Just as she turns to speak to me, we hear the doctor call out. Heading to Sheri’s room, the doc informs us that they are going to wake her up as her test results all look good. Shutting the curtain around her bed, he closes the door, shutting us out of her room completely. There is nothing to see but the whiteness of the curtains surrounding her bed.
The soft hand that grips mine startles me initially, but I know it’s just Soph. Relaxing, I grasp her hand tightly, holding on while we wait for the doctor to finish up. I can feel her heartbeat thumping through my palm and it scares me. Even the fucking fear that has gripped me, surprises me. For god’s sake, it’s not like I haven’t felt fear before. Shit, we had been living in it for two years until recently, but this just feels different. Back then, you knew there was a chance something bad could happen, but you never really believed it would. Like you were invincible. This though, is real shit, all control has been taken out of my hands and I don’t like it.
We watch in silence as the nurse pulls back the curtains, returning our attention to the opening door, as the doctor makes his way toward us.
“Okay, so we have good news. All results from the EEG we did this morning looks good. I will be gradually reducing the medication that I have been using to sedate Sherlyn over the next few hours.”
I release my breath, although I don’t recall holding it, sighing in relief.
“I have administered a painkiller to help with her pain and the nurses will keep doing their regular observation checks.”
Directing my attention back to my girl, she looks different somehow. I don’t know how, but she just looks slightly better.
“We were also able to remove the drainage tubes as well, which is a good sign. It will probably be around twenty-four hours before we see her wake, so please be patient.”
Before he leaves, he tells us that although the breathing tube is still there, once she wakes, they can get rid of that as well. Her throat will be dry, and sore, so they want us to keep her lips moist for now. Once the tube is gone, and she is awake, he wants us to give her small sips of water. He admits that her stay in the hospital will be dependent on how quickly her body recovers, but everything so far is looking really good. I suppose we can’t ask for any more than that. Once he leaves, I watch as Anthony leads Sarah off to the side to speak with her in private. I wonder if it has anything to do with the phone he received as we arrived. I hope he has news about the guy that shot her. Heading into her room, I take note of how peaceful she looks. There is even just the slightest tinge of color to her cheeks. She looks much better than she did when I left earlier.
The beeping of her machines has been arrhythmic, lulling me into a dreamlike state. I have been lightly dozing, listing to the sounds of the beats of her heart through the machine. Sophie, Ben and Soph’s parents left a couple of hours ago, leaving me to watch over Sherlyn. Anthony said he had some leads to chase up and would come by later. I haven’t left her side since. Picking up her hand, it’s a lot sweatier than before. It’s as if her whole body is boiling, and only then do I notice the red rash on her arm. Standing up to lean over her, I take note that the red rash is covering most of her body. Pressing the nurse’s button, I jump when the one who has been checking on Sherlyn comes running through the door.
Before I am aware of what is going on, the nurses are hovering around my girl, and I’m shunted out of the way completely.
What the hell!
I don’t actually think they realize I am still here. Standing to the side, I can do nothing else, but watch. I feel like I’m in the gymnasium all over again. My heart is racing as one of the nurse’s moves, and Sherlyn’s hand slips off the bed. It’s pale and the tips of her fingers are blue. That sight itself has me freaking the fuck out right now, my hand making its way into my hair.
Gripping it tightly, I pull on it. I know what the blueness means. I studied this in class, her organs are starting to shut down, she is having a serious reaction to something. I’m in shock, the air around me is stifling, making it hard to breathe. It doesn’t get any easier, as one of the nurses hits another button, bringing even more people into Sherlyn’s room, including her doctor.
Staying in my state of shock in the corner, I just listen as the doctor yells at a nurse to get the adrenaline and to hurry. It can’t end like this, she can’t leave me, I need her. As the tears well in my eyes, I watch as they work on her. The panic in their voices is evident and it’s scaring me. Sherlyn’s blood pressure has dropped dramatically. The doctor is rushing to administer the adrenaline to counteract the reaction she is having. Their talking sounds like it’s a million miles away as I quietly hold my position, now slumped against the wall. My tears escaping, steadily, flowing down my cheeks. Catching the last bit of their conversation, I clearly hear them saying that her pupils are no longer dilated, and her pulse is returning to normal. I still can’t see anything but her hand, but it’s a relief to see that even that is regaining some color, her fingers no longer blue.
“Stephen,” the doctor gently calls out to me.
I hadn’t even realized that he had turned around, my gaze has been fixated on the body of my dream girl, laying helplessly on the hospital bed.
“Son, can you hear me.”
Blinking, I turn to him, to find that he is now standing beside me with his hand on my shoulder. I didn’t even feel him place it there.
“Sorry, yes I can hear you,” I reply, with a hoarseness to my voice of someone severely dehydrated.
“Are you okay?” he asks. His eyes have a seriousness to them I didn’t pick up on before.
“I’m sorry you had to witness that,” he continues.
“Sherlyn has had a reaction to the OxyContin we gave her for pain relief, but she is okay now. We have even removed her breathing tube. She should start waking up soon.”
He is smiling at me now, and although it’s small, it’s one of relief.
“Thank you,” is all I can muster, as I am guided to the chair beside her bed and am handed a cup with water in it.
“She will be fine now, the nurses will call me if anything changes,” and just like that the doctor exits out of Sherlyn’s room leaving just the nurse and me alone with her.
Gripping my girl’s hand once more, I lower my head to the bed resting on it so that I’m touching her. I want to be here when she wakes up. I don’t think I will ever be able to leave her again.
Chapter Ten
Sherlyn
There is a tightness gripping my hand but I don’t know what it is. It’s like my whole hand is engulfed in something tender and warm. It’s the fuzziness in my head that I can’t shake, and the fact that my throat is really sore that bothers me. When did I come down sick?
The last thing I remember is singing with Stephen, after that, everything goes blank. I need to open my eyes, but my eyelids feel like they are being held down with heavy rocks. Weird interpretation, but they are really heavy. Movement next to me startles me, it feels like a ball rolling around near my hip. When the gripping of my hand eases up, I begin to take notice of the beeping sounds echoing in my ears. Trying again, I force my eyelids open until I can at least see through the small slits. Everything is blurry and I don’t appear to be able to move. What is going on? Where am I?
Panicking, I hear the beeping get faster and then a soft voice.
“Sherlyn, I’m here,” the voice beside me says.
It sounds like Stephen but I can’t be sure. The tightness on my hand increases again and I realize that it’s because someone is holding my hand. Closing my eyes once more I start to relax and the gentle voice is now closer to my ear.
“You have to calm down dream girl. You are in the hospital, but you are okay. Relax, the drugs will wear off soon, go back to sleep.”
Okay, now that is definitely Stephen. What does he mean I am in the hospital? What has happened to me? The fuzziness in my head is threatening to engulf me again. Tightening his grip on my hand once more, I know that he senses I can hear him
as I doze back off to sleep.
“What do you mean she almost died?” a female voice shrieks. That has to be Sophie.
“Zip it, Soph, she is sleeping for god’s sake,” now that is definitely Stephen.
“I’m sorry, but why didn’t you call?” I hear her ask him, her voice now softer.
“Because the doctor said he had contacted your parents. Maybe they didn’t want to scare you.” I hear my dream boy reply.
He’s frustrated with her, that much is obvious. There is no pressure on my hand, so I am guessing he has let go now. Opening my eyes, the heaviness is now gone, but when I try to move, my side hurts. A sharp knife like pain grips my side, just above my hip and I let out a moan. Looking over at Stephen and Sophie, they are speaking softly by the door.
“You know I can hear you both, right?” I gasp out hoarsely. My throat feels like it has had razor blades skating up and down it.
“OMG Sheri you’re awake,” Sophie excitedly shrieks. Seriously that girl and her shrieking. Raising my hand, I signal for her to shush. That voice of hers is going straight through my head and not in a good way.
“I’m sorry, I’m just so happy to see you awake.”
The sudden emotion that engulfs her face devastates me. She is trying to wipe away her tears, but they are winning the battle and streaking down her face. When I feel the warmth of Stephen’s hand on mine again, I turn to face him, his face also streaked with tears. What the hell happened to me, and why does my side feel like someone has poked me with hot metal? Leaning down, my boy places his lips on my forehead, kissing me gently.
“What happened?” I enquire. Both of them look at me, neither wanting to say a word.
“A consequence of your father’s actions,” a hard voice from the doorway informs us.
“What do you mean?” I ask in a crackly voice. My throat is killing me, but I need to know why I am in this hospital bed.
“A contract clause, for non-compliance, but not something to concern yourself with right now,” the harsh voice informs me.
When he steps into the light, I see that it’s Hawke. What is he doing here?
“You can’t just say that and not tell me everything,” I rasp as Stephen brings the straw to my lips.
I need to sip the water to keep my throat moist apparently. That boy of mine is holding the cup so that I don’t have to move. Each time I speak it hurts, but I need to know what he meant.
“I will tell you, on the condition you stop talking. Your throat won’t heal otherwise,” Hawke scolds me.
Smiling, I just nod and lay my head back down. Stephen takes his seat beside my bed, taking my hand hostage once more.
“Seeing there can only be two at a time in here, Sophie has gone to find her parents. They will be here soon.”
From this position, that man is huge. I have never really taken much notice of him before, but for a man his age, he really is attractive. Normally when he is around, he is with either Soph’s dad or only there briefly. I always got the impression he preferred to hang around in the background.
“You know the history of your father, but from what we have discovered, he had written contracts. Seems he was old fashioned and liked to leave a paper trail. After you were shot…”
OMG, did he just say I was shot? My heart rate was starting to betray me, or maybe it’s the machine I’m hooked up to, but when the beeping of that blasted machine sped up, Hawke stopped talking.
“I gather from the noise that machine is making, you didn’t know you were shot yet.”
Shaking my head, I let him know that I hadn’t been told. Stephen’s hand was now caressing mine in comfort, his thumbing rubbing in circles on my palm, as I continue to listen to Hawke.
“All right, let’s start from the top, shall we.” He begins, so I nod my head in agreeance.
“You were shot just above the hip by an associate of your father’s last Saturday in the gymnasium. While you have been asleep, we went back through your father’s belongings and found written contracts between him and his clients.”
Holy mother of God! What has he done?
“It appears that every contract has a clause for non-compliance. Simply meaning that if for some reason he never completed a contract there were repercussions. Essentially, a life needed to be taken, so if he failed, either yours or your mother’s life would need to be taken.”
I can’t believe my ears and by the look on Stephen’s face, he is just as shocked at Hawkes admission as I am.
“Therefore, when your father and mother died, you became their only choice.”
It takes me a minute to register that he has actually finished talking, I’m that stunned. It’s probably wrong for me to think this way, but no wonder he was good at his job. I suppose in his own warped sense of reality he did care about us.
“We are still looking for the man responsible, so you will have protection around you at all times,” he concludes.
I can’t speak, even if I wanted to. How is anyone supposed to comprehend something like that? Looking back over at Stephen, he too looks shell-shocked. I don’t think anyone would have seen that coming. After apologizing for being the bearer of bad news, Hawke leaves us to mull over everything he has just shared. It never seems to end, this feeling of bad luck. I should be in California by now, soaking up the sun on the beach next to my dream boy. Not stuck in a hospital bed, having to be protected from a psychotic killer.
Chapter Eleven
Sean
Some days, I wonder if I’m too old for my age, whether the path I have taken is what I was meant to follow. I can’t say I envisioned my life heading this way when my father asked me to help him with one of his missions. That was two years ago, I was fifteen at the time and I am still a member of his team today. Back when it all was new, I was strictly intel. Basically, I was a tech nerd who minored in hacking. My father and Hawke recruited me to help them track a hitman who was a ghost. Every time they thought they had found him, he disappeared on them, which is when they brought me on board. The C.B.I has some of the best minds I have ever seen and it wasn’t taken lightly when I joined. I ruffled feathers because I had a different outlook and could crack codes quicker than the rest of them. It was something I prided myself on, but in all honestly, I just enjoyed showing them up.
Just after I joined the team, we found something, a hint of where this hitman of theirs was going to strike next. That was the one thing that frustrated my father the most, the fact that this particular target was always one step ahead. We managed to infiltrate one of L. A’s minor criminal families through a laptop we acquired. On that laptop, we found email correspondence that made mention of a ghost ship arriving within the week. Not much else was mentioned but we got the hint and we waited. That first time was the closest we came to capturing him until recently when he was shot by Ben.
Over time, I went from sitting behind a computer screen, to working in the field alongside my father. Hawke and I spent countless hours training until I was proficient with any kind of weapon and able to handle any situation. Well, I thought I was anyway, until a few months ago when Silo grabbed me by surprise and held Sophie and me captive. If it wasn’t for that sister of mine, I wouldn’t be here today. After that, my confidence in my abilities lacked severely and this room of mine became my only solace. I have tried since Silo’s death, to hone my skills again, even following Hawke on his last couple of missions, but something has been off.
My mindset was not as focused as it should have been. I can’t work out if it’s because of what happened, or because of her…
She is all I can think about, every thought completely focused on one girl…. Sherlyn…
But I messed all that up……….
The last time we talked, I embarrassed myself by pushing myself onto her. I couldn’t help it, blame it on animal magnetism, but I wanted her, I wasn’t thinking of the consequences. She pushed me away, becoming angry with me. As much as I couldn’t blame her, it was as if there were mixed si
gnals between us. It hadn’t been hard to notice how she looked at me, especially when she thought no one was watching.
I thought she felt the same way. Boy was I wrong.
I remember the day I met Sherlyn, it was a few months ago when she came home with Soph. There was an instance attraction, or so I thought. I found her easy to talk to and instantly relaxed around her. It felt as though we had known each other for years, that’s how well we clicked. I really enjoyed hanging out with her, because she made me feel as though I didn’t have a problem in the world. That was until she and Stephen became close. I don’t think I ever stood a chance against my friend, that boy has a hold over her that I could only dream of having.
When Ben and the others moved back to Laguna, I thought that just maybe, I might have a slight chance of making her mine. It wasn’t until he left her in a mess at our home in Solana Beach, that I actually believed I may stand a chance. Unfortunately, for me, that was never going to be the case. She pinned for him, even though I hovered around her constantly. What the two of them have is cemented, I was dreaming if I thought I could break that. Don’t get me wrong, it hurts like hell knowing that I have to watch the girl who has stolen my heart be with someone else, but in time I know that will pass.
I never stood a chance against Stephen. I know that now, and I will make sure that it is a cold day in hell before I ever let anyone back in there again.
I can’t even bare to visit her in the hospital.
The day Sherlyn was shot was surreal and it guttered me. I was struggling to contain the anger that was spreading through me as Stephen lowered her to the floor. I was already hiding in the background so she wouldn’t see me because I was pissed that my mother was forcing me to attend. I knew my friends were going to be there. I was already privy to the information, about Stephen taking Tatum’s place. I was annoyed, but it was my own fault for allowing myself hope. I had let myself believe we had a chance, what a fool I had been.
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