“Yes. We’ve treated and covered the wounds. We’ll be sending you home with care instructions. The nurse will cover all that when you’re discharged.”
I stare at the doctor with my mouth hanging open. He’s acting nonchalant about someone throwing acid at me, as if he sees this happen every day. “But why does my head hurt so bad? How long was I out and why?”
He looks down at my chart, then back up to me. “Ah, yes. Well, you fainted before help arrived on the scene. You were in a very frightening ordeal, Ms. Miller. The shock, fear, and pain combined led to your ‘passing out,’ so to say. It’s not uncommon. You hit your head on the ground and have a moderate concussion. When you arrived, we gave you benzodiazepines, a mild sedative. We needed to treat your wounds and flush out the acid, which is quite painful.”
Holy shit.
This is all so much to take in at once, but the doctor doesn’t seem to care as he continues. “We’re going to let you rest and recover at home since your scans came back fine,” he says. “Do you have someone who can stay with you? We’re prescribing something for the pain, so you shouldn’t be alone. Also, you will need help redressing your wounds tomorrow. Keep these bandages on for twenty-four hours, then change them. Changing the bandages as directed should minimize any scarring or discoloring of the tissue.”
Just as I open my mouth to tell him I’m sure my roommate will be willing to help, Sebastian speaks first. “She’ll be staying with me, and I’ll make sure she’s well taken care of, Doctor.”
I don’t hear anything else they say before the doctor leaves. Well taken care of? I still can’t wrap my head around this situation.
Crystal.
Acid. Burns.
Concussion.
Sedatives.
It’s all too much.
“Why did Crystal do this?” I look toward Sebastian as tears begin dripping down my face. “I don’t understand. Why? I was always nice to her. I can’t think of anything I did to hurt her. Why did she try to hurt us—or me—or Madison? Why? What did she say?”
Mark and his partner shuffle back to my bedside, and Mark takes a seat on the bed next to me before Sebastian can answer my question. He takes one look at my tear-stained face and wraps his arm around me and places a kiss at the crown of my head. “She’s going to pay for this. Crystal is going to jail once we find her.”
I stare at my brother in horror. “What do you mean once you find her, Mark?”
He looks at me with a mixture of anger and sadness in his eyes. “She fled the scene, but we have an APB out on her. She won’t get away with this, Devin. We’re going to get her, I promise.”
She got away.
She’s still out there.
A chill runs down my spine.
Mark leans down, placing another kiss on my head. “We have to get back to the station.” He directs his gaze to Sebastian. “I’ll keep you updated. Take good care of her.” His attention shifts back to me. “I’ll check on you later, all right? Try to get some rest and relax. This will all be over before you know it. I love you, Dev.”
I give him a small smile, not too sure how much I believe that statement. I feel as if I’ve heard people tell me this will all be over soon, and it just keeps getting worse. “I love you, too.”
A silence surrounds Sebastian and me as we’re left alone, the enormity of this situation suffocating us. Crystal tried to permanently disfigure me or kill me; I’m not sure which, but either way, holy shit!
Sebastian drags a chair to the side of the bed and sits, taking my hand in his, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles. “How do you feel?”
Instinctively, my body relaxes under his touch, and I find myself leaning into him. “Physically, I guess I’m fine. Emotionally, I feel all over the place. I’m exhausted, confused, and scared. She’s still out there.”
A wrinkle appears on his forehead, and his brows furrow in worry. “I’m sorry, Devin.”
“For what?”
“This is my fault,” he says, dropping his head against our joined hands.
Reaching with my other hand, I rub the back of his head, twirling the small pieces of hair between my fingers. “How is this your fault, Sebastian?”
Lifting his head, he looks me in the eye as he speaks. “I should have been there to protect you. It’s Friday. You weren’t fired. I should have anticipated some kind of retaliation. I was too busy pretending with Arianna to protect you, and look what happened.”
“It’s not your fault.” I squeeze his hand. “We have no idea if the two things are even connected. This could all be because I made her stay on a Friday, who knows.”
