A Wild Ride (Jessica Brodie Diaries #3)(47)

I looked up at the paramedic in shock. “I don’t, no. No way.”

The paramedic’s brow furrowed, eying me.

“I was an innocent bystander. I was just trying to get the bull away. It worked.”

They were busy working and ignored me. It was just as well.

When we got to the hospital, William was taken out of the ambulance first, and quickly wheeled away.

“No, ma’am, you go this way.”

As befitting my behavior thus far, I resisted, trying to follow William.

“Ma’am—“

As my eyes closed without my permission, I was lowered into a wheelchair.

Round one goes to the hospital staff. Drug pushers.

I woke up in the darkness. I knew immediately I was in the hospital, and also that William was here somewhere, too. For the first time, I did not care in the slightest about my past trauma in hospitals. I had to get to William.

I yanked out the weird tubes they had in my arm. I wiped away blood, already half out the door. Crap beeping behind me, I headed straight for the nurses’ station. The nurse on duty looked up with raised eyebrows, eyeing my hospital garb.

“Do you need something, dear?”

“Yes please,” I answered respectfully. “I need to go to the man I was brought in with—William Davies. Can you tell me where he is, please?”

She furrowed her brow at me. “Oh lord no, honey, you need to rest. The doctor will look at you again tomorrow and see when you can be released. You had some nasty injuries.”

I smiled in a placating sort of way. “I know I should rest. But I won’t be able to until I can be by William’s side. Please,” I begged, close to tears.

I could tell she naturally felt compassion for me. She looked in her system and said, “He is in I.C.U. in ro--”

“What are you doin’ outta bed?”

I turned toward an angry nurse bursting to get out of her too tight scrubs. She had her hammy hands on her bumpy h*ps and a mean expression on her ugly mug. I immediately hated her.

“Sorry ma’am,” I said politely. “I need to get to my boyfriend. He was brought in with me. I am nothing compared to the shape he is in, and I have to get to him.”

“Oh no you don’t!” she scoffed. “Not on my watch. You are to stay in your bed, doctor’s orders. I heard you was a wild one so I took the liberty of preparing this.” She reached in her pocket as she took a step toward me. She came out with a shot.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, you’ll get kicked in your big fat knee!

As she moved in, sleeping draught held aloft, I slapped her hand away and gave her a push. All that weight carried her toward the wall; timber!

I was limping away as she started hollering.

“Sorry about that!” I said to the nice nurse. “I don’t like shots and she scared me. I have to find William!”

Now that I was calmly walking through the hospital like an inmate escaped from the phyc ward, my hope not to be noticed was futile. My hope not to be bothered, however, held up, thanks to the important looking scowl on my face.

I realized how much I hurt all over. My ribs were taped, my shoulder in some sort of concoction, and I had a wobbly knee. I was in terrible shape. But William was in worse shape. So I pressed on.

I made it to the ICU and walked in as calm as pie. It was here my luck gave out.

As I passed the nurses’ station in my hospital gown, I heard, “Hey!”

I looked up to a young man approaching me. “You are in the wrong place, I think.”

Another nurse walked up at the commotion to see if she could help. The phone rang at the station.

“Hi. I am looking for William—Willie—Davies. His room, I mean.”

The male nurse looked at me with a furrowed brow. “Sorry ma’am, it is family only. It looks like you should be in a room of your own?”

“I am his fiancée,” I said with no hesitation. “I came in with him and was put on a different floor. I need to see him, though.”

I was desperate, and it showed in my voice. I didn’t care how long it took, or how many times I had to sneak up here, I was getting into that room tonight! I had not planned to jump in front of a bull only to have someone else look after him.

“That was Magda.” A young girl walked over to join her co-workers. “She said a young woman abused her in order to visit someone in the ICU.”

I sighed. Playing dumb would be stupid.

“Yeah, well, she tried to jab me with a needle without telling me what it was. I reacted then got out of there. It isn’t my fault the inertia of an extra few pounds made it hard for her to stop her trajectory.”

It was a true story, just heightened. I hoped it would keep me out of trouble. Otherwise, there was always the insanity plea.

The young nurse laughed. “She’s a pistol. But, family only, I’m afraid.”

The male nurse said, “She’s his fiancée.”

“Oh.” Her eyes barely scanned my na**d finger. “Well, then, no problem. That counts. I doubt Magda will come all the way up here to look for her. She doesn’t move far or fast, that one.”

At least no one else liked her, either.

I was led into a dark room. The nurse moved around the space without needing light, having done it a million times before, and got me a chair. She placed it by the head of the bed and let me sit.