I see death.
I hear my own heart still beating. I scream. I fight. I thrash. Then my attacker drops to the floor, still gripping me firmly.
I hear his voice, but it’s muted. My ears are filled with heartbeats and screaming and thoughts of how to survive.
I can’t move my arms. The arm of my reaper surrounds me, trapping me. The leg of my soul’s harvester wraps around me from behind, holding my legs down so I can no longer kick.
I can’t get free. I can’t move. I find it hard to breathe. I feel a wave of nausea, then heat, then cold, and then my body aches from fighting.
I close my eyes more tightly, and I see them. I see them surrounded by light, their hands outstretched toward me.
I miss them terribly. I miss them so much my heart aches.
It hurts. The pain inside hurts almost unbearably. Then . . . I feel . . . nothing.
I smell that familiar sterile smell and hear the beeping and hushed bustle that make me feel safe. I am warm. I am—
I gasp and try to sit up, but Dr. Sam Bennett holds me still.
“Easy, Lorraine,” Dr. Bennett says quietly.
I look around, confused. My eyes immediately feel heavy. I smell the ammonia again, now knowing this is not a dream.
“You’re okay, Lorraine.” Dr. Bennett’s smooth, soft voice confirms what I now know.
I passed out, blacked out. It hasn’t happened in a while.
“Do you know where you are?”
“Henry Ford.” Embarrassment washes over me as I sit up again.
“Slow down, okay?”
“I’m fine,” I say as I shake my head.
“Nurses definitely make the worst patients,” he kids.
I look up at him and force a smile. “I apologize, Dr. Bennett.”
“Do you know how you got here?” he asks, looking down at his clipboard.
Oh, God, I think. I was attacked is on the tip of my tongue when I hear a familiar, gruff voice from the other side of the bed.
“Of course she knows.”
I look over at him, and his eyes narrow.
“Meet a new friend?” Dr. Bennett briefly looks up at me, and I can see he is not impressed.
“We’ve actually met twice, haven’t we, Lo?”
Jason walks around and stands next to me. I’m confused, not understanding. His eyes narrow, warning me.
“Here at the hospital, and again tonight when we were out”—he pauses, and I am terrified—“together.”
I swallow back fear, confusion, and embarrassment.
I look up at Dr. Bennett’s suspicious eyes. “Will you give me just a minute?”
Dr. Bennett looks at Jason then back at me. “I’ll be back.”
“With release papers,” Jason states.
Dr. Bennett straightens up to his full five-foot-eleven stature and looks at Jason. “We’ll see.” Then he walks out.
Jason walks over and closes the door behind him before he turns and stares at me, crossing his arms over his chest and looking me up and down slowly. Then he sighs, grabs the stool, and pulls it over so it is sitting inches from me. He sits down and looks up, running his hands through his hair.
“What the fuck?” he mutters.
“Was it you? Were you the one who broke into my house?” I gasp out, interrupting him. “The one who—”
“I came to save your ass.” He looks at me, shakes his head, and then looks up at the ceiling.
I’m afraid of what he will say next.
“Thank you. I mean, I guess—”
He holds his hand up and stops me. “You passed out.”
“Yeah, it used to happen a lot.” I am horribly uncomfortable. I shake my head. “Thank you for bringing me—”
He leans in. “Shut it down.” Then he stands up and leans over me like he is going to say something, but he groans, balls his fists, and turns his back on me.
“Jason, I—”
He whips around. “Not another word. Not one . . . unless you want to do this here . . . where you work.”
It’s a threat. He’s threatening me.
I nod. “Okay. I—”
“Shut the fuck up, Lo.”
Lo, the name freezes me. It’s what she used to call me. I feel tears building down deep inside. I have no clue what to do next.
The door opens and Sam Bennett walks back in. He stands toe-to-toe with Jason, eyeball to eyeball.
I watch as Jason’s fists clench more firmly as he looks down at him.
“Now I get a minute.”
“She’s fine.”
“And your medical degree comes from where?” Dr. Bennett walks around him and sits down.
I glance up and see Jason glaring at him.
“Medically, you are fine.” Sam looks back at Jason. “I would like you to come to the house and stay with me.”
Jason hisses, and Dr. Bennett looks back at him.
“A minute.”
Jason looks at me. He’s angry.
“We need a minute,” I tell him.
“You’ve got two.” He holds his fingers up. “Then we’re out of here.” He walks out the door, but the sound of his shoes stop, and I know he is right outside the door.