UNDER

Chapter Thirty (Part One)

Chapter Thirty (Part One)

Hadley

"Regan, Regan, can you hear me?"

My eyelids felt like they each weighed a ton and my head ached.

"Regan?" came the unfamiliar voice again.

I scrunched my nose in confusion. Who's Regan?

Overwhelmed by exhaustion, I ignored the voice and fell back asleep.

***

"Time to wake up, Regan."

A soft touch to my shoulder caused me to flinch and my eyelashes finally fluttered open.

"Hi, Sweetheart," said a young woman with a comforting smile. She had dark brown hair secured in a braid and bright blue eyes.

My head swam as I took in the strange surroundings. I frowned as my eyes landed on light blue curtain, machines emitting loud beeps, and tubes secured into my arm by a thick piece of tape.

"I'm Nurse DeVos and I'll be taking care of you. How are you feeling?"

Memories started to crash my consciousness. Caden's face took root in the back of my mind. The mental image was so vivid that goose bumps snaked down my arms and across my neck.

A sickening feeling started to settle in my core. "Where is he?" I stammered. I looked around the small room. There stood an empty chair in the opposite corner. "Is he here?"

"Where's who?" asked Nurse DeVos with a confused look on her face.

"Caden," I said trying to sit up. Sharp pains immediately ripped through my abdomen.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," said Nurse DeVos. "We can't have you getting up too quickly. You've just come out of surgery."

"Surgery?" The pain brought a wave of nausea. "I think I'm going to throw up."

The nurse quickly handed me a small bowl.

"Where's Caden?" I asked again, fighting the urge to vomit. "Why do I hurt so much?"

Giving me a sympathetic look, the nurse shook her head. "Here, let me adjust your pain medication."

"I'm not going to ask again," I said, my voice getting louder with every word. "Where is Caden?"

The nurse's eyes went wide with confusion. "There's no one else here with you, Regan."

Fear shot through my core as I grasped the rails of the hospital bed. "W- wh- where is he?"

"Shhhhhh, there, there," said Nurse DeVos. "Try to stay calm. You've been through a lot tonight. We're going to move you to another room and then Doctor Sheeley will be in to speak with you soon."

Before I could protest that she had gotten my name wrong again, the pain medication kicked in and everything went fuzzy.

"Rest and I'll be back soon," said the nurse with a smile.

***

Beep. Beep. Beep.

I awoke to different surroundings and more pain.

Machines were lined up near the bed and a soft light glowed from above.

Am I in a hospital? What happened to me?

A soft knock followed by the door to my room opening.

"Hi, there," said a tall man wearing scrubs. "My name is Doctor Sheeley."

"Why am I here? Why do I hurt so much?" I asked him.

The doctor took several steps toward my bed. "Is there anyone we can call for you? You've been through a very traumatic night."

"Where's Caden?" I asked, looking around the room for him. He must be here somewhere. Watching. Waiting to take me again, I thought to myself.

Dr. Sheeley furrowed his brow. "Someone dropped you off tonight, but they haven't come back yet."

My mind reeled. "Was it Caden?"

"I'm sorry," apologized the doctor. "We don't know who dropped you off. Someone brought you to the front of the hospital and handed you to one of our nurses."

"So he's not here?" I asked.

The doctor shook his head. "No. Would you like us to call someone for you?"

"Y- y- yes," I stammered. "I need you to call the police."

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Undie Nation,

BOOM! What did you think of Chapter Thirty (Part One)?

Do you think Hadley is finally safe? What do you think Caden is doing while she's at the hospital?

Can't wait to hear your thoughts!

Hearts,

Kelly Anne Blount xoxo

P.S. Comments and clicking that little star mean the world to me!