Page 42 of East (The Moral Compass 3)

“Ah, sweetie, you’re looking so much better. I know there is only supposed to be one person in here, so I’ll make it quick. I wanted to let you know North and I are going to check in to the hotel and get cleaned up. North looks like he could do with a long hot shower.” She smirks and winks.

“Fuck, Kara, don’t you ever think of anything else?” Zed laughs.

“Rarely.” She giggles, gives me a little wave, nods her head toward Zed, and winks. “See you two lovebirds later.”

Before I could argue or put her straight, she’s gone, leaving me, Zed, and a very awkward atmosphere in the room.

And it’s at that exact moment my bladder decides it needs relief.

“Can you ask the nurse to take me to the bathroom please?”

“I’ll help you.”

“No! Please, just ask the nurse.” I huff and snap. There is no way on this living planet he’s helping me go to the loo.

“Okay, keep your bloody hair on. Jeez, East, I was only being nice.” He stands, squints his eyes at me, and storms out of the room.

Why am I being such a bitch? What the hell has gotten into me? Emotions run riot around my heart as I realise I’m blaming him.

I know I shouldn’t even be thinking about anything with Zed, but it’s hard not to when he’s been a constant in my life the last few days. Plus, his feelings about this situation between us are becoming more and more unclear.

The nurse helps me to the bathroom and then gets me settled back into bed. “I’ve told your husband to go back to the hotel for a bit. He looks a little frazzled. You’re out of the woods now, so there is no need for him to be here on guard.”

“What if something happens?” I ask, panicked.

“You’re fine now, East. The doctor thinks you had a severe allergic reaction to the anaesthetic. We will give you a note to put on your medical files back in the UK that you shouldn’t be given that particular brand.”

“I’m not going back to the UK; I live in New York, normally.”

“Oh, that’s right, sorry, I forgot with your British accent. We’ve updated your American records, too. I did notice that you had something a little strange in your toxicology report though. Are you a regular user of herbal medicines?”

I look at her as if it’s her on drugs.

“What do you mean? I never take anything other than over-the-counter pain killers, and that’s only if I am dying.”

“Well, your blood showed minute traces of Wormwood or also known as Artemisia absinthium. It’s an herbal medication that causes euphoria. Then, once the effects wear off, full sedation. Have you been having trouble sleeping or have you been a little stressed lately?”

“No! And I didn’t take any of that… whatever you called it either.”

“Do you think your husband gave it to you without your knowledge?”

I don’t even need to think about my answer.

“No, absolutely not. We are both completely anti-drugs, even the herbal kind. Do you think that may have had something to do with what happened in the theatre?”

“We are not sure yet, but if it did, and you were given it without your consent, then we are looking at some pretty serious charges for the person responsible. You very nearly died, East.” She smiles gently, her face full of pity.

“Do you think it would make you do things you wouldn’t normally do?” I ask.

“Yes, East. It does. You would be surprised how many people end up in here after taking that particular medication and, surprisingly, quite a few of them are newly married.” She smiles again as she sees the penny drop.

“I’ll pop back in soon. Try to get some rest while you can.”

Rest?Rest?How can I rest now? We were drugged. We were drugged by some worm-infested herb that made us so high we thought getting married was a fantastic idea. But by who? Who would do such an awful thing and unknowingly risk my life in the balance?

I fumble around to find my phone. The pain sears down my arm as I try to hold the phone to find Zed’s name. I click “call.”

After a few rings, he answers.

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