Burning Willow

XXIX

"What's the time again?" I dug into my third chocolate pudding.

"It's 2 pm." Maya said. She was sitting across from me in the cafeteria with her arms folded on the table in front of her. We had just spent the last three hours talking about everything that happened.

Her head lowered on the table. "I'll need so much therapy after this." She mumbled.

"Same." Just as I was about to pick up another packet, Maya glared at me. I picked up a bottle of orange juice instead.

I had woken up quite early this morning, mainly because a nurse had to take me to the doctor who saved my life.

He wasn't very happy with me leaving, despite how much I tried to explain that my father desperately needed my help.

My officer stood right behind me, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with either of us. Zev still hadn't woken up.

"Okay, okay, I'll do all your tests." I finally grumbled.

The doctor nodded, and I was wheeled to get another CT scan. A nurse took my blood after that, and I was forced to pee in a tube.

"The injury to your stomach will take at least a week to heal completely. No physical exercise till then – except walking. No running. Not even jogging—"

"I get it."

"And your wrist will take two weeks."

Once the doctor was done, he let Maya come in. That was around nine-ish, and Maya and I were together since then.

"When are they discharging you?"

"Tomorrow."

"Good, or you might finish their pudding stock." She chuckled.

Anderson came in to the cafeteria. "Ladies." He greeted, although his stare was fixed on me. "We need to talk."

"Good, could you get me some more chocolate—"

"Don't do it." Maya said to him as she got up. She gave me a quick hug. "I'll drop by later."

"Bye, Maya."

Once she was gone, Anderson took her seat.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah." I said. "How's my stepdad?"

"Currently in..." it took him a minute to think. "Rome. With your mother."

My shoulders drooped. Of course.

"I thought you'd be happy."

"I thought he would come to the hospital to see me." I replied dryly.

"He wanted to...but your mother..."

"She was adamant enough to get him out of the country as soon as possible." I sighed. "Yeah, I figured."

He took out a notebook and a tiny recorder. "I hate to do this here but the sooner we get your statement, the better."

He switched it on. I told him everything. Sometimes he asked for details which were a little hazy, but I tried.

In the middle, he switched off the recorder. "Listen." He said. "The bureau doesn't know about Daniel's flash drive, and I'd like to keep it that way until Daniel decides what to do with it. If it goes in the wrong hands..."

I nodded. I understood. He turned the recorder back on and I described the events of yesterday. The blast... how Gregori had turned up in our home.

"A lot of people from his organization targeted a lot of politicians and aristocrats." Anderson told me. "Some of them succeeded.... some of them didn't. Gregori's plan wasn't in vain. He brought down as many as he could."