AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No. No doctors. I can’t let him find me.”
His brow furrowed, but whatever energy I had was used up and my eyes slipped shut again. Warm hands wrapped around mine as I released him, squeezing gently.
“No paperwork. No names. I promise.”
And because I was too exhausted to stay awake, I had no choice but to trust him.
* * *
When I woke again, it was to low murmurs in the room. My body felt heavy, but surprisingly pain free. I forced my eyes open, looking around. The room was more crowded than I expected. A woman with bright red curly hair was talking to a man with glasses. Another two men stood in the corner, their voices so low, I wasn’t sure they were actually speaking out loud. None of them I recognized and my heart started beating wildly at the unfamiliar surroundings.
Someone taking my hand caught my attention, and I swung my gaze to the side. Viktor sat in a chair next to the bed, his serious expression locked on me.
“You are awake.”
His low grumble caught the attention of the room, and all eyes swung to me. I shrank against the bed, my grip on Viktor’s hand tightening roughly. I didn’t know why I was relying on him. He was the one who got me into this mess, but he was the only familiar person in the room and I latched on to that.
The man with the glasses stepped up to me, a soft smile on his face. “Hello. I’m Doctor O’Connor. How are you feeling?”
It was possible his smile was supposed to be reassuring, but I didn’t want to speak to him. I didn’t want him to ask questions and try to make me tell him who I was. I glanced at Viktor, who shook his head.
“No records. He is here to help. Nothing will leave this room.”
As much as I wished I could believe him, I couldn’t risk it. I shook my head helplessly, a whimper escaping me.
The woman who had been standing near the door approached, her eyes kind. “How about if we clear the room a little? I know when I was on pain meds, it didn’t feel good. No need for an interrogation right now.”
I nodded jerkily. I felt loopy, and it was disconcerting. Not to mention my stress levels were sky high in an unfamiliar place surrounded by men. The woman seemed to understand that and took a step back, giving the men a significant look. The two in the corner filed out, followed by Viktor. The doctor hesitated until I shot the woman a pleading look.
“Let me talk to her for a minute. I feel like men make her uncomfortable.”
The doctor’s eyebrows furrowed, and he glanced back at me with a frown. “Oh. I apologize, it never occurred to me. I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
He walked away, shutting the door quietly behind him, and I finally felt like I could breathe. The woman moved to sit in the chair Viktor had vacated, shifting it a little so she could see me better.
“I know it might feel a little overwhelming, but they mean well. Honestly, I think you’ve won over the entire team. Me included. I’m Gabi, by the way.”
I didn’t know what she was talking about, but she didn’t seem dangerous. If anything, she almost radiated goodwill. When I cleared my throat a few times, she popped to her feet and brought me a glass of water without even asking. She held it for me and guided the straw to my lips when my arms were too heavy to lift.
“It’s the pain medicine. They make you feel heavy. Or, at least they did for me,” she commented.
The water was cool and soothed my throat a little. I cleared it again, finally feeling like I could speak without croaking.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Are you feeling okay? Did you need more pain meds?” She hovered close, studying my face.
I shook my head. “No, thank you. I… Where am I?”
She blinked, and a sheepish look crossed her face. “Sorry. I completely forgot you were out of it when we got here. I bet it feels really scary to not know where you are.” She took a deep breath and sat back down. “Let’s start with the basics. You’re safe here. This entire building is owned by my husband. The upper half of the building is apartments, the lower half is a business that he runs. We’re downtown, near Millennium Park. I can give you an exact address if it helps.”
I shook my head. Near the park helped. Though, that meant we were in a really high end area and that was a little nerve-wracking. I wasn’t cut out for that kind of thing, and I didn’t want to offend anyone. So far, they’d been kind. No one had demanded my information or forced me to go to the hospital. They seemed concerned for me and it settled me a little.
“Viktor mentioned you didn’t want any paperwork done. Can I ask your name at least?”
She looked sincere, her head tipped slightly. I couldn’t exactly give them nothing, not after everything they’d done to help me. Licking my lips, I offered her the same name I told Tiffany.
“Rosie.”
