Part 7
Part 8
Part 8
“Is she awake yet?” Anxious voices break into the soft
machine noises that lull me back toward sleep.
“Officer, she needs her rest.” The admonishing voice of the
nurse rises above a whisper.
“And we need to protect her, which means we have to talk to
her.”
Soft-soled shoes shuffle into the room. I peer up into a
pale face speckled with freckles. A helmet of red hair pulled back into a tight
bun holds a tiny white cap in place.
“Five minutes.” She holds up her hand with fingers splayed
wide as she glances at the clock.
Soft footsteps give way to heavier footfalls. I force my
eyelids open as blurry faces lean in to worriedly peer into my eyes.
“Officer Polsen,” I offer a tentative smile. “Officer
Wason.”
Officer Wason nods in recognition as Officer Polsen steps closer.
“We’re glad you’re alive.” His voice resonates with concern.
“Me, too.” I laugh and pain shoots through my swollen cheeks.
“You know who did this to you?” He gestures at my face.
I nod.
“Who was it?” They both lean in for my answer.
“They called him the boss.”
The officers exchange a look as I fumble for the pink water
jug on the bedside table. Officer Wason steps forward to pour me a glass of
water.
“What did he look like?”
“Fake tan, bad dye job. They had me tied to a chair, so I am
not sure how tall he is.”
The officers exchange looks again. “You’re sure you didn’t
hear a name?”
“No. They didn’t even use their own names with each other.”
They frown as Officer Polsen says, “We’ll see what we can do
with the information we have.”
They offer reassuring smiles. I weakly grin at them as I
wonder if they learn that smile at the police academy. My eyelids meet as
weakness defeats stubbornness.
*
When my eyes open again, a dark-skinned woman holds a death
grip on my left hand. She rubs my wrist gently before dropping my hand. She
leans over me to peer into my face. The aroma of vanilla mingles with harsh
soap. My eyes focus on the nametag on her white coat before moving back to her
face. She smiles down at me.
“There you are. I know you need your sleep, but I needed to
check on you.”
“Uh-huh.” I yawn, stretching my arms above my head until my
side begins to ache.
“How are you feeling?” She reaches for my wrist again.
“Okay. I guess.” I touch my face with my free hand, quickly
drawing my hand back from the tender skin around my mouth and eyes.
She nods rhythmically a few times before dropping my wrist.
“Your heart rate seems normal. Your stats are good. And…” She moves forward,
pulling a penlight from her pocket.
“Hey.” I raise my hands to shield my eyes as bright light sears
into my retinas.
“…your pupils are reacting normally. You just need a few
days in your own bed and time for that bruising to go away.”
“I can go home?”
“Yes, as long as you don’t drive. I think the nice officer
outside won’t mind giving you a ride.” She raises her eyebrows suggestively.
My face twists enough to cause pain as I furrow my brow. I
begin to deny her implication but think better of it as she turns away. As she
opens the door, a chair outside the door slides along the tiles and bangs
against the wall.
“Doctor, how is she?”
“I’ll sign off on her going home as long as she takes it
easy for a couple of days. You can give her a ride?”
“Of course.”
“Then I’ll send a nurse with some release papers for her to
sign.” She glances back to me with another suggestive smile.
As she clears the doorway, Officer Polsen’s figure fills the
doorway. He waits until I beckon for him to enter before joining me in the
room.
“We’ve been assigned to guard you until this case is
resolved.” He says as Officer Wason follows him into the room.
“That’s good.” I pull the blanket up to my chin, feeling
self-conscious after the doctor’s suggestion.
Officer Wason moves to the window. He glances outside before
turning back to face his partner and I. The three of us watch each other in awkward
silence until the nurse arrives with my papers.
Hospitals don't bring a lot of excitement, but sometimes characters in crime stories end up there, right? I realize I neglected you last week, but I was proofreading a book for the one person I know reads this page. Keep reading. Keep commenting. Keep enjoying life. More to come...
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