Page 35 of One Love
Devin
The pounding in my headfeels like a sledgehammer smashing repeatedly against my skull. The pain is all-consuming, and I can’t seem to focus on anything else like... what the hell happened? Where am I? Whose voice is talking and why does it sound so far away? The confusion mixed with the pounding in my head has me groaning.
“Devin?” a deep male voice asks. Rather than answer, all I can do is moan as I try to open my eyes only to slam them closed once I feel the sting of the light against them.
My eyes flutter open slowly, and the first thing I see is the man I love hovering above me, looking as if he’s been dragged through the wringer. His eyes are dark and sunken in as if he hasn’t slept in days.
“Hi, princess,” he whispers softly.
My lips stick together from the dryness as I try to open my mouth and speak. “Water,” I manage to croak out.
Sebastian produces a cup of water and holds out a straw for me. “Here, drink.”
“I’ll grab the doctor,” I hear Mark announce.
A cough rips through me as water sputters from my mouth and onto my chest.
“Deep breaths,” Sebastian soothes me. “Are you okay?”
I glance around the small space surrounding the bed I’m lying in, realizing I’m in a hospital. Past Sebastian, I see my brother talking to his partner just outside the curtain while waiting for the doctor.
What the hell is going on?
I let my mind wander back to how I got here.
Think, Devin.Fucking think.
I remember being at the office. Madison came in and asked if I was ready to go.
Think harder.
A blur of events flies through my mind before it goes completely black.
Crystal.
“Crystal.” I panic, anxiety clawing at me. “It was Crystal, Sebastian.”
“Shh…” he soothes. “We know, princess. Madison told us what happened.”
Madison....
I sit up quickly, getting lightheaded from the movement. “Is she okay? Please tell me she’s okay.”
“She’s fine.” He places a hand on my shoulder, guiding me to lie back down. “She’s got a few burns. She’s more worried about you than herself at this point.”
A thousand thoughts whirl around inside my head, but I can’t find an answer to any of them. I don’t even notice the doctor until he clears his throat. “Excuse me. Can everyone who is not family step out for a few moments? I need to speak to Ms. Miller.”
The doctor stands at the end of my bed, looking at Sebastian, silently asking if he’ll be staying. “I’m her boyfriend. I’m not leaving.”
He nods in acceptance before grabbing the clipboard from the end of my bed. “Okay, Ms. Miller. You are in New York Presbyterian’s emergency department. Do you remember what happened?”
“I do,” I answer with a nod. A pain stings at the base of my throat with the movement of my neck. “Crystal threw something at me. It was in a jug and burned so badly that I think I passed out from the pain.”
I touch the base of my neck where it stings and feel the tape and gauze.
“Yes. The woman threw sulfuric acid at you. While it is extremely dangerous, someone was looking out for you because, according to the EMTs who brought you in, your coat and scarf absorbed most of the acid, leaving you with less severe burns than you could have sustained.”
My voice turns up a notch. “Sulfuric acid? Burns?” My hand roves over my chest, feeling just how large the covered area is.
