“When is she going to wake up? This’s taking way too fucking long. Do I need to take her to a fucking hospital?” Dusty’s rugged voice demanded desperately.
“When it comes to brain injuries we have no certainties. She was badly beaten. She needs time to heal,” a softer, older voice responded.
Panic coursed over me. Brain injury? Badly beaten? Was I paralyzed?
Then the memories hit, their weight settling over me when I saw Ashley’s body swimming in its own blood, when I realized what happened after. The pain, not something I’d ever forget. And the gunshot that followed. The trigger I squeezed.
I put all of my effort into moving my mouth, my fingertips, anything to make some kind of sound to alert the people around me that I was here. But I couldn’t. My body refused to obey me. I was trapped in my own body, unable to control it.
“Please wake up, sweetheart. Don’t know what I’d do without you.” Dusty’s voice came closer.
The panic spread under every inch of my skin but was quickly replaced by darkness I sank in once more.
CHAPTER 19
Dusty
My phone buzzed persistently, waking me up out of a restless sleep to alert me it was time to give Cameron her meds. I yawned and checked the time. Three a.m. I must have been so exhausted that my body eventually gave in and dozed off while I curled up next to her.
I stretched my tired muscles and reached for the pack of brown ampules and a syringe on the nightstand. I narrowed my eyes at the pack to make sure it was the right one, but there were no syringes left. I scratched the back of my head, yawning again as I walked to the bathroom cabinet.
Quickly, I grabbed a syringe and opened the package with my teeth. Then I walked back into the bedroom and turned on the lamp. Kneeling beside the bed, I gently touched her uninjured arm. “Cammie, wake up. It’s time for your meds.”
Her silence had never failed to punch me in the gut.
“No?” A sad sigh seeped out of my chest. Why had I been so hopeful tonight, thinking she would wake up and answer me, wishing I’d hear her sexy rasp call my name? This was so fucked up.Iwas so fucked up.
“Okay, baby. Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.” I broke the ampule and filled the syringe with the medicine. Then I emptied the air and pushed it in the IV.
After it was all done, and I cleaned up, I took one last look at Cammie and turned off the light.
“Dusty.”
I jumped, and then froze, and then turned on my heels. Was I hallucinating in the dark? No. I’d recognize this rasp any place any time. She did sound like she’d smoked a pack of Marlboros last night, but it was still hers.
My old lady’s rasp.
I switched on the lamp again, and she was looking at me.
“Cammie? Holy shit, you’re awake. Thank fuck.” Without a second thought, my mouth swooped down and crushed hers. “Owl! Get in here!”
She stared at me as if she didn’t recognize me. Then she looked down the bed, noticing the cast and the IV. “Where am I?”
“In my room, sweetheart.” I grinned. “Can’t believe you’re up. You’ve been sleeping for a week. OWL!”
“I think I might have to go back to sleep for a bit.”
“No, no, no, no, Cammie. Cammie, baby, wake up. Just stay awake, Cameron!”
She didn’t hear me and drifted back into the abyss that had been sucking her whole.
“FUCK!” I kicked a fucking chair as Owl dashed into the room in a wifebeater and jeans, barefoot.
He hurried to the monitor. “What happened?”
“She was up for like three seconds and then fell back into a fucking coma.”
“Chill. It’s totally normal.”