Page 49 of What Comes After

“Okay.”

With that, Dr. Wheeler went ahead and performed a couple of tests, which all seemed to be related to my vision and memory. I thought it was strange but didn’t question it. He seemed pleased by the results and asked if I had any questions. I asked about my injuries, learned I’d needed to have an emergency surgery to repair my ruptured spleen, and that I’d suffered a major concussion, bruised and fractured ribs, and significant bruising and swelling. While I’d wound up with quite a few lacerations as well, it seemed they were the injuries that would cause me the least amount of pain and hassle. They also were going to have the quickest recovery time, which led me to my next question.

“How long will I be here?” I asked.

“I don’t want to make you any promises just yet; however, I’m delighted with what I’m seeing so far. I think we’ll want to have you here for another two days, at a minimum. If everything keeps heading in the right direction, I hope that we’ll be able to send you home at that point. If not, we’ll just take it one day at a time,” Dr. Wheeler replied.

I nodded my understanding.

“Do you have any other questions?” he asked.

“Maybe, but I can’t think of any right now,” I said. “Actually, I do have one question. When I came in, I imagine there was a man who came in at the same time. We were together at the theater, and we were both attacked.”

The doctor hesitated, the look on his expression turning grim. “Yes, um—”

“Excuse me, Doctor?” Theo interrupted.

“Yes?”

“If it’s alright with you, I’d like to have some time alone with Devyn,” he said. “I’m more than happy to bring her up to speed on everything.”

Theo’s request seemed rather strange to me, and what was even worse was the look of relief that washed over Dr. Wheeler’s entire expression. Tension I hadn’t even realized was being held in his shoulders was suddenly gone.

“Of course,” Dr. Wheeler replied. “Devyn, I’ll be back to check on you tomorrow, unless anything pops up between now and then. For now, you’re doing great.”

“Thank you.”

My eyes followed Dr. Wheeler and Ruby as they walked out of the room, and they remained there for a long time. Without him saying a single word, I already knew what Theo was going to tell me.

I didn’t think I was ready for it, and that was why I refused to look at him.

He wouldn’t just blurt it out, and he’d try to share it in a way that wasn’t insensitive. I appreciated that, but there was something about Theo being the one to deliver the news that I struggled with.

Despite the feelings I had about it, Theo seemed intent on addressing it.

“Devyn,” he called, his voice gentle.

I gave myself one, two, three beats before I finally looked over at him. Trepidation was written all over his face.

He shook his head slowly, the uneasiness turning to sympathy. “I don’t know all of the details. I’m not in a position where I could get specifics, but I got enough. Your boyfriend…” Theo trailed off and inhaled deeply. After blowing out that breath, he said, “His injuries were far worse than yours, which, considering how bad yours were, is saying something. Anyway, they tried. He hung on for a bit, but ultimately, I’m so sorry, Devyn, but he didn’t make it.”

He didn’t make it.

Roy didn’t survive.

I felt oddly conflicted. So many thoughts ran through my mind.

I’d put myself in harm’s way to try to protect a man who was supposed to be in love with me. I wound up with life-threatening injuries, because I wanted to stop what was happening to the man who’d cheated on me.

And it didn’t even matter.

Because he was dead.

We’d been together for less than a year. We had been in a committed relationship, and I had actually believed he might have been the guy for me.

What had I been thinking?

How could I have possibly thought that when he was busy cheating on me?

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