Cursed Ecstasy (Cursed Series) (9 page)

“Stable? She’s going to be okay, right?”

My soul aches for my best friend; I can’t imagine how he’s feeling right now.

“She’s under the best care possible right now. I’ll let you know if I hear anything else. The nurses up there know to keep us all up to date with her care.”

Linc rests his head back on his pillow and closes his eyes.

Steve, now fully awake and alert, moves to stand next to Linc and places his hand on his left shoulder.

“She’ll be okay, man; Jo is one hell of a fighter.”

“If you guys want to get out of here for a bit, I’ll take your cell numbers and call if we hear anything more,” Kathy says.

“Doesn’t sound like a bad idea, Dault. Why don’t we head back over to get your car and we’ll meet back up here later. Neither one of us are any use right now without sleep or food.”

“Steve is right, Dault, just come back later. It’s not like Jo and I are going anywhere.”

“You’ll call us if anything happens, right?”

The nurse nods her head and takes down our numbers.

With a small peace of mind, Steve and I walk our way out of the room and to the elevator. A nice hot shower and a nap could really do me good right about now.

Chapter 10

The pain meds are starting to kick in, and any moment now I’ll be taken up to my room.

My eyes flutter open and close; I can barely keep them open. I’ve felt out of sorts on medication before, but that was when Rick had been giving me those pills. It’s almost like an out of body experience.

Since I feel so numb, the orderly and nurse bring a wheelchair into the room and help me out of bed.

There are long, clear tubes dangling from two large bags that are now hanging from the metal rod on the chair. Everything is connected to a single clear tube that is attached to the IV inserted in my left hand. The sensation of floating overcomes me as I’m wheeled out of the room, through the halls, and into an elevator.  

I try to focus on my surroundings, but everything seems to be passing by so quickly.

Damn these drugs are making me loopy.

After what seems like no time at all, I’m being pushed into a single room with a bed positioned right in the center.

Now how the hell am I going to get up on that?

“Can you get up from the chair, Miss Powers?”

I shake my head back and forth until I make myself dizzier than I was before.

A snickering noise sounds from behind me and I can only assume the craziness this man has seen in his time working here.

He helps to guide me from the wheelchair and into my bed. Bringing the covers up around my shoulders, a slight tremble moves through my body as I move to get comfortable under the blankets.

I watch as he leaves the room. Everyone has left; I’m once again all alone.

There are no doctors, nurses, orderlies, and of course, no Christian.

He hasn’t come back since he walked out of my room in the ER and I honestly can’t blame him. I may not have been the nicest to him, but he has to understand that I’m not in a good place.

I’m not looking for pity or anyone to show me empathy; I just want to be left alone. There’s a lot of stuff I need to figure out before I get out of here. Once I’m free and clear of all doctors’ orders, I need to find a way out of this town.

Birmingham hasn’t been my home for long and I didn’t intend to stay here long anyway. It was just supposed to be a short stop on my long tour of finding my place in this world.

I’ll miss Linc—he’s the one friend that I’ve made that helped me realize the person I really am. I know that he’ll understand why I can’t make this town my home.

I don’t know where I’ll go or what will happen. All I can think about right now is getting my shit together and moving on…once again.

A clicking sound draws my attention to the door. As it opens, a short, red-haired man walks into the room.

“Hello, Miss Powers, I’m Dr. Stanley. I’ve reviewed your tests and spoken with Dr. Schwehm who met with you in the ER. For now, we’d like to run a few more tests and then a nurse will be in to check your vitals. Once we feel you’re stable, you can rest and relax for a few hours.”

“I can sleep?” I ask in a high pitched voice.

“Not for a lengthy amount of time—we’ll have to keep you monitored throughout the day. But yes, you can rest for short intervals.”

Another man comes into the room with a wheelchair and stands behind the doctor.

“This is Dave and he’ll be taking you for your testing. If there’s anything else you need just alert your nurse.”

“Thank you, doctor, I should be fine.”

Dave helps me get out of bed and into the chair.

Everything around me is spinning and I’m finding it difficult to focus on my hands right in front of me.

A feeling of nausea hits me and just as I’m about to spill my guts, Dave pulls a plastic container out of nowhere and sets it in front of me.

“Do you have any known allergies to medication, Miss Powers?” the doctor asks.

Shaking my head, I reply, “None that I’m aware of.”

“If you continue to feel sick or nauseous, we may need to adjust your pain medication or give you something else to help your stomach. Just make sure your nurse knows, okay?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Do you feel like you’re going to be sick again?” Dave asks.

“No, I think I’m okay for now.”

He hands me a tissue and takes the container from me.

“Let me clean this out and we’ll take it with us, just in case.”

Wiping my mouth with the tissues, I nod my head and close my eyes to help stop the room from spinning. I’ve never been one to take painkillers for recreation; I don’t know how anyone can feel like this and do it for enjoyment. It really sucks ass.

Dave comes back out of the bathroom and hands me the container. Setting it on my lap, I close my eyes again as he begins to push me out of the room.

For the next hour or so I’m taken to a few rooms for scans, blood work, and other testing. I feel like a guinea pig being prepped for scientific testing.

I know this is all part of the process, but all I really want to do is close my eyes and get some sleep.

By the time Dave brings me back to my room, I’m exhausted. I can barely keep my eyes open and I can barely feel the pain in my neck and back.

He helps me back into bed and pushes the tray table up next to my bed.

“I have the container, tissues, and a cup of water here if you need them. Anything else, just buzz the nurses' station and someone will be right in to help you.”

Once he has me comfortable, he sets the remote next to me on the bed and leaves the room.

Just as I’m about to shut my eyes, I hear the door open and close. To my surprise, the man walking toward me isn’t at all who I’d expect.

“Steve?” I say more as a question than a statement.

“Hey, Etty, sorry I haven’t been around here much today. It’s kinda been a shit show trying to find out what the hell happened to you guys last night.”

I pick my head up off the pillow and try to sit up. He lifts his hand and gestures for me to stay put.

“Yeah, well, I’m really sorry about everything, Steve. I really didn’t think Rick would come here, let alone find me in their house.”

“Etty, this isn’t your fault, don’t blame yourself.”

“I think you’re the only one that feels that way.”

“Don’t worry about Dault right now. He’s a pain in the ass to begin with. He’ll get over it soon enough.”

I let out a sigh and rest my head back down on my pillow.

“I just wanted to come and find you to let you know what we’ve found out. Dault and I were actually leaving to head home but I wanted to see you first.”

“Where is he?” I ask in a nervous tone.

I should know the answer before even asking the question. Steve takes a seat in the chair next to me and runs his hands through his short hair.

“Like I said before, he’ll get over his issues, but for right now he’s not ready to come in here and talk with you.”

Nodding my head, I can understand what he’s trying to say.

“I get it, Steve, I really do. I may never have been Dault’s favorite person, but I can guarantee I’m his worst enemy right now.”

“Seriously, Etty, don’t worry about Dault. He’s the
least
of your worries right now. We were able to see Linc and got some news on Jo, too.”

I perk up and try to sit up again.

“Lay back down, girl, no need to get yourself all excited. The news I have to share isn’t the best, but at least it’s something to keep us all sane. Linc was shot in the arm and is in another room upstairs. As for Jo, she’s a bit touch and go right now. She was shot in the stomach and her surgery was a little bit more intense. For right now she’s in the ICU.”

“Oh my god, Steve,” I say as a sob escapes me.

“They’ll be fine, Etty, I believe that,” he says with a smile.

“What have I done?” I ask as the tears begin to pool in my eyes.

“Etty, there’s no use placing blame on yourself right now. What’s done is done, and all we can really do is pray that they’ll both be okay. The nurses have our cell numbers and will alert us and Linc with any changes.”

“I want to see him…can I?”

“I don’t know, Etty. You both need to get rest so that you can get out of here. Hopefully, we’ll know more later on today. I just wanted you to know what we knew.”

“Thank you for stopping by and telling me, Steve. It means a lot to me that you’re not pushing me away, too.”

“You’re part of the cursed crew, Etty, and we all stick together. Linc would want us to keep you informed and I won’t back down on my brother.”

Nodding my head, I wipe away the tears falling down my face.

“Get yourself some rest, Etty, and I’ll come back in to check on you in a few hours. Dault and I need to get his car and head home for a shower and some food.”

“No, I understand you gotta go. Thank you again for letting me know.”

“No worries, Etty, get some rest and get better so we have one less of you guys to worry about.”

He leans in, places a soft peck on my forehead, and walks out of the room.

Steve coming in here and talking to me really meant a lot; he didn’t have to do that.

I feel a slight sense of ease knowing that at least Linc is okay, well, for the time being. If only I could go see him, talk to him, and explain this hell I’ve created.

It would make me feel better knowing that he understands I didn’t intend for any of this to happen. It was all an accident, one that I can’t take away.

I just need to know that he’s not upset with me.

The pain is gone but the unknown of my friends hurts like hell.

I allow the frustration to take over and pull me into a deep sleep. It’s what I need right now and I’m not willing to fight it any longer.

Chapter 11

It’s been over twenty-four hours with no sleep. My eyes are burning and my head is pounding.

As I pull up to the house, there are cop cars lined up along the street.

This is not at all how I planned for things to happen.

Pulling my car behind the last cruiser, I throw it into park and hop out. There’s nothing much I can do to help them so I make my way into my house.

As I push the key into the lock, the door falls open.

Nice, so much for having privacy in my own house.

Without a second thought, I toss the keys onto the table and make my way up the stairs. If nothing else, I figure I can get in a quick shower to melt away the stress of the night.

Thoughts are flying through my mind. The answers I’d been waiting hours for finally came and I couldn’t feel more anxious.

Linc is still recuperating from surgery and Jo is in the ICU fighting for her life. I’ll count it as a blessing that they’re both still alive, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that Etty’s past has come and caused our worlds to flip upside down.

For fuck’s sake, Linc’s arm has been destroyed. It’s his right arm, the one he uses to ink. How the hell is he supposed to build his career with a bummed fucking arm?

My hand slams open my bedroom door and I fall onto my bed, fury and anger raging through me.