Robbers

thirty - eight

// thirty - eight //

"Good morning, Ms. Jane."

Ella fought back the panic that had risen in her throat as the doctor spoke. She had to tear her gaze away from the FBI agent, her heart already thumping against her sternum in an increased rate.

The darker man's voice had been warm and comforting as he greeted her, but it didn't melt the sudden chill that had settled inside Ella's chest. He stepped around to the side of the bed opposite Ella's parents, and Rosie guiltily clambered off the mattress to get out of his way. Ella reluctantly let go of her sister's hand as she did so, and the icy sense of anxiety only worsened at the loss of contact. With a wide smile, the dark-skinned man reached down to pat Ella's right hand, still limp against the sheets. "I'm Dr. Haverford. It's so good to finally speak with you. I'm glad to see that you're awake."

His tone of voice was easygoing, but his words suggested that this had been more serious than his smile implied. Ella ran her tongue across her bottom lip quickly, and the cracked, chapped skin scratched as she did so. A cotton bandage that she hadn't noticed before stuck to the tip of her tongue, a wide square of material taped below her lower lip. She fought to remember what had happened to her bottom lip last night. Jackson had kicked her, hadn't he?

"How long has it been?" Ella asked finally, voicing the question that had been burning inside her since she had first opened her eyes.

The doctor continued to pat her hand, his palm a dark contrast to her pale knuckles and slim fingers. "Well, you were in surgery for nearly four hours. We had to reconstruct some of the cartilage in your right shoulder and remove the bullet. You've been resting for about eight hours now."

"You lost a lot of blood, honey," her mom added softly, her hand wrapped tight around Ella's as it had been when she'd woken. Ella blinked as she struggled to comprehend how much time had passed, but it was difficult with her mind so sluggish. With this many people in the cramped room, Ella was fighting just to keep her breathing even.

"Yes, you were in critical condition when the ambulance brought you here." The doctor's words were slow and produced a calming effect, and Ella directed all her attention into focusing on him. Otherwise, she would remember the raven haired man standing in his secluded place by the door, and her lungs would forget their proper function.

Dr. Haverford gave Ella small smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling. The expression was sympathetic. "You needed eight stitches for your bottom lip, as well. It's very fortunate you called 911 when you did, Ms. Jane. With the amount of blood loss, your surgery was more complicated. I don't mean to scare you, but you're very lucky."

"It's a miracle you survived, really."

The man with the oil-slicked hair had spoken for the first time, and Ella's heart sank into the pit of her gut as her gaze slipped past the doctor towards him. The man's hands were clasped before him, a thin manila folder secured between them. He stepped forward and reached out one hand towards Ella, his bulky shoulders and enlarged presence blocking Dr. Haverford from Ella's view. "Mac Ferreri. Pleasure to meet you."

Ella automatically went to shake his hand in return, but her right shoulder was filled with a stabbing pain from the attempted movement and she winced, her arm recoiling before she could manage the handshake. Her parents leapt forward to fuss over her, but Mac Ferreri raised an eyebrow and retracted his hand easily. "Sorry about that. Least we know you can still move your arm, right?"