will get out of this place and find my girl.
My arm is killing me from my injury. The pain temporarily shifts my mind away from scheming on how to get to Peyton, and slams it back into my throbbing body. I want to hit the call button to get that sweet nurse, Sarah, in here for some medicine, but I can’t lift my arm. Thankfully she’s good at her job. There’s no doubt in my mind that she’ll be stopping by any minute.
My parents keep repeating how lucky we are to be alive. We? How can I believe there’s a “we” when they’re keeping me in the dark like this? Maybe I’d be a little more convinced if they’d stop protecting me from whatever news they don’t want me to hear about. How do I know we’re alive when I haven’t even seen her?
One more thing. Don’t they understand that keeping Peyton’s condition a secret isn’t helping with all these damn nightmares? I’m afraid to close my eyes because I can’t block out the continuously haunting visions. I keep seeing Mason, Kaitlyn, and Brody struggling to pull her from the truck before it’s knocked loose and plummets down the raging river. She disappeared right in front of me. How in the hell did they save her? Damn it! I need answers!
The door creaks open and I look up to see the friendly smile of Nurse Sarah standing in the doorway. She’s holding a tray with a small paper cup, a bottle of water, and a tablet of paper. “Hey there,” her soft voice floats through the room. “How’s my number one patient feeling this morning?”
I push my gruff, unused voice from my body, “I’d be feeling a lot better if I knew the paper on that tray you’re carrying had some answers on it.”
“Well, I’m not sure what kind of answers you’re looking for, but I do have a pretty potent pain reliever for you. I’m sure it’s about time for this.” She studies my angry face. “It should take the edge off a bit.”
“Sorry, Sarah. I don’t mean to be an ass, especially not to you. You’ve been so great with me. I’m just frustrated. I need to know if my girlfriend, Peyton, is okay. She was brought in with me, and nobody will tell me anything about her condition. I’m going crazy here.”
A hesitant grin forms across her face as she walks toward me, bends in close, and begins to whisper, “The cute little blonde girl down in room 83A?” She lifts her eyebrows and crinkles her nose. “I really shouldn’t say anything, but since you’re my favorite patient, I will tell you that she woke up last night.” She brings her finger up to her lips. “Shhh. That’s our little secret okay? Now take this medicine and let’s get rid of some of that pain.”
My eyes grow wide, as I swallow the lump in my throat. She’s still here. She woke up. That means she’s not dead. Not only that, but I know where to find her. I commit my new favorite number to memory. 83A. I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but the first place I’m going when I get out of this bed is straight to her room. I’ve got to figure out how to get to her.
Slowly sitting up, I thank Sarah for her willingness to let me in on the little secret. The pain of the movement has my head spinning, and I’m reminded that I’m still not strong enough to get out of bed and run down the hall like my heart is telling me to do. Instead, I take the much needed medicine from the paper cup on the tray and swallow it down with the refreshing water. I hadn’t realized how thirsty I was until I found relief in that bottle. Being upright, even for a moment, has left me weak and nauseous. Sarah evidently sees the color leaving my face, and helps me lie back in the bed.
“Whoa there, kid. I can see you’re not feeling so hot. Try to stay still while the medicine goes to work.”
I do as I’m told and wait once more to feel the dizzy sensation I’ve come to expect from this pill.
“I’ll see you in a bit,” are the last words I hear from Nurse Sarah, before I drift back to sleep in room 78B,