Preacher wasn’t sticking around to hear the rest. He was out of Billy’s house without a look back. Was it a trap? How could he have not found her for the last two years only for her to suddenly end up at the hospital just as he’d gotten another lead?
Chapter Three
“I swear to you. I wasn’t even going that fast. Like maybe thirty. I had to get home to the wife and she wasn’t in the best of moods since I took her only non-fat yogurt and she loves those things. She swears by them and believes she’s losing weight because of it.”
“Get back to the girl stumbling in front of your car, please,” Billy said.
“Right, so I was driving down the stretch of a dark path. There’s no lights and there really needs to be. You don’t know what kind of things that will jump in front of you, and the next second, she was there. She went up over the top of my car, her head hitting the window. There’s a crack, I think. I don’t know. She slumped back to the ground. I didn’t think. I stopped the car, got out, went to her, and she was out cold, but there were so many bruises. I don’t even think she could see. I didn’t think. I picked her up and brought her straight here.”
Preacher stood out in the hallway, staring into Robin’s room.
It didn’t look like her, but it was. The hair, the length was gone. It was short, blonde, and it didn’t suit her. Her face was a bruised, angry mess. She was small, thinner than she’d ever been.
Her eyes were swollen shut and there was a machine helping her to breathe. One of her ribs that had been cracked punctured her lungs. His hands clenched into fists. Randall had already told him if she hadn’t been brought in when she was, she would’ve been dead.
One of her feet was also smashed. According to Randall, it looked like a hammer had been brought down on it. He didn’t even want to think about it. It creeped him the fuck out.
“Thank you, sir.”
“I’ve already had blood tests to confirm I wasn’t drinking and I know I wasn’t.”
“It’s fine. You’ve done everything that has been required of you.”
“Thank you.”
Preacher didn’t look to see Billy leading the man away. He had no intention of harming him. Even though his car did hit Robin, the man didn’t leave. He’d picked her up and brought her to safety. One day soon, the man would find his reward for bringing her home. Preacher always kept his promises and Billy had the man’s address.
“How are you holding up?” Randall asked, joining him.
He’d yet to go inside and see her.
He’d called Bear but the man was too drunk to make it to the hospital. He hadn’t even bothered with Bishop. Right now, he didn’t want to see his son or make him aware she was here. It would all happen soon, anyway. There was no way this would stay a secret. At least he’d have tonight with her. He couldn’t fucking believe it. She was right here. After two years, she was at the hospital, within arm’s reach.
“I’m going to have a guard on her door at all times. You need to be aware of this.”
“The staff have already been alerted to this.”
“Good.” He didn’t want to think right now, only look at her. “How did you know it was her?”
“Look at her, Preacher. I’ve been seeing this girl all my life. I would know her. She’s a good girl.”
“This coma, how bad is it?”
“It’s … it’s not going to be easy. You can go in there. Talk to her. Offer her some company. There’s brain activity, so you could bring her out of this.”
“She’s sleeping.”
“There’s been research that shows some patients can hear their visitors and relatives. Obviously, I don’t know how it completely works, but you can have faith.”
“I lost my faith long ago.”
“As a doctor, I don’t. I like to believe in miracles. I know to some that is deluded and unfounded, but I believe we all have a higher purpose, one reason we’re sent down to this earth to seek out.”
“Don’t start spouting the Bible at me, Doc. I don’t want to hear it. Me and the big guy lost our faith long ago and I’m not going to get it back.” He was tired of this conversation and he really didn’t want to have a religious talk with anyone.
Sitting in the room with Robin was the lesser of two evils. It was still high up on the scale of problems he didn’t want to face.
After stepping into the room, he closed the door. At first, he just stood there. The sterile room sickened him, but the woman who lay unmoving, looking like she was dead in the bed, she was still Robin.