“Morning.” My voice is raspy. “Where am I?”
“Northport General,” he says. “You were brought in my ambulance two nights ago.”
“Two nights?”
“Yep, it seems you were mugged and left on the side of the road.”
“Mugged?”
“What’s your name?”
“Kyler,” I say. “Rose.”
“Great, now we can put a name on your chart and stop calling you John. You definitely don’t look like a John, but I imagine you don’t look much like a Kyler either at the moment.” He flashes his light into my eyes, and I close them.
“Everything hurts.”
“I imagine. You took a beating, but nothing is broken. We’ll keep you for another night, and then you can go home. Is there anyone I can call for you?”
I start to shake my head, but it hurts too much. The nurse nods as if he understands and tells me he’ll be back with some pain meds for me. When he returns, he puts something in my IV, and it’s a welcome relief. It takes about five seconds to knock me out.
When I wake again, the same nurse is in my room. “How are you feeling?”
“Better,” I say as I try to sit up. I wince and struggle through the pain.
“The doctor has been in a few times to check your vitals. Your scans don’t show any internal damage. You’re very lucky.”
“Yeah.”
“The police will be by later to file a report.”
I nod but know I won’t file anything. “Can I eat?”
“I’ll have lunch brought in.”
“How long have I been here?”
“Four days now,” he says.
Four days.
“Is there anyone I can call?” he asks.
I shake my head. “No, I’m fine.”
He nods and leaves.
I’m flipping through the TV channels while picking at my lunch when my door opens. If ever there was a time to call for a nurse, it’s now. Standing at the foot of my bed is Adam Nelson.
“What the fuck do you want?”
He smiles like the psychopath he is. “I’m here with an offer.”
“Whatever it is, I don’t want to hear it.”
“I think you do,” he says. He paces in front of my bed with his hands in his pockets. “You’re facing a hefty hospital bill with this,” he pauses and points to me. “I want you to stay away from Thea, and in exchange, I’ll cover this hospital bill and give you twenty thousand in cash.”
“Fuck you.”