Page 16 of The Desperate Warrior

The words knocked the breath from Jules’s lungs, causing her to gasp in pain.

“Maybe we should call a nurse.” Mom’s tone was frantic.

Jules’s heart began to pound. “I’m okay,” she muttered and then bit down on her lower lip. “I just need a minute to process this.”A car accident?She tried to piece things together, but her mind was a blank. “How?” she uttered.

She caught the worried glance that passed between her parents.

Whatever happened, she should remember. This was bad. She became aware of the slight tickle from the nasal cannula beneath her nose, delivering oxygen. What was the flow rate? Two liters? Maybe four?

“You don’t remember leaving the reception?” Mom asked.

“The reception?” Jules looked at her parents and realized they were dressed in formal wear. “I went to a reception,” shesaid mechanically, hoping the act of speaking the words would trigger some shred of recollection.

Zoe’s reception,” Mom supplied.

Dad spoke up. “You left right after Zoe and Junior’s sendoff. You said you had a headache and needed to go home.”

Just like that, a shard of memory pierced the dense fog. “I remember,” she interjected and talked faster. “Zoe and Tippin got married. The reception was at the ranch … in the backyard.”

Relief sounded in Mom’s voice. “It’s coming back to you.”

Jules spoke to herself as she tried to piece together the events. “Brock and I had an argument. I was upset. That’s why I wanted to leave.”

“We figured as much,” Mom said quietly and glanced at Dad.

“I was sitting at a red light and talking to Nikki on the phone.” Her breath came faster, causing her to wince. “I saw headlights coming at me. I screamed.” Horror streaked through her, causing her body to quake.

Dad filled in the rest. “Nikki heard you scream and called 911. It was thanks to her that the paramedics got to you so quickly.”

“Who hit me? Is the other person okay?”

A silent exchange passed between Mom and Dad.

“What?” Jules demanded.

“It was a hit-and-run accident.”

Shock rattled through her. “Hit and run?” She looked at Dad, who nodded.

“The police are searching for the driver. They’ll want to ask you some questions and get a statement. Do you remember anything else about the accident?”

She tried to think. “No. Nothing. Only that I was upset about Brock. My phone kept ringing, so I finally answered it and was talking to Nikki. She was planning on coming over and ordering a pizza.” She stopped. “Where’s Nikki?”

“In the waiting room.”

“Does Zoe know about my accident?”

“Not yet. She and Junior are in flight. We haven’t been able to get in touch with them.”

She let this information settle. Where were they going on their honeymoon? She sifted through her brain. Where was it? Oh, yeah. To Ireland. She welcomed the sensation of a lock being turned and a door opening to give her the knowledge she needed. At least she could remember something. “How long have I been in the hospital?”

“A couple of hours,” Dad answered.

Jules looked at the monitor, relieved to note that her blood pressure was good. “Has a doctor been in to give you a report?” She didn’t like this helpless feeling of being a patient confined to a hospital bed and having to wait for the news. She much preferred to be on the other side of the equation.

Dad began listing her injuries. “You have a concussion and a couple of fractured ribs on your left side.”

A TBI, or Traumatic Brain Injury, would explain the confusion she’d experienced and the memory loss. Had she gone unconscious after the initial impact of the collision? Was that why she couldn’t remember anything past the phone call and seeing the headlights coming at her?

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