Nate(89)

Why didn’t I remember?

I needed to remember.

Nate.

The memory flooded me, and I almost gasped.

I loved Nate.

I was worried about him knowing.

I was worried about losing Nova.

Nova.

Where was Nova?

Her laughter was in my head.

I could remember it. Her.

Her laughing.

Her running.

“Dada!”

Nate.

The memories were flooding.

Where were Nova and Nate?

I needed both of them. Now.

Where were they?

They were my family.

I sat up, trying to look for them.

“Miss Royas.”

A nurse.

I didn’t know her.

“You need to remain lying down. You can’t pull out your tube.”

My tube?

I tried talking. Nate. Nova. I needed them both.

I couldn’t talk.

The tube.

Nova.

I opened my eyes, and the nurse was looking at me.

I tried to motion. I could write.

“Quincey?” Her lips parted. She was surprised.

I looked behind her.

My father was there.

I felt a dip, and the beeping increased.

“Her blood pressure is skyrocketing.” The nurse again.

No shit.

I opened my eyes and pain. All the pain, again.

The room was bright. Too bright.

A shadow moved, falling over me. That helped.

The nurse moved there.

Turning my head, I felt like my neck was in cement. I saw my dad and a doctor by the end of my bed.

I croaked, trying to talk.

“Don’t talk yet, Miss Royas. Let’s wait until we can remove the tube.”

I wanted the tube out now, but I lifted my hand, gritting as more waves of agony sliced through me, and I motioned to write on something.

“She wants to write. Here you go. We have a board and marker next to you.”

The nurse again. She was being nice. Helpful.

I took the board, the marker. It felt funny in my hands, and I had a hard time grasping it at first.

I wrote, slipping a few times.

Nate?

The nurse frowned. “Nate? I’m sorry. I don’t know who Nate is. Is that someone you want us to call?”

I began writing again, feeling Duke moving forward.

Not him here. And I drew an arrow toward my dad.

Understanding dawned, followed by horror. The nurse looked at my dad. “Oh.”

“I think that’s enough for her today. We should let the doctor finish his evaluation.”

Duke was across from her now, reaching over.

He was going to take the board. I tried to move it out of the way, but he plucked it from me.

“That’s enough, sweetheart. You need to rest—”

“No.” The nurse’s voice was firm. She reached, took the board from him, and returned it to me. “She’s an adult, Mr. Royas. If she’s able to communicate with us, we need to hear her wishes.”

I tried glaring at him.

He barely flicked his gaze to me, his entire demeanor becoming chilled. “Excuse me. This is my daughter, and you will not speak to me like that.”

She stepped back, her head down.

I ignored whatever she was about to say, and I wrote again.

I don’t want him here. Why is he here?

The doctor had come around, standing next to the nurse. He read the board, glancing at my father before answering.

“He was your emergency contact in your file. We followed the procedure because you were unconscious. You would like your father removed from the room?”

Yes. I underlined it, almost stabbing the board if I could’ve.

He gave a nod, his shoulders setting. “Mr. Royas, you’ll need to leave the room at your daughter’s request.”

“She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. She was hit by a car.”

I was back to writing.

We are estranged. I need to update my file ASAP!

“Yes. We’re getting that.” He frowned, seeing my father still hadn’t left. “Mr. Royas. Now.”

A growl came from my father before his gaze fell to me. “You will regret this. You’ve messed up. You stepped out in front of that car. You were trying to kill yourself. The courts will see that now. They’ll believe me, and they’ll strip you of your guardianship. You have proven you’re unable to take care of yourself.”

My lips parted.

Searing pain raged through me.

No! No! No!

Accident.

Call Nate Monson. Now. Please.

I shoved the board at the nurse after writing his phone number.

I had no idea how long I’d been in the hospital. A day? Was Nate concerned? Would someone have called? Oh God. The production. Miss Patrice.

My solo.

I felt a tear coming, but I hardened myself. This wasn’t the time to fall apart. It’d be proving what he was alleging.

“I’ll make the call right now.” The nurse took the board, moving stiffly around my father, and I caught the side of her own glare toward him before she stepped out into the hallway.

“Mr. Royas, until anything has been decided, you need to leave her room. Now.” The doctor wasn’t fucking around. “If you remain one more second, I’ll call security.”