Page 13 of One Little Memory
The nurse nodded and pulled out her cell. “Who would you like to call?” She pointed to herself. “I’m Hazel, by the way.”
“I need to call the detective that was here. Halston was his last name.”
“Phoenix. Sure, no problem.” She hit a button on her phone.
She had the cop’s cell number. Were they friends? Another thought hit her. Were they dating? Not that it was any of her business. She wasn’t in a position to even contemplate dating anyone at the moment. Hell, she could already be married, although the lack of a ring on that finger did offer her some comfort. And wasn’t that a weird thought? Did she not want to be married? Maybe she’d been married already and now she was divorced and never wanted to get married again.Ohmygod, what if I have kids?
“Hey, Phoenix,” Hazel said. “I know you’re swamped, but the lady who was in the car accident wanted to speak to you. Do youhave a minute?” She paused. “Jo?” Hazel looked at her eyebrows raised.
She mouthed the wordyes.
“Okay, here’s Jo.”
She took the phone. “Um, Detective Halston?”
“Jo. Everything okay?”
“It’s just that Dr. Cahill is signing me out and um, I…I was wondering if you’d managed to get my purse back? I, um, need to know if I have any money or idea where I should be headed.”
“I’m sorry. Something came up. It’s very muddy after all that rain. My guess is it will take a few days before we can get someone down that embankment.”
“Oh, I see.” What the hell was she supposed to do now? No money. No idea who she was or where she belonged in the world. Her stomach knotted and sweat broke out on her back. “Well, thanks anyway.” She handed the phone back to Hazel.
Hazel glanced at the screen. “Phoenix, are you still there?” She was silent for a minute and then she said, “No problem,” and ended the call. “So, Phoenix said to tell you to wait here for him. He’ll be another hour or two but wants to talk to you before you leave.”
She let out a sigh. It wasn’t like she had anywhere else to go. “Sure.”
Hazel gave her a kind smile. “Don’t worry. I won’t process your release papers until Phoenix gets here. You just rest up.”
“Thanks.” Relief flooded in at having a slight reprieve.
Hazel fluffed her pillows. “Let me know if you need anything else.”
“Is there any chance I could get some clothes? I’d be happy to wear the clothes I wore into the hospital, but I can’t find them.”
“Right. Those were put in a bag somewhere, but I don’t think they are wearable anymore. Let me look around. I’m sure we can find you something.” She bustled out of the room.
She leaned back against her pillows. This was such a nightmare. What the hell was she supposed to do? She closed her eyes and tried to relax.
“Jo,” a voice said. Were they talking to her? She opened her eyes slowly. Phoenix was standing beside her bed. “You okay?”
“Yes. Sorry, I must have nodded off.” She stifled a groan as she pulled herself up to a sitting position.
“So, Dr. Cahill is releasing you. Do you have somewhere to go?”
She bit her lip, mostly to keep from bursting into tears. She didn’t know if she was a weepy type of person, but honestly, this situation would make the most stoic person cry. She was annoyed by her reaction, so she was guessing she wasn’t a wimp. She swallowed. “No. I’m not sure where to go or what to do.”
He nodded. “I thought as much. I asked the victim advocate to drop by and help you get situated but they weren’t sure they could. They’re short-staffed and your status as a victim is unclear. The social worker, Bonnie, that would normally handle these things is out on maternity leave and her replacement doesn’t start until next week. Bonnie left a bit earlier than planned.”
“I see.” It was like she was falling through the cracks in the system. An abyss of darkness waited to swallow her up. She took a deep breath.
Phoenix continued, “I’m really sorry about your car. I did call my friends at the fire department, but no one can get down to it for another couple of days. All the rain we had recently has made the embankment a bit unstable. It’s Saturday. They’re thinking it might be Wednesday before they can get down there if the weather holds. There’s a chance we could get more rain, so I’m not sure.”
“Thanks.” She was determined not to cry. “I appreciate it.”
“I also put out a description of your car and you. I’m hoping someone will file a missing person’s report, and they’ll come looking for you.”
That hadn’t occurred to her. “I hadn’t thought about that. I mean, I might have parents and siblings and…stuff,” she finished lamely. She didn’t want to mention the boyfriend. “I hate the idea that someone is out there worrying about me.” A mother and a father who would hug her and take care of her. That sounded super amazing at the moment. Mother. No. She had the impression that maybe her mother was gone, but when she thought about her father, her heart hurt. Maybe she had a dad out there who was missing her.
