I don’t understand how I went from feeling too much to feeling nothing at all so quickly, but the numbness is comforting, and I lean into it like an old friend.
Doubt flickers through his eyes as they drop to my arms, and I take a moment to look down for the first time. Both wrists are covered in thick bandages from my elbows to my wrists, and I wince slightly when I flex my hand. Okay, so maybe I’m only emotionally numb. Better than nothing, I guess.
“There are a few things we need to go through before you can be moved to the ward,” he says.
“The ward?” I ask, my brows tugging together. “I don’t think I need that. I feel fine.”
“That may be so, but you almost died tonight. You’ve had several blood transfusions, and it’s important we keep an eye on you. We’re also required to hold you for at least seventy-two hours to ensure you’re not a danger to yourself or others.”
I open my mouth to argue, to insist they release me, but I know it’s not going to do me any good. If I want to get out of here, I’m going to have to do it myself.
“Can you tell me how you got your other injuries?” He nods to my face, and I raise my hand to touch my cheek instinctively. “And before you consider lying to me, you have a boot print bruised into your side. I know you didn’t fall down the stairs or fall against a cupboard.”
“I had a run-in with my boss,” I tell him. “He’s not a good person, and he doesn’t take to insubordination well.”
“Is your boss Orion Henderson?”
That gets my attention, an involuntary flinch making my wrists scream in pain. The man who lied to me. The man who made me love him, only to be my biggest nightmare come to life.
A whisper of emotion flickers to life in my chest. Anger and betrayal roll over me in gentle waves, battering at the unfeeling wall my mind has erected.
“No,” I whisper. “Orion’s my…boyfriend.” The word doesn’t do what we shared justice. Before everything fell to shit, we were everything.
“And did Orion hurt you?”
I shake my head. “No, not physically.”
He watches me over the rim of his glasses for a moment, likely trying to decide if I’m telling the truth. I’m not sure what he sees, but he simply nods and makes a note on the chart in his hands.
“Would you like to file a police report on your employer?” he asks.
I shake my head. “No, that’s okay.” The last thing I need is the cops taking a look into Lucas and the work he does, because that will inevitably implicate me.
He doesn’t bother looking up, instead writing something else down. “Very well. The nurse will be here shortly to take you to the ward. I trust I don’t need to restrain you to the bed for the journey?” he asks with a raised brow.
“No, that won’t be necessary.”
“I’m glad. The pain medication we’ve given you may be good, but cuffs on fresh cuts like that are something we try to avoid.”
“Thank you,” I say softly. I know how to get out of cuffs, and even with the cuts, I’m sure I could pull it off, but I’d rather not test that theory when I’m dealing with blood loss as well.
The doctor turns on his heel and steps out of the curtained area, sliding the thin paper back into place and leaving me by myself once more.
I look around the small space and spot a set of drawers.
As carefully as I can manage, I push myself up off the bed, wincing as it creaks beneath my weight, before sliding off the side.
My bare feet hit the cold linoleum floor, and I try not to think about all the germs that could be on the ground as I focus on my task. I tug open one of the drawers and frown when I find it empty.
I try the next one down, and the one after that, before sighing. They’ve pulled everything out of here because they think I’ll try to kill myself again. Probably not an unrealistic concern to have, but death is the furthest thing from my mind. Or at least my death is.
Killing Orion is very much at the top.
Maybe once the Hunter is wiped off the face of the earth, I’ll finally know peace.
I sigh and tug at the ugly blue gown that hangs loosely from my body. If I’m going to make it out of here without being seen, I’m going to need clothes, because somehow, I think I’ll look pretty fucking conspicuous in this thing styled with my bandaged arms.
A snicker escapes my throat. It would probably stop people from getting in my way, I guess.
