“But why?” I asked. “Why? No one has ever helped me before.”
“Maybe it’s just time for someone to help you, and you’ll be helping them too,” Chloe added. “You also get paid, which will be a nice chunk of money for later to restart your life somewhere.”
“So,you’re saying I can go on a walkabout whenever I want to?” I wondered. “I get to keep the money too?”
“Yes. You’ll have to move to the United States for at least a year though,” Chloe added. “They will get you out of this hospital too. The Hawthorne family has a lot of connections.”
“Brice will be watching the airports,” I said, trying hard to not get too hopeful.
“You won’t have to worry about that.” Chloe looked over to Sophie when she stirred again. “What do you think?”
I walked to the window and peeked out from behind a curtain. There were at least two police cars sitting at hospital exits.
“I’ll do it,” I said sitting down and placing the ice pack on my ribs. “Now, how am I getting out of here?
The last thingI remembered was Chloe tapping away on her cell. I woke to a lot of commotion with the overnight nurse checking in on Sophie, food trays being delivered, and a woman with bright red hair and crazy bright blue glasses staring at me.
“Good Arvo. I’m Sienna and I run the agency Chloe told you about.” She went on without waiting for a reply. “We have a lot to do. Your laughing gear looks painful.”
My hand immediately went to my split lip. “That’s a sure dinkum. Did I sleep all day?” I was confused by the good afternoon comment.
“Sorry, I was just making a joke. You looked like you needed the sleep, so I didn’t wake you,” Sienna said, still staring at me. “He had an open slather on your face.”
“I’d rather not talk about it with the ankle biter awake,” I whispered. “You said we have a lot to do. I’m ready to give it a burl.”
“Bonzer. Do you have any pictures of you without the injuries?” Sienna asked, pulling her chair next to mine and opening a laptop. “Victoria needs me to send a picture first, then when all the nurses rack off, we’ll talk on facetime.”
The nurses finished their morning routine. Chloe had laid down in the bed next to Sophie to watch a cartoon. I saw her motion to Sienna. I had no idea what was next. My nerves were on edge and I wasn’t going to be able to believe this would work until I was actually out of the hospital and out of Australia where Brice couldn’t touch me ever again.
“Okay, let’s get started. The overnight nurse that is helping us hide you will be off in about an hour,” Sienna said, logging on to her laptop. “Now say Hi to Poppy.”
A perky woman named Poppy was so animated it was comical. Sienna had explained that Poppy was her true blue.
“Here’s the plan girls: My driver is going to pull up to the west end fire escape stairway in about 15 minutes. Wait ‘til you see the driver holding the door open. All you have to do is get down the stairs and out the door. You’ll only have about six feet to go once you’re out the door.” Poppy chattered on without taking a breath. “You need to disguise yourself because Kellan made a few calls and there are police all around the hospital. He made up a story about secretly picking up a family member, so I don’t think the police will bother you.”
“Thanks, Poppy, I’ll follow in my car and meet you at the hotel,” Sienna said. “Hooroo.”
“No, Sienna, you need to ride with Imogen, in case the car gets stopped,” Poppy said.
I couldn’t move. This was all happening so fast. These people were like my own personal guardian angels.
“You ready?” Sienna touched my arm. “We have to move quickly now. I brought a pair of jeans and a t-shirt for you to change into. We need you to look completely different than you do now. They will be looking for that yellow dress you’re wearing.”
“Thank you,” was all I could say. “I don’t even know what to say other than thank you a hundred times.”
A little voice from across the room, that had apparently been listening the whole time, came up with a brilliant idea.
“You can get a disguise in the playroom,” Sophie said, clinging to Benjamin. “I like the red Ariel wig. I think you would look pretty in it.”
We all just looked from one another. The ankle biter made a good point about a wig. Chloe reached for the nurse button at the same time as the nurse from overnight slowly peeked in the door. She had an odd look on her face and warning alarms went off in my head. I jumped up and ran to the bathroom dragging Sienna with me.
“Good morning ladies,” a security guard said from behind the nurse. “Do you have a visitor?”
“Yes officer, my dear friend is here to visit before her workday starts,” Chloe said. “She’s in the loo right now though.”
“She brought me cookies. I hope the doctor lets me have them,” Sophie said, rubbing at her eyes. “I feel a little better. Do you think I can have the cookies?”
Sienna and I hid in the bathroom. The officer wasn’t leaving. I reached behind Sienna to flush the toilet then turned on the sink. I counted to fifteen in my head then clicked off the light as I pushed Sienna out the door. I stood squeezed in next to the toilet in the dark, holding my breath.