NATALIE BLINKED,forcing her eyes open only to squint against the bright lights. Struggling to get a clear indicator of where she was, people talking nearby, the incessant beeping, and the scent of ammonia with undertones of soap. The undeniable scent of a hospital.
She raised her left arm, where the IV taped to her hand and a thingamabob with a red light glowing on her finger made her wonder just how long she’d been here. Her glowing hand brought back a childhood memory of pressing a flashlight to her hand to see almost right through it. Her tongue stuck to the inside of her mouth.How long have I been lying here?
“You’re awake.” A cheerful nurse stepped past the curtain that cordoned off the space for privacy. “Need some water?”
She nodded, the words not wanting to come just yet. “What happened?”
“By the time you got to me, you were sedated. You were dehydrated. I think you may have had some sort of panic attack. You’re going to be fine, though. Your numbers are looking good now.”
“As opposed to?”
“How your vitals looked when you got here.” The nurseraised the bed using the foot pedal and plumped the pillows behind her. “That’s got to be more comfortable.”
Not really.She inched up to get comfortable. “How long ago was that?”
The nurse handed her a styrofoam cup of ice water. “Here you go. They brought you in this morning. It’s close to dinnertime now.”
Natalie pulled the liquid into her mouth, letting it wet the inside before swallowing. “Thank you.”
“There’s a detective here who wants to talk to you.”
Slowly the pieces of the day came back together. “Okay. Yeah, I was talking to an officer earlier. I was robbed.”
“Oh my goodness.” The flash of concern was followed by a delicate pat to her hand. “Well, everything here looks fine. Can I get you something else to drink? A soda, maybe?”
“No. Thank you.”
The nurse cocked her head. “Can I call someone for you? A friend or family member?”
“How long will I be in here?”
“Well, I don’t know. We don’t have any rooms available at the moment, so we’re going to keep you here for observation until the doctor can take another look at you. Wouldn’t you feel better to have someone here with you? I know I’d want that.”
“Yes. Thank you. My best friend, Sheila.” Natalie scanned the room. “Her number is in my phone. Do you know where my things are?”
“You were brought in by ambulance. All we got was you. What’s Sheila’s last name or address? I’m very resourceful. I’ll find it.”
“Aldridge. It might still be under her ex-husband’s name, Dan. Her number ends in zero-five-six-seven… no, two-seven. I’m not sure.”
“I’ll find it. You relax. The call button is tied to the rail on your bed there. Just press it if you need me.” Her scrubs swished with each quick step out of the room.
Natalie rested her head against the pillow, letting her eyes close as the pieces started coming back to her. Still nothing made sense.
“Ms. Maynard?” The voice was deep. “May I…?”
She opened her eyes. Right where that nurse had been only a moment ago, now a dark-haired man stood, hesitant to make a step. His suit was gray, but the paisley tie was nice.
“May I have a word with you?” he asked.
She nodded.
He entered, scooching a chair closer to the bed before sitting. “How’re you feeling?”
“I’m not sure. You’re not who I was talking to before.” He didn’t look the least bit familiar. “I don’t know you. Right?”
“No, ma’am.” His smile was warm. “You don’t know me. I’ve been assigned your case to help sort things out.”
“Has anyone located Marc?” She scrambled to sit. “We’ve got to find him. I’m so worried.” Tears welled, one slipping down her cheek. How long had he been missing now?
