Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 68006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“The same. What happened to Felicity?”
“Her shift is over,” this nurse says. “My name is Hope.”
Hope.
Good name. That’s what I need to have. Hope. It was damned hard in Afghanistan to keep hold of hope, but we did. Buck and I both. Even the others—Wolf, Ace, Ghost, Eagle. They all had hope until their dying breath.
You have to have hope. You have to have strength. You have to have such mental fortitude that you can’t even imagine weakness.
I try to hold onto that now.
That mental fortitude.
That hope.
Hope holds up an IV bad.
“Is that medication? Did you decide to give her something for her agitation?”
“Yes.”
“So you checked with the doctor, and she said it was okay?”
“Absolutely. We don’t want this patient to be in any undue distress.”
Thank God. At least Kelly will have some peace. Although I wish she would wake up.
“How long will it take for this medication to take effect?”
“Not too long, Mister….”
“Ramsey. Good.”
I wipe my hand over my forehead again. Such a cold sweat. How come she doesn’t know my name? It’s all over the records. Oh, well. It’s the beginning of her shift. Maybe she didn’t notice my name.
Hope hangs the bag of medication, attaches it to Kelly’s IV and then leaves.
A moment later, Felicity enters. “Time to check—”
I stand, letting go of Kelly’s hand. “I thought your shift was over.”
“No. I’m on for another few hours. Let’s check her—”
I yank Kelly’s IV out of her arm. Alarms begin blaring as blood trickles from the IV site.
“Mr. Ramsey? What are you doing?”
“Another nurse came in. A nurse named Hope. Do you know her?”
Her eyes widen. “No, I don’t.”
“She said the doctor had changed his mind about some sedation for Kelly. She hung that bag up on the IV and added it.”
“Oh my God,” Felicity looks the bag. “It’s unmarked, but not much has gone into her. We’ll get it down to the lab right away.”
“What about Kelly? We have to wake her.”
“We’ll get some labs right away. Toxicology. Stat.”
With the alarms still blaring, seconds later, another nurse comes to draw Kelly’s blood.
God, Kelly. No.
A man in the same blue scrubs hurries in. “I’m Zeb, the charge nurse. I’m so sorry—”
“What the hell happened?” I demand. “How could you people let some imposter in here?”
“I’m so sorry,” the charge nurse says. “We’re going to make sure she gets the best care. You’re going to have to leave, Mr. Ramsey.”
“I’m not leaving her side.”
“You’re going to have to. I’m so sorry, but we need to take all precautions. She probably didn’t get enough of anything into her IV to do any lasting harm, but we can’t take that chance. We’re going to have to pump her.”
“Oh my God…”
“Mr. Ramsey,” Zeb says. “Please.”
And I leave.
I leave because it’s what’s best for Kelly, but only because it’s what’s best for Kelly. If I had it my way I’d be standing over all of them, asking for credentials and making sure they’re on the right shift.
I walk to the end of the hallway to the small waiting area on this floor, and pace across it. For hours. Fucking hours.
It’s forever until I finally get word.
Felicity comes to find me. “Mr. Ramsey, she’s okay now. Toxicology came back negative. She’s a lucky woman. That bag contained two grams of sodium pentothal. If she had…”
She stops. She doesn’t have to say more. I know what could have—most likely would have—happened.
“Mr. Ramsey, you saved her life today. She’s awake, and she’s asking for you.”
41
KELLY
Leif.
My vision is still blurry, but he looks wonderful. Like an angel, a halo around him and everything.
I know it’s just my blurred vision, my brain playing tricks on me, but I’m going with it.
“Kelly…” He grabs my hand, kisses my cheek. “Thank God.”
“What happened?” I ask.
“They didn’t tell you?”
“Not really. Lots of gobbledygook. The last thing I remember is”— The rope…it’s breaking… The screech… And then we’re falling, falling, falling— “God. Falling.”
“Yes. You fell from the side of the hotel. You were strapped to someone, and he broke your fall.”
“The Dark One…”
“It was him? Your father?”
“No…” A shudder surges through me. “He said he was…my brother.”
“Brother? What?”
“It’s… A lot to tell you.”
“Shh.” He kisses my cheek. “You rest. You can tell me everything later. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Mr. Ramsey?” A nurse asks.
“Yeah, what is it?”
“The police need to talk to you. About whoever tried to poison Ms. Taylor.”
Poison? Someone tried to poison me? My eyes fall closed.
“They’re going to have to wait. I’m not leaving her side.”
“All right. I’ll tell them.”
An officer appears at the door of my room. “Mr. Ramsey, I understand your hesitancy to leave her, but we need to get your statement while it’s still fresh in your mind.”
“Trust me, Officer, I will never forget.”
“If it’s all the same—”
I open. My eyes and squeeze his hand. At least I think I do. My body isn’t working quite right just yet. “Please, Leif. Go ahead. I want whoever is behind all of this to pay.”