like clouds. Unreachable. Ever changing. I tried to see, to understand. My vision was blurred, and somewhere in the back of my mind I realized there was no pain. There was nothing expect a low constant beeping that seemed to grow louder as my vision cleared. I blinked at the sharp light coming from a white celling and tried to remember.

“Sir” A female voice somewhere spoke. I struggled to turn my head to see who it belonged to.

“Don’t move,” the voice soothed, and soon a dark-skinned face surrounded with curly chocolate brown hair appeared above me. “You’re all right. Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

I blinked up at her, trying to follow. She wore a light blue gown with a white nametag pinned to her chest. I tried to read it, but my eyes blurred as I focused. Looking past her, I took in the room. It was white, filled with medical equipment I wished to never see again. It smelled like a fucking hospital, too. I hated it. Avoided it with everything I had. Until I hadn’t…The fuck was I doing here?

It wasn’t until the nurse explained it to me that I remembered the last moments before everything turned black.

Running away. The sound of tires screeching to a halt. Someone called the ambulance. Someone saved me.

Dread slowly replaced the relief. I couldn’t stay here. There was only a matter of time before Mr. X found out where I was and came for me.

“I have to go,” I croaked.

The nurse chuckled, gently holding me down as I tried to sit. “You’re not going anywhere, sir.”

I cleared my throat, finding my voice. “Where am I?”

“The hospital, dear.”

Yeah. That much I figured. “Black River?”

“Yes.”

Something in me clenched. It was too close. To fucking risky.

“Sir, you carry no ID documents,” she went on, and before she asked for my name, I made a quick decision.

“I’m Rick,” I said, giving her the first name that came to my mind. My friend and co-worker onteam Johnny.“Rick Anderson.” A fake name was bound to buy me time. And I hoped the real Rick would be smart enough to play along of they contactedhimfor the goddamn insurance. I should warn him if I got the chance.

She gave me a nod and a smile, and before she got a chance to question me further, I asked the most important question. “My shoulder?”

She looked apologetic. “You were hit bad. We’ve done all we can to stabilize it, but it ain’t good, sir. You’re most likely gonna need follow-up surgery. I’m looking at a couple of months minimum before you’ll regain full mobility in your left side. Then another couple more to….”

I stopped listening. I didn’t have months. I’d be fucking dead before that. If Mr. X or his goons found me, they’d never let me live to even begin to heal.

“What happened to you?” she asked, and I didn’t know where to begin. Lying was easier than the truth.

“I was shot at, and…ran. I don’t remember.” It was the best I could do, but she didn’t look convinced.

“Shot yes, but…” She studied me as she considered her words. I zoned out as she stated the facts. I didn’t need to hear her expose my lie.

She leaned in, and her sudden proximity snapped me back to her talking. “Your whole shoulder was dislocated, popped right out of its socket, and from the bruising…” She gestured toward the upper arm where the fucker hit me with that rod. She paused, eyeing me with concern shining in two dark orbs. “I’m sorry I’ll be blunt. But you’re lying. Whatever you’re afraid of…” She sighed, pausing as she watched me clench my jaw in sudden anger. The days locked up in that cell assaulted my memories. Throwing me back to the hell I never wanted to think of.

“You will be protected.”

I gave her a curt nod. There was no denying it. My body had all the evidence she needed. And it was more than fucking assault as she implied. It was torture. But if she forced me to re-live it any longer…

“Your vitals also show sign of an ongoing infection,” she went on in a softer voice. “One which has gotten better…” she frowned, eying me as if she didn’t understand how.

“Just fix me up and let me go.” My voice was as tired as I felt. Arguing with the doctor about what I went through was more than I could take. She knew I was lying. Even a fool could see it. The damage done didn’t match my story. But I didn’t owe her anything. I just wanted to sleep, to fucking forget.

But I couldn’t. I couldn’t even tell her my life was still in danger without telling too much.

She must have picked up on my defeat. A gentle hand on my arm, and even gentler words made my skin crawl in discomfort. “Is there someone I can call?”

I wanted to snapno. But then I thought better of it. If I were to have any chance of getting out of here without damaging my health further, I couldn’t do it alone.

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