Page 86 of The Fire Walker
Jessie
I’d never felt so disorientedin my whole life. I wanted to open my eyes, but something was stopping me. Everything felt heavy like someone had filled my veins with lead. Darkness fizzed at the edges of my vision as my eyes began to open, and I felt a hand holdingmine.
I mustered what strength I could and squeezed. Don’t let go. Don’t leaveme.
“Jessie?”
I knew that voice. It spoke to my heart, and I knew it was Dee. He didn’t leave me. He was stillhere.
“Dee?” I said, my voice raspy and sounding faraway.
“Yes,” he said. “It’s me. I’mhere.”
I ran my tongue over my dry lips. Where was I? As my vision started to clear more as I woke, I realized I was in a hospital room. How did I get here? I went to sit up, but a hand held medown.
“Don’t try to move just yet,” Dee said, running a hand over my cheek. “Justrest.”
“What... Where amI?”
“You’re in the hospital. Don’t youremember?”
All of a sudden, I remembered the car that had come out of nowhere. Squealing tires, horrified screams from strangers on the sidewalk, and air... nothing but air. A sob escaped my throat, but he was there, wiping away mytears.
“It’s okay,” he murmured, his touch bringing me back to life. “You’re gonna beokay.”
“Whathappened?”
He frowned, biting hislip.
“Dee.”
“You were hit by a car,” he explained. “You had some internal bleeding and had to go into surgery as soon as the ambulance brought you in. You might have a fracture in your arm and ribs, but the doctor said they would take you to X-ray once you were awake from surgery.Tomorrow.”
Glancing down, I realized a cast had been placed over my left arm, which was why it felt so heavy. My eyes met Dee’s again, and I knew that wasn’t the whole story. My heart sputtered, and the machine that was beeping dully in the background matched the erraticbeat.
“What else?” I whispered. I had a bad feeling this had something to do withNate.
“The police were here. After you were hit, the car drove off. It was reported as a hit and run. A taxi driver got the rego of the car…” Hepaused.
“It was Nate, wasn’t it?” I asked straight out. He obviously already knew. The police had spoken to him while I wasout.
He nodded, eyesdowncast.
“Dee,” I started, desperate to explain. My throat felt raw, and my head throbbed, but I didn’tcare.
“You don’t have to say anything right now,” he said. “You’ve just woken up from surgery.Rest.”
“No.” I reached for his hand. “I need to. I oweyou.”
“Jessie, you were almost killed. Maybe you should take amoment.”
“No,” I exclaimed, feeling panic rise in my chest. “No. Don’t leave.” I had to tell him. What if he leftagain?
He must have understood because he stood, his hand caressing my face. “I’m not going anywhere,” he murmured. “Are youthirsty?”
I nodded, and he poured a cup of water from the jug on the table at the foot of the bed. Wetting my throat and cooling the burn, I sank back into the pillow. I think Dee assumed I was going to go back to sleep, but I pulled on hishand.
“Jessie,” he began, but I needed to explain now. I didn’t care about how bad I felt or that it had been less than fifteen minutes since I’d woken from major surgery. I needed to give him mysoul.
