Patient Twelve

Chapter Twenty Five

My chest burned as I was taking short gasps of air. Every time I looked over my shoulder I could see Colin's unconscious body lying in the backseat. His hat had fallen off of his head, and his curls of hair were covering his face. His chest was rising up and down. I knew he was alive. At least, he was now.

My body was bent forward. The seatbelt was the only thing stopping me from crumpling onto the floor. My face was buried in my hands. The sleeves of my sweater were soaked from my tears.

Oliver had yelled at me a few times to stop crying. He was gripping on the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles turned white.

"Please," I cried. "Let's not do this. We can dump him on the side of the road and when he wakes up he won't remember any of this."

"But you remember the night you were taken," he said.

"Yeah, but you injected me," I said. "You injected me now. Why am I still awake?"

"It was just saline," he said. "I can't have you tired for the operation when we get home."

"I'm not helping you."

"If you don't, he's going to die during the surgery."

Oliver was speeding through the streets and back to his house. I tried to stop myself from crying, but I could not stop the tears. He pulled into his driveway. Oliver jumped out of the car. My fingers fumbled with the seatbelt.

He was pulling Colin's body out of the backseat. He had his arms under Colin's.

"Grab his legs, Diana," he said.

I grabbed his legs and gritted my teeth as Colin's dead weight pulled at my muscles. Colin's head rolled back and rested against Oliver's chest. We walked toward the house. His legs kept slipping out of my grip. I had to keep stopping to move my hands so that I did not drop Colin. Every time I stopped, Oliver would let out a deep breath.

I managed not to drop Colin as we brought him into the house. I amazed myself by not falling down the stairs to the basement. Oliver dropped Colin on the bed that I was restrained to after my surgery. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand.

"I'm going to set everything up," Oliver said before he headed down the hall.

I waited until Oliver was out of my sight before I grabbed Colin's shoulders. I shook him as hard as I could.

He didn't move.

I pulled open his eye hoping that would bring him out of his unconsciousness, but it did not work.

"Come on, Colin," I said.

I dug my fingernails into his skin, but he did not flinch.

Oliver's steps echoed through the hallway. I jumped back from Colin. Oliver strolled into the room. He had changed into dark green scrubs. A cap was on his head and covering his hair. He had another pair of scrubs folded in his hands.

"You need to get changed," he said.

"Please," I begged."Please, I'm not doing this."

"If you don't do it, he's going to die."

He held the scrubs out and raised an eyebrow. My hands shook as I grabbed the clothes. I turned, but Oliver grabbed my shoulders.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"You told me to get changed," I said.

"And? You pulled quite a stunt out there. I don't think I can trust you. Get changed here."