AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Joe’s a lucky guy to have you by his side,” Ward said, and his lips curved into a smile.
“I just hate that this happened to him. I know I’m not, but I can’t help but feel responsible,” I admitted.
“You’re in no way responsible. The real culprit can run, but they can’t hide forever,” Ward said confidently. “We will find out who did this.”
“They say Rebecca has a solid alibi?” I informed him.
“She might be mean, but she’s not evil.” He sounded as relieved as I was that she wasn’t the arsonist. “She wouldn’t do something like this. She doesn’t have the guts for it, and she hates to cross paths with the law.”
"Well, the detectives are doing their job. They’ll get the person responsible and make him or her pay for their crimes." I stood up and went into the bathroom to shower.
“If they don’t, I will,” I heard Ward yell from the bedroom.
By the time I was done showering, he was dressed and ready to go.
“I’m about to head out, baby,” he said as he pressed a key into my hand. “This is my spare key. It’s yours now, so you’re free to come here whenever you want,” he said.
“But—”
“No buts. You’re my woman now, so you have the key to my place. End of discussion.”
“Okay,” I said, accepting a kiss on my lips before he walked out of the room, leaving me in shock.
***
Joe was still in a coma, and I had been by his side for over three hours. The nurses were getting on my nerves already, and I couldn't help taking them down a peg. They made so much noise whenever they came to check up on Joe, and I had even caught them gossiping when they should be working. I took it upon myself to remind them of what their jobs entailed, and they scurried away like frightened birds. Then, a male doctor walked in and asked to speak with me.
“Ma’am, my nurses feel harassed by you,” the doctor said.
“You need to tell them to do their jobs. They are not doing their jobs! They would rather gossip about each other and other patients than attend to their patients,” I said sharply.
“But your friend is in a coma….”
“So they are allowed to shout and be unruly because he is in a coma? I don’t think so. If they come back in here, they’d better come with some respect or be prepared to be put in their place,” I argued. “Now, what you need to do is saunter yourself right up to the nurses’ station and tell them to respect their patients!”
The doctor’s face turned beet red as he stuttered something unintelligible. About that same time, Ward walked in with two paper bags in his hands.
“Is there a problem?” Ward asked, noticing the bewildered look on the doctor’s face and the angry look on mine.
"N-no. Everything is fine, sir," the doctor replied then turned back to me. "I'll caution them, ma'am."
“That would be the best bet at getting some order on this ward,” I chastised. How dare he walk up in here thinking he’s about to check me?
The doctor scurried out of the room, and Ward’s eyes landed on me. “You criticized me about my treatment of my doctor, but that man almost peed his pants. What happened?”
“Don’t worry. I’ve handled the situation,” I said.
“That’s what I love about you, Mira. You get things handled.” He looked at Joe. “How’s he?”
“Still the same.”
“You look exhausted. I brought you lunch.” He pushed the paper bags into my hands. The delicious smell of baked chicken filled my nostrils, reminding me I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast.
“Thank you. You’re always so thoughtful,” I said.
“You’re welcome, Mira. Eat something.”
I ate lunch, and Ward and I sat by Joe’s bedside until late into the night. Ward started to doze off, and I grabbed his hand and led him out of the room.
