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“It was Daniel. He did this. He did this to us.”
Jack cups my face in his palms, looking into my eyes. He’s saying something, but the words start to jumble together and everything gets hazy, fuzzy, and dark. I feel myself falling and floating, and Jack’s eyes go wide as I slip from his grasp into the dark abyss that sucks me down farther than ever before.
Jack
I’m furious they don’t let me ride in the ambulance. Once all this shit settles, heads will roll. When Aiden seized for the second time, they intubated him right in my office. His vitals had dropped dramatically and I thought I was losing him, too. The EMTs said Edith fainted from stress and possible internal injuries, but when they asked me if she might be pregnant, I didn’t know what to say to that. My heart pounded and fear made me sweat uncontrollably as I raced to my car.
I follow them to University Hospital, but when I try to enter the ER, I get stopped by two police officers who want me to make a statement. Luckily, Sam was the prosecutor on call because it took two officers and two security guards to keep me from barging into the emergency room. He advised them I could make any needed statements later and I was grateful he gave me that.
I feel like I’ve been in a car accident. My chest hurts so badly from the stress of walking into my house and seeing… Shit, there was blood everywhere. After the ambulance and I left my house, the police found Daniel Munson in my rose bushes, unconscious from blood loss. I call Shelby, leaving a message and telling her to call me. She needs to be here, but I know why she doesn’t want to be.
My knees bounce up and down with adrenaline as I sit in the most awful plastic chairs designed. Somebody needs to call IKEA and get them in here to design something better. Hospital waiting rooms are the worst.
“Mr. Hamilton?” A nurse in a pair of scrubs peeks through the door. “Come on back.” She ushers me beyond the door, and the two officers I scuffled with nod appreciatively, giving me a wide berth. I shrug and they shake their heads, smiling. I probably need to call Sam and thank him for keeping my ass out of jail tonight.
“Baby!” I rush to Edith’s bedside. She’s got bandages all over, her hand is in a splint, and she looks a mess.
“Jack, you came.” I grasp her hand, but she winces when I hold too tight.
“Hang on, sweetheart. Let me get a nurse to give you something.”
“No! I don’t want anything for the pain.” She must be trying to avoid it so she doesn’t get addicted on any level.
“They brought Aiden in and are treating him right now. I left a message for Shelby to call me as soon as she gets it.”
“What did he do to him?”
“Poisoned him, but they managed to pump his stomach. He’s stable now. The hospital called his parents since he’s listed as a student resident here. They’re on their way.”
“Wait until you meet them,” Edith mumbles and looks around the room, listless.
I feel so helpless and unsure. “What can I do?”
“Don’t look at me right now. I’m a mess.” She tries hiding her head. I’m stunned that she would even give a crap about that right now.
“But, baby, you’re my mess.” I lean over the bed and kiss her lips softly so as to not hurt her.
“All right. Enough of that. I’m Doctor Rajim. I need to look at my patient.” The doctor shakes my hand, then sweeps past me to look over Edith. When he gives me a telling look, I begrudgingly step outside the room to wait.
After what feels like an eternity, the nurse looks out the door and motions that I can come back in. When I do, Edith looks exhausted. I want nothing more than to wrap her up and take her somewhere safe.
“I’ll write a prescription, but you might have a feisty patient on your hands.” Doctor Rajim makes a few more notes in the chart, as I gingerly sit on the bed.
“I’m not taking the meds.” Her voice wavers and I hold her hand, listening to the doctor’s discharge instructions. She’s to take it easy and check in with her regular doctor in a few days.
When he walks out, I turn to her. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” I’m not worried about her becoming addicted this time because I know the warning signs. Plus, she’s stubborn enough to not take anything.
“I was so scared he was going to kill me.”
“But he didn’t and you got away. God, I should never have left you at the house without me.”
“Stop it, Jack. This wasn’t your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I was irresponsible. I should have been there.”
“All right. Your guilt’s be assuaged. You’re here now, and I’m going to be okay. A few broken fingers, busted ribs, and some scratches. I’m tougher than that.”
I take a shuddering breath. “I want to sell the house.”
