Page 31 of Make No Mistake

He laughed and kept typing. “Christina.”

“That’s her?”

“Yeah I found her Mypage, and it’s full of get better soon comments and people saying they’re thinking of her.”

“Perfect! I’m heading to the hospital now. I’ll let you know if I find out anything.”

“Good luck.”

I hung up and headed straight for Christina. I couldn’t believe Jay had figured it out!

Once I walked inside, the realization hit that I had no idea where to go. I looked around at the signs, but I didn’t know where she would be. Was it serious enough for the ICU?

The gift shop was straight ahead, so I headed there for flowers or something to use as a peace offering. A lavender teddy bear with a ‘Get Well Soon’ balloon seemed like the perfect fit. Plus, I was pretending to be her friend, and who visits their friend in the hospital empty handed?

I almost send Jay a text asking what he would do next, but I was determined to do this part on my own. I kept walking down a hall and almost cheered when it emptied out to a help desk.

Forging more confidence than I had, I walked up and asked for directions to Christina Platt’s room. The older man sitting behind the desk smiled and told me her room number while I signed in for a visitor’s pass.

I thanked the man and headed to the third floor like he’d told me. A nurse in pink scrubs greeted me when I walked to the desk. “Hi, I’m looking for room three-forty-two. I’m a friend of Christina’s.”

She looked down at the teddy bear and smiled. “It’s the second to last door on the right.”

“Thanks.” I returned her smile and hurried down the hall. My heart was pounding by the time I made it to the correct door. After taking a deep breath, I knocked gently.

“Come in.”

He voice sounded tired but not weak. That was good. I pushed the door open and slowly walked past the curtain to her bedside. “Hi, Christina.”

She looked confused but not alarmed. “Mckayla Page?”

I held my smile and offered her the bear.

“Thanks.”

“Of course.” I looked around desperately trying to remember meeting her. She knew my name, but I couldn’t think of a time I’d ever seen her.

“What are you doing here?”

There was a chair behind me so I scooted it closer to her bed and sat.

“I was … um … I heard about the attack.”

“Of course you did. You wrote the article on it.”

Surprisingly, she didn’t sound angry. She sounded almost impressed. Again, I searched my mind for anytime I’d ever met her. Nothing.

“I did.”

“Thanks for writing the truth.”

I meet her eyes, feeling a bit confused. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve read some of the other articles and the things they wrote?” I nodded. “They’re wrong.”

“That’s why I’m here, Christina.” I leaned forward in my seat. “I want to know what really happened. More than the little bit that the police have released.”

“Why?”