Chapter Twenty-Five
ADAM
It took me a good fifteen minutes to get to my car, and into the driving seat. I dialled Marco from the car, finding it hard to breathe. I felt like I was wheezing. My ribs were on fire. Definitely cracked or broken.
“This is becoming an unwelcome habit.” Marco said as he answered. He was on speaker, the phone on my lap.
“Sorry.” I gasped. “Need that… doctor’s number.”
He caught on fast. “You’re injured?”
I leaned on the steering wheel, letting out a groan.
“No shit, sherlock.” I finally managed, and he snorted. “Can you drive?”
I started the car, and tried to put it in gear, letting out a pained grunt.
“Not sure.” I said at last, because I couldn’t move my arm, without causing my ribs to erupt in pain. Fucking Seb fucking Bennett.
I heard him updating Lenore.
“Where are you, mate? We’ll get him to you.”
I groaned again. “B… Bennett house.”
He barked out a laugh. “Then why the fuck are you ringing me? Oh… Jesus Christ. What did you do?”
I moaned again, feeling like I couldn’t get enough air to stay conscious.
“Can’t breathe…”
I heard Marco curse, and then the phone went dead. A few moments later, I gave in to the darkness, which had been creeping up on me in increments, and passed out.
When I woke up again, I was on a sofa. Was I back inside the Bennett house? And that doctor, Jeffrey was checking my ribs with his fingertips. I hissed with pain, and he nodded.
“Just a cracked rib or two, Adam. Nothing too drastic.”
I glanced around me, still assuming it was the Bennett house, but realising I was in a room I’d never seen before. This one had several leather sofas, and too many people in it. The Bennetts and Cass were over by a bar behind the other sofa, and Marco and Lenore were having a drink with them.
“What happened?” I asked the doc then, looking away from the completely disinterested room of people.
“Well, we found you draped over your steering wheel, and the Bennetts kindly allowed us to bring you inside to treat you.”
“Kindly.” I muttered bitterly, and he smirked.
“Okay, your breathing is fine. Laboured originally, I’d say, because you had the wind knocked out of you, but none of your ribs are broken, and nothing has penetrated your lungs. You’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, feels fine. Nothing to worry about. I’ll just go then.” I tried to push up from the sofa, and groaned when my ribs screamed in pain.
“Yeah… in a minute, I will.”
The doc laughed. “You’ll need to move carefully, you dumb fuck. Let’s get ice on them for the moment, and you’ll need to follow my instructions over the next few days. I’ll write them down so you can remember them. I’m told you’re not big on listening, or paying heed to warnings. I’m assuming you can read though.”
I glared over at the Bennetts, not knowing which was which yet again, but knowing someone with that asshole face did this to me.
“You people are all fucking animals.” I muttered, wincing when the doc pushed an ice pack against my ribs.
“Hold on to this, you whiny prick.” Then he popped two lots of pills into his palm and handed them to me. “Painkillers and anti-inflammatories. Take them every four hours for the next few days at least, and take it slow. Move carefully, or avoid it altogether if you have to.”