Page 13 of Whiskey Shivers

CHAPTERSEVEN

Corliss…

I woke in the intensive care unit and I had absolutely no recollection of what’d happened to me. None. The last thing I remembered was the bell ringing for the end of a period. I knew it was one that was after lunch, but beyond that I couldn’t say… and that in and of itself was terrifying.

The police came to talk to me, and I felt genuinely bad that I couldn’t help them but at the same time… the powers that be had seen fit to bless me that even though I was hurt, and badly at that, the reason why was a complete mystery to me.

“I’m going to head back to the office,” Mark said. He barely pecked me on the forehead, dragging his hand from mine almost as soon as the police detectives had left.

“So soon?” I asked, disappointed.

“Well, yeah. There’s nothing really that I can do here and you know I hate hospitals, babe.”

I swallowed hard and hated the bitter taste his words left on my tongue.

Yeah, no, we were so over when I was out of here. This was fucking bullshit. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, how I would figure it out… but no. This wasstupid. However, I could also appreciate that if and when I could leave the hospital, I was going to need help for a little bit. Like it or not, Mark was the only person that I knew that could. It was just a question of if he would, which I highly doubted at this point, and I was scared for a whole different reason.

You’ve done everything on your own to date… why would this be any different?

The voice was a familiar one to me, rock hard and steely with determination. The one that constantly urged me to be smarter than the problem and I would. I would have to.

I slept after that. The drugs sucking at the edges of my consciousness until I was out, drifting in an almost state of in-between worlds. Sometimes I would hear things, like the nurse come in to check my vitals. Sometimes it was something unpleasant, just on the edge of dreaming that would jolt me awake. Mostly it was the sensation like I was falling although I was perfectly still.

I hated heights. I always had. The sensation of being high and falling, falling, falling, wasn’t a good one – not for me.

The next time I jolted awake, a rough hand was in mine and another one smoothed my hair back from my face. The sensation was so achingly familiar, though I didn’t readily know why.

“Hey, you. Hi…” the voice was rich and melodic, familiar with a southern accent but not Texas, and not Louisiana. I opened my eyes and I felt tears spring to them as Hex looked down at me with warmth in his rich brown eyes, a tremulous smile painting his lips even as worry creased his brow and bracketed those lips with deep lines of concern.

“Hi,” I murmured back, and he pressed his lips to my forehead and retook his seat, gathering my hand gently between his, careful not to bump all of the IV apparatus stuck to the back of it.

“How did you get in here?” I murmured softly.

“Lied and told ‘em I was your brother,” he said.

I stifled a laugh but it was too late. Enough of it got through, sending pain, racking through my chest and body.

“Don’t make me laugh,” I scolded and his smile grew.

“Think of it this way,” he said. “The pain lets you know you’re alive.”

It was a bit of a sobering thought.

“I don’t even know what happened,” I told him. “I don’t remember anything after fourth period. I’m so confused. One minute, the bell is ringing and the next thing I know, I’m waking up in the hospital.”

“Police come by yet?” he asked.

“Yes,” I told him. “They said…” I swallowed hard. “They said I was attacked by a student. That… that I was…” I didn’t want to say it out loud.

“Shh, it’s okay. You ain’t gotta tell me. I was the one who found you.”

I tore my gaze from my blanket-covered lap to his face. His look was half-shuttered, like he was trying to hide all the bad things from me. I didn’t know how I felt about that to be honest. I wasn’t a child but at the same time…

“I want to know, but I don’t think I’m ready to know right now,” I told him.

He nodded slowly. “And that’s just fine,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He gave my hand a light squeeze and I tightened my grip on him. I didn’t want him to take it away yet.

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