Into You

FOUR

MAXINE BROOKS

I was in a hospital.

It was the last place I expected to be tonight. Pacing back and forth like a wild animal in a cage, except no one was holding me down. It was out of concern for him that I stayed.

The big guy had a head injury. Would he require surgery? Suppose the operation failed and he came out with his brain scrambled? Or something cliché like amnesia?

I held onto Hunter's phone, and Steel had just sent a text that he was on his way. The emergency rescue team and ambulance responded first. After we arrived at the hospital, the nurses surrounded him as soon as we entered the building.

"There was a vehicular accident involving a twenty-eight-year-old male. The patient passed out after the accident but was conscious during the ride. His seatbelt restrained him resulting in bruising on his chest. Vital signs are normal," the nurse told the doctor.

"Have we called his family? Keep his head and neck stabilized," the doctor reminded them. A team of medical professionals hurriedly took him into a room to be assessed. I overheard the staff mention he would undergo a CT scan and x-ray.

The cold, modern reception room was almost empty. I settled on the most uncomfortable chair to keep me awake. It would be nice to receive an update on the man. Behind the information desk was the receptionist. She had a bored expression on her face but the security guard in the corner remained alert as he happily drank his second cup of coffee.

I checked my watch and decided to step out for a bit to clear my thoughts.

The crisp midnight air and the poplar trees covered in frost brought on melancholy. Leaning against the cold railing, I listened to the distant sound of the ambulance. The past was a dark cloud hovering over me, inescapable no matter where I was. When I was seven years old, my dad died in a car accident. A truck driver suffered a heart attack and lost control of his vehicle, resulting in a head-on collision.

Aunt Kelly was the one positive outcome of an ugly situation. My dad's younger sister came back when she heard the tragic news. It was the first time we had met. Dad was in a critical state for three days before he passed away, so we spent a few nights in the hospital. In spite of the doctors' best efforts, we were unable to say goodbye.

Never one to settle down was how my dad described his little sister. She was full of life and always ready for adventure. Nevertheless, she did not hesitate to raise a grief-stricken child alone. I wish I had asked her more about her old life... did she regret being tied down by a child?

The truth of my situation soon hit me. I was all alone now. If I got sick, or disappeared one day, no one would notice.

It got unbearably cold, so I came back inside and sat in the same chair. It was the closest to the exit. If I ran away, it'd be easier. If caring meant getting hurt in the end, I didn't want to deal with the next tragedy.

There was a happy ending to this night, wasn't there? Fate wouldn't be so cruel as to take him away. I sighed in despair. I shouldn't have such negative thoughts.

Hunter seemed capable and strong. Despite his injuries, I felt like nothing could knock him down. He was undeniably gorgeous with wide shoulders capable of protecting anyone...and strangely, I wanted that protection for myself.

No. It was a biological reaction to an attractive man. Biologically, my body was only answering.

For crap's sake, you let him put you on his lap, hussy!

Exhaustion must have taken its toll. Trust was a word missing from my dictionary. We never stayed in the same place for long. I kept to myself until it became a habit.