“Someone is coming.” She quickly stood and glanced around the room. Her expression had returned to panic.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, rising to his feet.
“We need to hide you, just in case.” She glanced at the bed. “Get under the bed. Now!”
He did as requested, and she tossed her black cloak at him. He slid under the bed and curled into a ball before using the garment to cover him. From his position under the bed, he could see her removing her dress. Of course, all he saw was that it had fallen to the floor, and she quickly took it to lay over the wooden chair. The bed moved as she climbed on the mattress. It only took another minute or two before someone was knocking on her door.
Wyatt lay still, and he was certain Jessica was doing the same thing. Another minute passed before the knock came again, harder this time.
The bed shifted, and her bare feet hit the floor. She moved toward the door, wrapping a shift around her body and messing up her hair.
Jessica cracked the door open. Wyatt couldn’t see who was out there, but he tried to remain still so that the cloak would stay over him.
“Jessica, I’m sorry to disturb you,” Doctor Lyman’s voice said softly, “but something has happened at the hospital. I came to check to make sure you are all right.”
“What happened?” she asked in a groggy-toned voice. “I went to bed early tonight, but I think I have enough energy to come help at the hospital if you need me.”
Wyatt grinned. Jessica sounded so convincing.
“No... I just...” Doctor Lyman stammered.
“What is it?” she asked, before yawning loudly.
“How long have you been asleep?”
“Um, well, I think I went to bed around eight-thirty. I’ve been so tired this week with the new job and all.”
“All right then. Please, don’t worry about coming to the hospital. I’ll take care of everything.”
Wyatt could see the doctor’s legs move as if he was leaving, but then Jessica stepped forward.
“Hugh, wait.”
“Yes?” Doctor Lyman’s voice softened.
Wyatt frowned. If he wasn’t mistaken, he would think the doctor was sweet on his nurse.
“Is Wyatt all right?” Jessica’s voice trembled slightly.
“Please, Jessica. Don’t worry about it. I can take care of it, now go to bed.”
“Good night, Hugh.”
“Good night.”
Jessica slowly closed the door, locked it, and turn to lean against the thick wood. She sighed heavily.
Wyatt scooted on his stomach from underneath the bed. She stepped over to him and helped him stand.
He smiled. “You were very convincing.”
She shrugged. “I just pray that one of the deserters in the ward didn’t recognize me or my voice. If they told anyone that they saw me, Hugh would come back. If that happens, I don’t know where you could hide.”
Worry filled him, but he tried not to let it show. “Then, we must do all we can to break open my memory.”
“I don’t know,” she said wearily and sat on the bed. “I’m so exhausted. Wyatt, I might fall asleep telling you stories of our past.”
He shrugged. “Then, if you fall asleep, I’ll tuck you into bed.”
“No, Wyatt. I must get some rest. Tomorrow when I arrive at work, I must have a clear mind. There are too many things going on in that hospital that aren’t right, and I need to discover who I can trust and who I can’t.”
She moved to the closet and pulled out a blanket and pillow. “Here. You’ll have to sleep on the floor.”
“That’s all right. I shall be fine.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Rest well, my sweet Jessica.”
As he made a makeshift bed on the floor, Jessica crawled into her bed. The moon shining through the curtains on the window wouldn’t be a distraction, especially since he didn’t mind seeing the light. He’d been without it for too long, and he wouldn’t take it for granted ever again.
Laying on his back, staring at the ceiling, the minutes merged into hours, and he tried thinking back on his flashback of running through the forest. The more he concentrated, the more he recalled that his side hurt most painfully.
He sat up and lifted his shirt, using his palm and fingers to be his eyes. When they passed over the tender spot, he sucked in a quick breath. Had he been shot? Now, he needed to know if the injury was old or new. For some reason, he felt it was an old wound.
What could he have possibly done in his life to get him shot and to give him severe burns on his face, chest, and arms?
And... did any of this have to do with why Nurse Twitchell didn’t want him to remember?
If he didn’t discover the answers soon, both he and Jessica would be in grave danger. He couldn’t do that to the woman he felt like he should be in love with... the woman he was slowly falling in love with.
He pulled his shirt down and laid back on the blanket, facing Jessica’s bed. She’d been asleep for a while now, but he didn’t mind watching her sleep. She was so lovely. He’d never get tired of her beauty.
His memory opened, and he pictured Jessica, but she was a little younger. She wore a calico dress, and her hair was pulled back into a bun at the back of her head. She stood in front of him, grasping his soldier’s uniform jacket as if she didn’t want to let go. Tears swam in her eyes, and she cried, begging for him to stay.
Wyatt closed his eyes, trying to delve deeper into the memory.
They were standing together in a wooded area nearby a creek. The water trickled over the rocks, and birds sang in the trees. His mind had been full of anticipation. He was on his way to war, and he would make a difference. The war would soon end, he was confident of it, and when it did, he’d return home and marry Jessica.
“Please, Wyatt. Don’t go. I fear for your life.” Jessica sobbed, pressing her forehead against his chest.
“Not to worry, my dear.” He ran his palms over her back. “I will return, and we can begin our lives.”
“But...” She lifted her head. “What if you don’t return?”
“I promise you now. I’ll come back to you.” He bent and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.
Her smile trembled when she nodded. “Then, I shall wait forever.”
Wyatt snapped to a sitting position again. His heart beat in an irregular rhythm, but at least he remembered something about his life and about Jessica. He was Wyatt Ryker, and he had been in love with Jessica. And yet... there was more he needed to remember. What had happened to him during his time in the war?
Hopefully, he would find good memories locked away because anything else just wouldn’t do. Not if he wanted to have a life with Jessica.
NINE
Jessica’s nerves were jumping when she left her room at the boarding house. Wyatt was asleep, and she didn’t dare wake him. Although she wanted to stay with him today, she didn’t want Hugh to suspect her in last night’s escape. As Jessica thought over what she’d heard between him and that other man, her vision blurred with tears. It was difficult not to feel betrayed by what he’d done, and for the life of her, she wanted to bawl like a baby. She wanted to mourn the loss of the man who could have been perfect for her. His kisses were undoubtedly very close to perfection.
However, when she had kissed Wyatt last night, she hadn’t gotten the results that she’d hope to get. Perhaps it wasn’t the right time to share a kiss because of the circumstances that were going on at that time, but Wyatt’s kiss hadn’t made her feel breathless. In fact, it hadn’t even compared to Hugh’s kiss.
She shouldn’t compare. The timing was all wrong with Wyatt. She’d try again when life was back to normal, whenever that would be. Until that time, she must continue to keep a prayer in her heart and have faith that his memory would return quickly.
Before entering the hospital, she took a deep breath for courage and wiped the tears out of her eyes. She couldn’t let Hugh know she suspected something. Last night when she’d asked
if Wyatt was all right, Hugh didn’t exactly lie – but then he didn’t tell the truth, either. He was keeping something from her on purpose.
Jessica couldn’t trust him any longer, and it physically hurt her that she felt this way.
The moment she walked into the long hallway, she could tell the atmosphere had changed. She heard more voices than usual this morning. Cautiously, she stepped toward the sound.
Hugh stood with Doctor Larsen, Nurse Twitchell, Sheriff Adamson, and Deputy Workman. As soon as the sheriff saw her, his eyes widened. He’d been talking, and suddenly, he stopped. He motioned her closer.
“Nurse Simone, I’m glad you’re here. I have some questions for you.”
She moved her gaze from one person to the next until stopping back on the sheriff. “Is something wrong?”
Hugh moved out of the group and approached her. “Jessica, remember the commotion I had told you about last night?”
She shrugged. “You had mentioned something had happened at the hospital, but you also said you would take care of it.”
He sighed and nodded. “Indeed, I did. However, it’s now gotten out of hand.”
She returned his gaze to the sheriff. “What do you need to ask me?”
He folded his arms across his bulky chest and lifted his chin. “Where were you last night around midnight?”
“Asleep. Why?”
“You were asleep?”
Her heartbeat whacked strongly against her ribs. The sheriff didn’t believe her. “I have an early shift, so I go to bed early.” Hesitantly, she peeked at Hugh’s expression. He looked genuinely worried. She wished she could believe that was really how he felt. “What’s going on?”
Hugh stepped closer, placing his hand on her shoulder. “Wyatt escaped last night, but we think he had help.”
She gasped loudly, slapping a hand to her mouth. She couldn’t let them suspect her, even if she had to lay on the dramatics. “How?”
Hugh shrugged. “Last night there was a commotion in one of the other wards. By the time I arrived, the patients didn’t know what was going on. They didn’t see anything. Then, when I returned to the deserters’ ward and saw that Wyatt was gone, I figured out what must have happened.”
She wondered why he didn’t mention the other man he’d been with. Hugh made it sound as if he was the only one at the hospital.
Jessica wrung her hands. “Oh, Hugh. We’ve got to find him.”
“Don’t worry, Nurse Simone,” Deputy Workman said in a kind voice. “We have men out looking for him now.”
“He’s still weak, and his burns—”
“Nurse Simone,” Lana snapped, arching an eyebrow. “If you had allowed me to cover his face last night, I’m sure none of this would have happened.”
Balling her hands into fists, she wanted to punch the woman in the face. However, Jessica needed to pick her fights, and this wasn’t the time to show Nurse Twitchell what kind of woman Jessica was.
She lifted her chin stubbornly and turned back to the sheriff. “Let me know if there is anything else I can do. Wyatt and I were childhood friends. I care for his welfare.”
When she glanced at Lana, the older woman rolled her eyes. Jessica hoped there would come a time that would be perfect for punching the woman. Lana sorely needed it.
“Jessica,” Hugh said as he slid his arm around her back and slowly turned her toward the door. “Why don’t you go to work now.”
She inhaled a ragged breath. “How can I work when I’m worried about Wyatt.”
“Try. The other patients need you at this time.” He offered a smile. “Can you do that for me?”
Her heart wrenched. Why was Hugh acting as if nothing had happened? Then again, this was his charm. He’d had her fooled before, and she vowed he wouldn’t fool her ever again.
The rest of her shift, she tried to keep away from Hugh and Lana. It was easy to go without speaking with the head nurse, but every time she saw Hugh, her heart cried out in anguish again. His expression was etched with worry, and she wanted to scream at him and tell him to stop lying to her. She wanted to shake some sense into him and make him tell her everything he knew about Wyatt and the memories Nurse Twitchell didn’t want Wyatt to remember.
Remarkably enough, Jessica held it together through her shift. Sheriff Adamson and Deputy Workman wandered from patient to patient, asking questions. Her insides were rattled, and every minute she wondered if this was when someone would confess to seeing her take Wyatt. Yet, as the hours passed, nothing happened.
Jessica tried not to act as if she was keeping an eye on Nurse Twitchell, but it was necessary if Jessica wanted to find out the truth. Unfortunately, the only thing she’d noticed so far about the other nurse was that the older woman was not a good nurse. Why then, would anyone want to pretend to be something they weren’t? What reason could possibly be good enough for someone to want to work in a hospital if they were not a caregiver?
Her thoughts returned to the Harrow School of Nursing, and some of her classes. One class, in particular, discussed medications that were given to patients and what purpose the medicine had. In the class, it was pointed out that Opium was a drug that could be a blessing for some patients, but the addicting medication could be a downfall for others.
Jessica hitched a breath. Could that be what was happening at this hospital? Was Lana somehow involved with stealing medications?
Chuckling, Jessica shook her head. Her mind was being overactive again. She really needed to find evidence before judging a person.
Immediately, her thoughts turned to Hugh. Had she judged him too harshly? Then again, she’d overheard him and that unknown man. And yet, she hadn’t confronted him about it. However, right now wasn’t a good time. She was too emotional over everything that had happened.
“Nurse Simone?”
She jumped, startled by the patient’s voice in the silent room. She turned toward the patient in the deserter’s ward. Corporal Martin Wilkenson had been on the run since right before the war ended. If the man had only waited a few more months, he wouldn’t be considered a deserter. He’d been injured when a sore on his leg had gone untreated, and the infection became so bad that he could hardly walk. Doctor Jensen would probably take off the limb since it wasn’t healing. The soldier was brought into the hospital a few days ago.
“Yes, Corporal?” She moved to his bed.
“Please, call me Martin.” He frowned. “I don’t deserve to use the corporal title.”
She nodded. “What can I do for you?”
His gaze moved around the room before he leaned closer. On instinct, Jessica followed his example. It seemed he didn’t want people to hear their conversation.
“I promise I won’t say anything,” he began, looking into her eyes. “You are the best nurse here, and I don’t want to see anything happen to you.”
Fear clutched her throat. He knew! “What are you talking about, Martin?”
“I think you know.” He nodded once. “But I want you to know, Wyatt didn’t deserve to be in this ward. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Her heart jumped with excitement. Finally, she’d found someone who knew about Wyatt. “Why would you say that?”
“I was in a camp full of deserters. We moved around so as not to get caught. However, Wyatt was not in those camps.”
Her excitement waned. “That doesn’t necessarily mean Wyatt didn’t desert his regiment.”
“No, but I saw him come into camp one day. He was searching for someone.”
“Who?” she asked, moving closer.
“His brother.”
She gasped. “Theodore?” She had heard Theo had been killed, so why would Wyatt look for him?
“I didn’t hear a name.” He sighed. “But I did hear the person tell him that they thought his brother was in this hospital.”
It would have been good to see two of the Ryker brothers. “If he was here, he’s not now.”
Martin shrugged. “That’s why I thi
nk he was led to this hospital, but he’s not a deserter.”
Sadness filled her heart. “That doesn’t explain why a cannonball nearly hit him.”
“I’d heard,” Martin continued, “that a handful of men had been tasked with stealing supplies from hospitals.”
Once again, her excitement rose. “Tell me what you know.”
“Not much, I’m afraid. But I had heard that the deserters were led into a trap. I’d heard there was some kind of explosion, which took their lives. If Wyatt had been with this group, that would explain why he was burned so severely.”
Although this was useful information, it still didn’t tell her why Wyatt would have anything to do with stealing medical supplies. “Thank you, Martin. Hopefully, Wyatt will be found so that I can ask him these questions.”
“Anything for you, Nurse Simone.”
He smiled in a flirtatious manner. The man was at least her father’s age. Perhaps a few years younger.
“Have you told any of this to the other nurses or doctors?”
Straight-faced, Martin shook his head. “I don’t want to end up dead for what I know.”
She patted his arm. “Wise man, and I shall not tell anyone, either.”
“I know you wouldn’t. That’s why I decided to talk to you about it.”
“And, I thank you.” She moved away from him and walked out of the ward. She had one hour left of her shift, but she wanted to return to the boarding house now. She’d tell Wyatt what she’d heard, and hopefully, this would be the key to unlocking his memories.
As Jessica hurried to the next room, anxious to get everything done before she left the hospital, she wasn’t looking where she was walking. When she turned the corner, she ran head-on into the one man she wanted desperately to forget. His hands grasped her shoulders, steadying her. She couldn’t stop herself from peering up into his brown eyes, and it took all of her strength not to become weak in the knees from his intent stare.
“Oh, forgive me,” she muttered. “My mind was elsewhere, I suppose.”
His smile softened. “How are you doing?”
“Under the circumstances, I’m doing fine.”
A Nurse for Wyatt Page 7