Page 53 of Stripped

Chapter 26

"She's injured. She has no clothes—" Wraith started to say.

"It's fine. I'm fine," Pim said, rolling up her window.

"It's not fine. You're injured. You don't have enough gas to make it back anywhere and you can't get gas wearing just my sweatshirt. For God's sake, you don't even have a phone or identification." Wraith looked over at Gabriel. "I don't even know what's happened to her."

Gabriel shook his head. "Wraith, you don't understand."

"I do understand. We involved her in this; we just can't leave her."

Gabriel clenched his jaw. "Fine. Follow me in my car."

Pim drove through the gates and down a narrow road until they came to a large mansion. She parked Wraith's car next to Gabriel's. He came and helped Wraith out as Pim stayed seated. "Are you coming?"

"No. I'm fine. I think it's best if I go," she said shortly. Whatever this was and whatever they were hiding, she didn't want to be a part of it.

"I was wrong. Please come and at least get checked out by our doctor."

"I'll manage on my own."

"Primrose. It's not a suggestion. It's an order, lass," Wraith said between gritted teeth. He leaned against Gabriel for support. "Now I'm about to pass out, so let's hurry."

She followed the two men into the mansion and down a dark hallway. They came to a door on the right. Above it, on a metal plaque, was the word Infirmary. Gabriel opened the door and deposited Wraith onto a wheelchair. An elderly man, small in stature with white hair and a strong gravelly voice, walked in, adjusting the sleeves on a lab coat. "I just put you back together, Wraith…" He paused for a moment when he saw Pim and his eyes narrowed, giving Gabriel a questioning look.

"This is Primrose McNeil, Dr. Forbes," Gabriel explained. "She was injured, along with Wraith. She'll need medical attention."

Pim pulled at the hem of the sweatshirt. "I'm fine, really."

"Put her in room two. I'll be in after I take care of Wraith."

Gabriel showed her to the room. "Why don't you change? I'll be back."

She looked around the room. It looked like a standard hospital room, with a bed and various medical equipment. A green gown lay across a chair. She went into the adjoining bathroom and changed. It was huge on her, made for a man, and hung well below her knees. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she waited for someone to come in. Dr. Forbes knocked and entered, followed by Gabriel.

"How's Wraith?" she asked.

"He's getting a chest X-ray. He'll do. It doesn't look like the kick he took to his back broke a rib, so no lung puncture," the doctor said. "Now, why don't you tell me what happened to you, Primrose?"

"It's Pim. No one calls me Primrose." Except Wraith. "I'm okay, really. I was punched a few times in my stomach. I'm not sure why they only hit me there."

Gabriel sat down in a chair by the bed, apparently staying for the exam. "They didn't want to ruin your beautiful face, so they hit you where no one would see the bruises."

"Go ahead and lie back so I can take a look."

Pim reclined back on the bed while Dr. Forbes covered her with the sheet. He lifted up her gown, exposing her stomach and two deep purple bruises, which covered her entire abdomen. He didn't say anything but cleared his throat; she didn't miss the downward turn of his brows and the tightening around his mouth.

"Bloody hell." Gabriel leaned forward, exchanging a look of displeasure with the doctor.

"Any pain besides the bruising?"

Pim shook her head. "No."

"This will be uncomfortable." He began to palpate her stomach.

Pim bit her lip. She had a high tolerance for pain, ballet had taught her to mask what she was experiencing. "I'm not feeling anything. We'll get an MRI and I'll keep you here and watch you through the night."

"If you don't think it's bad, I would rather get going. I have someplace to be in the morning." She needed to get in contact with Peter. She needed to let him know what had happened. Tears pricked the back of her eyes.

---