“I’ve got you, miss,” a man said.
The red of his uniform caught her attention, and she whimpered, lunging forward to grip his arms.“Officer?”
“I told you we’d find you.”
At his familiar voice, she slid to the ground, uncaring that she sat there sobbing.“Thank you.”
“Are you all right?Do you need an ambo?”
When her tears didn’t soothe her gritty eyelids, she had to face the truth as excruciating agony forced her to shut her eyes.“I do need medical attention.Please.”She folded both forearms across her face.“Arc eyes,” she wailed.
This was her fault for not shielding herself against arc flashes.She knew better, knew the damage the radiation could do.It was for this very reason that welders had protective gear.
What followed was a blur, made worse by her diminishing ability to see.
Warren was no more, not in the crowd gathered around the ambulance, not on the outskirts of the park.He’d vanished as if demons had chased her across blocks instead of a drug lord’s hitman.Would they try this again?Steal her from wherever?She couldn’t say.
Swear words clung to the tip of her tongue, begging for release.Even if she spewed them at her brother, he’d shrug them off.If she told her folks, they wouldn’t believe her, like a med student had a reason to lie.
She was grateful though for Parsons, the officer who’d stayed by her side.His voice had the most impact on her, keeping her in the moment and sane.
“You don’t have to stay,” she said to him once they had her in a ward.
The doctor had examined her after administering anesthetic eye drops.A nurse now placed padded dressings over her eyes.She’d have to endure the pain with only Ibuprofen and Proparacaine drops to help her endure.
“I will, until your parents arrive.”
“You called them?”she squeaked, slumped, then stiffened when the nurse tutted.
“Had to.You’re blind, Ms.Bryant,” he said.
“True.”She forced a smile she far from felt.“It’s temporary, though—about five days.Don’t get me wrong.It’s going to suck.”
“Tiny?”Mom cried, entering with a flurry of squeaks from her sneakers on the polished floor.
“Hi, Mom.”She kept her smile in place by sheer will.
“What happened?”Mom asked, bringing with her a cloud of rose perfume.
Tiny hesitated.Burning scratched at her eyelids, drooping her shoulders.How could she tell her mom without revealing the truth that she wouldn’t believe anyway?
“Fireworks incident in the city square,” Parsons said.“We were lucky to find her, ma’am.”
Tiny smiled in the direction of his voice.She wished she could squeeze his hand in gratitude.He’d been her hero when she’d needed one so desperately.
“Thank you, young man,” Mom said.“Your father’s sorting out the payment.Jamie’s—”
“Don’t mention his name,” Tiny snapped, venom in her voice.She wanted to kill him, strangle him with her bare hands.
“Why are you angry with your brother?”Mom sighed.“This vendetta you have against—”
“How’s my pumpkin?”Dad asked, his heavy tread music to Tiny’s ears.
She sucked in a calming breath, uncurled her fingers, and pasted on a smile.Now wasn’t the time to discuss Jamie’s secret criminal life.Her parents wouldn’t believe her anyway.She needed evidence or law enforcement to spill the beans.
“Better,” she said.“All thanks to Officer Parsons…” He hadn’t given her his first name, but she couldn’t be sure, not remembering anything past the agony that had consumed her eyes at the time.
“You have a remarkable daughter,” he said, which he no doubt told all the women he rescued.
