"Rebecca! You're here!" There stood Vince near the elevator, staring at her with his mouth ajar. "You really took a plane here?"
"No Vince, I walked. I've learned a few new things while being away," Becca snapped, amazed at how crass she sounded. From the sound of Shara's gasp behind her, she wasn't the only one surprised. Todd stood beside her.
"Hunter's really rubbed off on you." He pursed his lips.
"Speaking of Hunter, have you found him?" Becca decided not to even respond to his snide remark. Yes, Hunter had definitely rubbed off on her and it was something she was proud of. She'd developed a little more of a backbone. Maybe there was a positive side to what she'd been through lately. She actually allowed herself to get angry instead of letting people walk all over her.
Guilt flashed all over his face. "No."
"Have you tried his phone?"
"Several times. I don't know if he has it."
Becca faced Todd and Shara. "I think I'm going to have a talk with Vince before going to my room." She hoped they'd understand. This talk would have to be just the two of them.
Shara nodded. "I'll see what I can find on nearby places he could have gone."
"I'll call Beverly and let her know we made it." Todd hugged her and leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Be careful. Not sure I trust that one."
Thank you, Todd. I will," Becca whispered back. As they disappeared to go to their respective rooms, Becca faced Vince again. "Explain."
He jumped back as if she'd stabbed him. "What's happened to you? Since when did you start speaking so crude and getting angry?"
"Since people in my life decided it's okay to hide secrets from me," she retorted. This time, Becca didn't feel bad about her anger. She had every damn right to be! Vince was not going to take this from her and try to make it seem like she overreacted or anything else he'd normally say to her.
"When did you get your voice back, anyway?"
"You're stalling, Vince. I've had my voice back for weeks. What are you doing here? Why did you meet Hunter? What did you do to him?"
"What makes you sure I did anything to him?" Vince snapped, folding his arms over his chest.
"You're here out of the blue."
"Maybe we should get out of the hallway? We're blocking the elevator," he gestured.
She followed him down the hall, but refused to go inside his room.
"It's not like I'd hurt you, Rebecca." He actually had the nerve to be offended.
"I don't know what you'd do, Vince! I don't really know you." She'd never known him, but she'd never been afraid of him before. Not until recently.
"I came down to ask him a favor. I have a niece who had an accident last year. I think Hunter's program would do her good. Satisfied?"
"I'll be satisfied when I know where Hunter is!" Becca yelled, then covered her mouth. She flexed her fingers after she moved them away from her lips. "I'm beyond worried right now about him." And I want to know what you have to do with it.
Vince coming to talk to Hunter for a favor didn't add up. He could have waited. He could have asked at any other time.
*****
His body was weighed down with agony. Something stung his feet and they were achy and burning, but he couldn't stop. All he could think about was finding his way back to the hospital bed with Becca. He had to save her. He just had to.
But it wasn't her really in that bed. It was Vince's niece. That's who it was. Why did he replace her with Becca? She was alive and well. His angel.
There she was. Her beautiful hair flowed in the breeze. She was smiling, laughing even. But she didn't see him. Becca stood at the corner and talked to someone. She looked just fine. Not the same Becca he saw in that bed.
"Becca! It's me!" he yelled to her. She sent him a quick glance and her smile faded. Then she looked away again. Who was she talking to? "Angel?"
Everything hurt! Every time he walked,a burning pain shot up his legs and torso. Becca didn't respond to him, even though he moved closer to her. Did she give up on him? Why did she keep ignoring him?
"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have left like that! I thought I was doing the best thing for us," he called out. His head throbbed, and pain continued to stab him in the back of the eyes. He stumbled on, trying to get to her.
The ring still in his pocket, he decided it was now or never. Once he finally made it to Becca, he took her hand in his and sank down on one knee. "I love you, Rebecca Lange. Please forgive me for everything I've ever screwed up. I just want the best for us. Will you marry me?" He pulled out the box.
She gasped. Her lips moved but he couldn't make out what she was saying. Then she pulled her hand from his and tried to step back.
She was going to say no.
"Yo man, what the hell are you doing?" a voice behind him shouted. A male. Pissed off. Strong hands gripped Hunter by the shoulders and pulled him to his feet. Waves of dizziness spun him around faster and faster like he was on the earth's axis. "Back the hell off, man!"
"I love her." Hunter said, defending himself.
"She's my girl! Back off, you drunk. What's wrong with you?"
"Not drunk," he muttered. Where did the ring go? Where did Becca go? "Let me talk to Becca."
"She's not yours!" the man yelled, shoving at him. He stumbled, fell backwards and landed on his back.
"Idiot!" Something was tossed at him. The ring box. "Go sober up!"
Sounds from behind him grew closer. Hunter tried to get up.
"He's going to get hit!" a woman screamed.
A loud, long honk forced him to move, just not fast enough.
Screams of terror surrounded him and then the pain exploded again. Everywhere.
Chapter Thirty
Becca gave up on trying to get any more information from Vince. She called Hunter's phone again, but it rang and rang. Part of her wondered if she was only calling his phone now just to hear his voice on the voice mail. Every time she heard it, goose bumps formed on her arms. What if she never heard his voice again other than on a stupid message? Dread ate at her, giving her a foul taste in her mouth. She fought down another wave of nausea. Sitting in the passenger side of a rental car, she kept her eyes glued to the streets and sidewalks, hoping for any sign of Hunter.
Hours had passed since the first call from Vince. At least eight or nine. Could he have a flashback for this long? Was he lying somewhere cold and dark, hurt or worse?
Becca choked back a sob, rubbing a hand on her goose bump filled arm. "I know the police usually have a twenty-four hour time frame on missing people, but maybe because of what he's dealing with they'd make an exception?" She wasn't really sure if she was thinking out loud or asking a question for Shara or Todd to answer. How could someone not have spotted Hunter? He'd been out in the daytime, and most people would find it odd for a man to be walking around without his shoes, wouldn't they?
Unless he was hurt and no one saw him, or unconscious and lying somewhere no one would know it.
She had to stop this! Filling her mind with the worst case possibilities wasn't going to help them find Hunter! It would only send her in a fit of panic! She already teetered on the edge of panic mode.
A flash of lights in the distance caught her attention. "Something is going on over there." Becca pointed towards the lights. Police lights? They were red and blue. Fear consumed her, sending trembles throughout her body.
"Let's go check it out." Todd drove in the direction.
The road was blocked off. Police cars parked in the middle and there was a small crowd of people.
It probably had nothing to do with Hunter, but at this point, Becca wasn't taking chances. As soon as Todd stopped the car, she unbuckled her seatbelt and bolted out. Both Todd and Shara called her name, but she didn't stop. She searched the grounds for any sign of Hunter, but there were none. She wasn't even sure what happened. Noticing a few bystanders, she ran up to one of them. "What happened here?"
"Someone was hit. They still don't know the identity of the guy, b
ut apparently he was drunk or delusional and tried to ask someone to marry him. Another guy shoved him because apparently it was his girlfriend."
"What happened to the guy?" Becca tried to stay calm. No way, no way.
"He was taken to the hospital. Not sure of the condition. Poor guy. I don't know what was wrong with him." The woman shook her head sadly.
"Becca?" Todd reached her. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. His eyes held a lot of question.
"I don't know. Someone was hit by a car." Tears welled up in her eyes. "They haven't been able to identify the guy."
"Why don't we talk to the police? It's probably a long shot," Shara said from the other side of Becca.
"Right," Becca said softly. She nodded a quick thank you at the lady, then let Todd and Shara lead her to the police. Everything around her was a blur. She just had this bad, bad feeling.
"Is there any way you can tell us a little about the man who was hit? We have a missing friend who suffers from PTSD and it's very possible he's been in a state of disassociation today." Shara took charge and spoke to the cops. Todd kept his hand on her shoulder, which was a good thing because at any time Becca's rubbery knees felt like they'd give out on her. She tried to keep herself together. Shara pointed at her and she wondered what they were talking about. Then the cops said something that made her face pale.
"Oh no," Becca whispered. Tightness formed in her chest. She couldn't breathe.
"Becca. Stay with me." Todd's voice was low and calm, but it seemed so far away when she knew he was right by her side.
"It was him, wasn't it?" She barely recognized the voice that came from her own throat.
Another hand on her shoulder. Becca blinked back tears. Shara. The expression on her face told her what she needed to know, but dreaded to hear.
"Becca. Listen to me. Stay calm," Shara started.
Calm? How? How could she stay calm when she had a strong suspicion she knew exactly what happened here!
"According to witnesses, the man who was hit tried to propose to a woman. He kept calling her Becca. He had a ring. The boyfriend pushed him thinking he was drunk and..." Shara choked back a sob. "He was barefoot. Totally not with it. It's him. Hunter was hit."
*****
By the time they arrived at the hospital, Becca was a complete wreck. Shara and Todd were on each side of her and had to practically carry her inside. They were both much calmer than she was, but all three were afraid.
"I bet his wallet, phone and everything else is inside his room. He must have been in that state as he left," she heard Shara say. "I don't get how he had a ring on him though."
"He had the ring on the plane ride. I think it was to help keep his nerves down." Todd's voice was just as a far away.
Becca shook her head, hoping to clear the fog. She couldn't think. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't concentrate. All she knew at that moment was they'd stopped.
"We're looking for information on a John Doe that was brought in an hour or so ago. He was hit by a car." Was that Shara or Todd who spoke? How was it Becca couldn't be too sure? Their voices were of course distinctive! "I couldn't tell you if we know him unless we saw him. It's possible."
Becca was shaking.
Images of Hunter filled her head that she'd rather not see, because they were her own versions of what happened. She fought back waves of nausea.
"Becca! Hey! Come on. They're going to let one of us see him. We're going to find out right now if it's Hunter."
No, she wasn't shaking. Someone kept shaking her.
Shara.
She snapped back to focus. "It's him?"
Shara's face was right in front of hers. "We're going to find out now. Come on," she soothed, slipping an arm around her shoulders. Becca forced her legs to cooperate so that the two didn't have to carry her so much.
They were led down a long hallway. Bland photos were on the wall. The tile was old and needed to be cleaned. Why she spent so much time on the little details, she didn't know. At least it made a decent distraction. Not for long though.
"He's in critical condition. Not conscious," the young female nurse informed them. "Which one of you wants to see him?"
"Becca? Do you want to be the one-?" Todd didn't even have to finish.
She took a shaky step forward. "Me. I need to s-see him." The stuttering began. With a sinking heart, Becca hoped her voice wasn't going to just stop again. She licked her lips before following the nurse in the room. She couldn't see the face of the man in the bed. Each step closer, a familiar feeling washed over her. Fear. Angst. Dread.
Was this how Hunter felt twenty years ago? Dealing with an uncertain fate of someone he'd fought to save?
Standing at the side of the bed, Becca clutched the rail and forced her gaze down. She needed to do this, but part of her didn't want to. When she finally gave attention to the man in the bed, her emotions took over. Tears flooded her eyes and she let it all out. "It's him. Th-that's my- it's Hunter."
His face was full of cuts and his lip was swollen on the right side of his mouth. Dark bruises coved his face, neck and some on his arms.
"Please tell me he's going to make it. Why is he n-not a-awake?" Becca wrapped her arms around herself. What she wanted to do was climb in that bed, hold Hunter and not leave his side until he woke up.
The nurse tugged on her arm, trying to get her out of there. Becca froze in place, panic settling in. "Hunter! Come back to me! Please! I love you so much. Please make it!" Was that really her? She was hysterical.
Strong arms had a grip on her, dragging her out. Becca didn't remember much else, other than fighting back. She just wanted to get back to Hunter's side.
"It's okay, Becca. It's okay." It was Todd's voice. His arms surrounded her, pulling her close.
"I don't want to lose him!" she cried, her voice muffled against his shirt. In reluctance, she let Todd hug her.
"You won't lose him, sweetheart. He's Hunter. There's no stopping that man." His hand covered the back of her head as he rocked her. Sobs wracked her entire body. She just couldn't stop. The muffled sound of a phone ringing snapped her back to attention and she gathered herself to answer it. Pulling out of Todd's hold, she reached for her phone.
Vince. "Any luck?"
"We f-found him, no thanks to you!" She lost her cool with him, shouting in the phone. Todd jumped back, startled at her outburst. "He was hit by a car, not even conscious. I hate you! You did this to him! Are you happy now?" She hurled each accusation at him without a second thought, screaming in the phone.
"Becca!" Shara snatched the phone from her. Before she knew it, Todd held her again.
"Come on, let's go sit down and stay calm. Be strong for Hunter."
"I'm always strong! I don't get to fall apart," she sobbed. "I always have t-to keep it in."
Shara paced the area, talking into Becca's phone. Her voice was filled with anger.
*****
Midnight rolled around and Becca could barely keep her eyes open. She told Todd and Shara to head back to the hotel. No way did she want to be too far from Hunter. They tried to protest and make her go back with them, but they finally gave in about an hour ago.
The hospital staff had been sympathetic to her, especially a female nurse who had apparently seen Hunter here before with Joe. She found a way to get exceptions and let her stay in the room with Hunter, something that normally wasn't allowed at all.
His condition hadn't changed. She sat in the chair beside his bed and held his hand. She kept falling in and out of a half conscious state herself. Once the hospital had all of Hunter's information, thanks to Todd and the hotel staff actually opening Hunter's room to find his wallet and phone, they stopped naming him John Doe and had the correct information. His personal effects had been given to her.
It was only one item. The ring box. How long had he had the ring?
"I'm here, Hunter," Becca whispered softly. She stood to be closer to him, but the room spun. She sat on the edge of the bed instead. "
You'd be amazed. I flew. I actually got on a plane and survived. Just like you said I would, and I finally did it."
The beeping continued.
"Shara and Todd are here, too. Shara and I talked about you on the way. It helped to take my mind off the stupid plane." Becca brushed her fingers on the side of his face that wasn't all banged up. "It's a beautiful ring, Hunter. But you totally asked the wrong girl." She laughed, though it came out more as a cry. "I'm terrible at trying to come up with quips like you. Somehow even inappropriate, you make them funny." Pulling the blanket back, she crawled under the cover and rested her head near him. Wasn't this what he'd done with her? Becca just needed to be close to him. Placing her hand over his heart, she cried softly. "I would have said yes. I'd marry you in a heartbeat. Even though we've had our share of trouble this summer, I've always known you're the one for me."
Feeling the steady thrum of his heartbeat provided a slight comfort to her. It gave her hope that the man she needed was still in there.
"Everyone says to be strong, but I think I'm going to take your advice now and let it out." A painful hiccup bubbled up as more sobs hit her. "I need you, Hunter. I need you to know I overcame another fear, just like you always thought I could. Know what that means?"
Of course, he didn't answer. She continued anyway.
"It means that trip to Germany you wanted. And we can fly to Hawaii and swim with the dolphins."
Her side started the pins and needles feeling. Hospital beds weren't big enough for two, but Becca didn't move. She lay cuddled up to Hunter and continued to talk to him. Tears streamed down her face. "I love you so much. We have so much more to do together, so you have to come back to me. I'm not giving up on you. Just open those gorgeous green eyes and say something so ridiculously crazy that makes me want to laugh, cry and gasp in surprise at the same time." She squeezed his hand.
At some point she fell asleep. What startled her back to reality was all of a sudden the machines hooked up to Hunter started going crazy. They practically screamed in her ear. She flew out of the bed as doctors and nurses all ran in. Hunter's skin barely had any color to it. The overhead intercom kept repeating something about a code blue and a room number.
A Masterpiece Unraveled (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 2) Page 29