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“She’s not picking up my calls.And Tammy must have already left for the day.”
“Who else is here?”
“Amy is scheduled until eight,” Marcy said quietly.
“Go see what Deborah is doing to keep her from answering,” Gracie instructed.“If she’s busy, then get Amy in here.”I heard Marcy walking away, and then cool fingers stroked over my cheek.
I tried to curl into myself a little more.“Jack.I want Jack.”
His mother crouched down beside me.“I’m sorry, sweetheart.Jack had to leave town for a few days.It’s okay, though.I’m here, Nishia.I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“Jack,” I whispered, fighting a sob, and the world spun faster.The shadows started to appear around the edges of what little vision I had, and I shuddered.“Jack will save me.”
“So will I,” Gracie vowed with such confidence, I ached to believe her.“The nurse is on her way.We’ll get you better again soon.”
“Jack…” I sobbed through my teeth and the wires.The nausea rolled around in my stomach, and I clenched my eyes closed.“I’m going to puke.But…I shouldn’t.”
“No, honey, don’t puke,” she encouraged.“Your jaw is wired shut, and you’ll choke on the bile.”
“It’s coming,” I cried.“I’m gonna—”
The strong scent of rubbing alcohol hit my nose, and the nausea retreated.I jerked my head away from the powerful stench, but a whimper of relief left me.
“Just a trick I learned while I was pregnant with Jack,” Gracie murmured.“The morning sickness was horrible, but we were at war, and I had a job to do.Being sick all day wasn’t an option, so I had to find ways to combat the nausea.”
I heard her shift around, but I kept my eyes tightly closed.Her voice was soothing, though, and I strained to listen.As if sensing I needed her to keep talking, she continued, although her words only confused me more.
War?
It was impossible to know if she was speaking metaphorically or being literal.Not that it mattered.I needed to hear her so I could focus on that rather than the way the world kept spinning even with my eyes shut.
“My pregnancy wasn’t what I imagine most women experience when they have life growing inside them.I had a few complications before I unexpectedly became pregnant, and that weakened my body.After Jack was born, the doctor didn’t think it was a good idea to have another baby.My husband agreed.I would have loved more children, but I have to admit, it was a smart decision.At times, it felt as if I were going to die while I was pregnant, and it took me months longer to recover than it did my sisters-in-law.I couldn’t put Hawk through that again, and I was scared that I wouldn’t survive another pregnancy.My need to watch my son grow up outweighed my craving for more children.”
Her fingers felt nice as they combed through the hair at my temple.“Then we started Sanctuary.The reward for being able to save women from the same fate my own mother had been a victim of was far greater than my desire to become a mother again.Jack was and still is my world.But this shelter filled the void of being unable to have more babies.”
“I want Jack,” I whispered.
“I know you do, sweetheart,” his mother soothed.“He will be back to you as soon as he can, I promise.Until then, I’m here.So is Hawk.We will take care of you until my son can get back.”
“Wh-where is he?”
“I don’t know.Sometimes there are things he can’t tell me, and I’ve learned to accept that.Not only because it will keep me from worrying about his safety, but also because I can’t defend him if I know what he’s done.”
That was just as confusing as her mention of a war.I knew Gracie was a lawyer, but why would she need to defend my big, beautiful bear?
“Sorry.”Deborah sounded out of breath, and I sensed her standing beside Gracie.“There was an emergency at one of the cabins, and I forgot my phone in the rush.Marcy told me what’s going on.How is she?”
“I was able to stop her from vomiting,” Gracie explained.“But she still seems out of it.”
“Let me check her over.Nishia, can you open your eyes?”
“The world is spinning,” I said as I clenched them tighter.“I don’t want to get sick again.”
“Just for a quick moment,” Deborah urged.“I promise that’s all I need.”
Cautiously, I slowly lifted my lashes.A harsh light flashed into one eye and then the other, and I moaned, quickly shutting them again.“No pupil reaction,” the nurse muttered.“She’s clammy, disoriented, and nauseated.If I didn’t know better, I would say she was on the verge of an overdose.”
“When was her last pain injection?”Gracie asked.
