Page 27 of More Than a Match

I glance at the clock. “9:30”.

“Dammit did I sleep all day?”

“You did. Your phone has been blowing up.”

“Oh my god. My parents, did anyone—”

“I called them,” I confirm. I got their numbers from Katie at the hospital and told them there had been an accident.”

“You didn’t tell them I was attacked, did you?” Mina crosses over to me, clutching her hands in front of her. “Please tell me you didn’t.”

“No, I just said there was an accident in the ride-share, that you were at the hospital being checked out, and you’d be in touch when you woke up.”

“Oh my god.”

“Yeah, they wanted to come to the hospital themselves, but I promised you were in good hands and said that they weren’t allowing you to have visitors anyway.”

“And they bought that?”

“Yeah. Although I don’t think they’re buying it anymore. Your mom has called your phone about 20 times today.”

“I need to call her.”

“You should.”

Mina exhales deeply. “Alright. Give me my phone.”

“Do you want to eat something first?”

“No, let me get this over with. Then I’ll eat.” She takes her phone and heads back to the bedroom, shutting the door behind her softly. I can hear her end of the conversation, her voice slowly rising as the call went on.

“No, I’m ok. Yes, really. No, I have to stay one more night for observation. I’ll be released some time tomorrow. Yes, they’re giving me a week off to recover. No, just a concussion. No, I don’t know what happened. We were fine, then next thing I know the car was skidding and we hit a pole. Yes, I promise I’m fine. Yes, Alex knew about the accident before you did because he was at the hospital when they brought me in. Yes, he's a kind man to call you. I’m sorry I couldn’t call before now. Yes, I’ll call in the morning.”

At last, she reemerges from the bedroom, sighing deeply. “That went better than I thought it would.”

“That’s good. You told them you’d go home tomorrow?”

“Yeah. Otherwise, they’d insist on coming up to the hospital to see me for themselves.”

I tried to hide my disappointment that I would only have her here for one more night. “That’s smart.”

“I can be,” she quips. “Alright, pass me a slice.”

I comply, watching her eagerly bite into the pizza. “At least you’ve got your appetite back.”

“Yeah, I was a little nervous getting out of bed, but I’m not nearly as dizzy now. I think the worst has passed.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” I pause, debating asking her the question that has been weighing heavily on my mind.Fuck it. I’ll ask. “So, when you were in the hospital, there was this doctor that wouldn’t leave me alone. He kept asking the same questions over and over, almost like he was accusing me, or trying to catch me in a lie. When he heard I was your boyfriend, he seemed almost… I guess ‘enraged’ would be the right word for it. It was bizarre.”

“Oh no,” she groans. “Did he have dark hair, and a very slender build?”

“Yeah, he was kind of built like a stick man. His eyes were kind of creepy, he reminded me of a shark, or a snake or something.”

“That’s Jason,” she sighs. “Dr. Visera. He has been asking me out formonths, and I keep rejecting him.”

“Oh god.”

“Yeah. So, finding out about you probably pissed him off considering how many times I’ve blown him off.”

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