The Determining (17 page)

“What did she say?” Drew sat by the gurney she’d occupied for the past few hours.

“Nothing important.” Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. The nurse wouldn’t feed her, just in case she needed surgery. Charlie didn’t think she could keep anything down anyway. But the discomfort of an empty stomach compounded by her injuries made her irritable. Her stomach gave another embarrassing, loud growl.

Drew smiled. “When we get out of here, I’ll get you something to eat.”

After a few hours in the ER her stomach had settled enough for her to be hungry. The thought of filling the hollow ache lifted her spirits. She reached for Drew’s hand, giving it a quick squeeze. “Thank you for being here with me.”

He leaned forward, brushing a stray hair off her forehead. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.” The emotion in his brown eyes burned. They flicked down to her lips and she knew where his thoughts were going.

“Drew.” Her voice held a warning.

“You loved me once. Why can’t you try again?”

She had to look away from his pleading eyes. “Not after everything that’s happened.”

A cough interrupted the awkward moment. Charlie glanced over Drew’s shoulder. A woman wearing a white lab coat observed them with impassive, clinical eyes.

“Miss Grey, I’m Dr. Moore.” The doctor gave Charlie’s hand a firm shake. “I’ve looked over your test results and X-rays. You sustained two fractured ribs and a mild concussion in addition to your broken nose. Lucky for you, there seems to be no internal bleeding. We can discharge today.”

Charlie smiled, not minding the throbbing in her jaw. “Great. How soon can I get out of here?”

Dr. Moore shot a quick look at Drew. “Soon. There are some things I need to go over with you privately before I can release you.”

Drew took the doctor’s less than subtle hint and got to his feet. “I’ll be in the waiting room.” He pushed aside the thin blue curtain that separated her from the rest of the ER and disappeared.

Dr. Moore took the seat Drew vacated. “The nurse indicated in your chart that you refused to contact the City Guard. Is that correct?”

Charlie nodded. The likelihood of the City Guard believing her story was slim to none. What officer of the law would believe a member of the Council had assaulted her? Even if one did believe her, there was nothing anyone could do.

“Before I sign your discharge papers I am obligated to ask again, will you allow us to contact the City Guard for you?” She leaned forward. “We can set you up with a social worker and ensure that when you leave, you will be protected from your attacker.”

“I don’t want to involve the City Guard.” Charlie tried to sound, and look, reassuring.

Dr. Moore opened her mouth but closed it without saying anything. She stared at Charlie, her eyes cataloging every injury. Charlie squirmed under doctor’s scrutiny. Finally, the woman nodded, looking down at the electronic chart in her hand.

“There are some files here with instructions for your recuperation, and I’m giving you a prescription for the pain. Be sure to come back if your headache worsens or you get dizzy or nauseous.”

“Thank you.” Charlie extended her wrist, allowing Dr. Moore to load the files onto her chip.

The doctor stood, moving to leave. She hesitated by the curtain. “I shouldn’t do this, but I can’t let you leave without asking. Do you have somewhere safe to go?”

Tears prickled the back of Charlie’s eyes. “Yes, I do.”

Her entire body relaxed. “Good. I’ll send the nurse in to finish discharging you.”

“Thank you again.”

Dr. Moore disappeared through the curtain.

Charlie didn’t have long to wait. The attractive young woman pushed aside the blue curtain and began bustling about the gurney.

“I need to take out your IV then I’ll leave you to change back into your street clothes.”

“You don’t know how wonderful that sounds.” With freedom in reach, Charlie felt lighter.

“Take a deep breath for me and blow it out slowly.” The nurse removed the IV with a gentle hand, replacing it with a bandage. “You’re all set. I’ll go get your friends and let them know you’re ready to go.”

“Friends?” Charlie asked, confused.

“Yes, two handsome men in the waiting room.” The nurse winked.

“But I only came with one friend.” Charlie had a sinking feeling who the other ‘friend’ could be.

“If it were me, I wouldn’t turn the tall one away.” The nurse chuckled as she left.

Alone, Charlie untied the flimsy hospital gown and slipped into her own clothes. She slid her feet into her boots, enjoying the feel of the soft wool cushioning her steps. Fully clothed, she settled back onto the bed to wait for Drew. A minute later he appeared, his expression dark.

She glanced behind him, searching for the mysterious visitor. “The nurse said someone else was here to see me.”

“He’s in the waiting room.” Drew refused to meet her gaze.

Any doubt she had about her visitor disappeared with that small action.

The pain medication had begun to wear off. She accepted the wheelchair the nurse had left for her, aching all over. Once settled into the chair, Drew pushed her to the waiting room.

Thayer stared off into space, a serious look wrinkling his brow. He leaned back in the upholstered armchair, one arm thrown across its back. A fitted blue dress shirt and vest accentuated his broad shoulders and trim waist. His rolled up sleeves allowed Charlie a view of his muscular forearms. This stranger would be her husband. The thought made her palms sweat.

When Thayer noticed her, he stood. Unlike the first time they met, he wore no easy smile. His frown deepened as he took in her broken nose. Like the doctor, his eyes traveled over every bruise, every cut.

“How are you?” His grey-blue eyes pierced her.

Charlie ignored the question. “What are you doing here?”

“The hospital contacted me.”

She stiffened. “Why would they do that?”

“I’m your next-of-kin. When two people are paired, their chips automatically treat the couple as if they are married.” Thayer shrugged. “Even though we haven’t had a proper ceremony, our chips think I’m your husband.”

Drew, who had taken the chair next to her, tensed.

“Oh… ” The world shifted as if someone had pulled a rug out from under her. No “would be.” She was
already
married to Thayer McLean. It didn’t seem possible. When she found her voice again, she spoke with hostility. “Would you sit down? I don’t like you looming over me.”

Thayer didn’t appear affected by the tone in her voice. He settled himself in a chair across from her. “We have a lot to talk about.” His eyes flicked to Drew before coming to rest on her face again.

Charlie looked away. She didn’t want do this now. She glanced at Drew. He sat with his arms folded across his chest, an irritated gaze leveled on Thayer. No, she couldn’t do this with Drew sitting next to her.

Thayer obviously sensed her hesitation. “Maybe we should speak alone.” He glanced back at Drew.

“I’m not leaving until Charlie tells me to.” He returned Thayer’s stare.

“Drew.” He turned to her, disbelief written on his face. “Please.”

“Fine.” He nearly jumped out of his chair, startling Charlie as he did. With another glare at Thayer, he stalked off.

“I’m sorry about him.” Charlie released a long breath.

“Don’t be.” He waved the apology off. “He was your first choice, I understand. Unfortunately the time we live in doesn’t allow the luxury of choice, does it?”

“No, it doesn’t.” She looked at him with open curiosity. Could this man understand the desperation that drove her to enter her name in the Lottery? No. As the eldest son of a Council member, he stood to gain everything from the current system. That begged the question, why had
he
entered his name? At that moment, she knew there were more important things for them to discuss.

“I have a few questions for you, if that’s alright?” She nodded and he continued. “I asked the nurse who contacted me what happened, but she wouldn’t say. Your boyfriend wouldn’t tell me anything either.” His body tensed when he said the word boyfriend.

Charlie didn’t want to talk about this with a stranger; she didn’t want to talk about it at all. Just thinking about her father beating her, the blood, the pain; it all made her sick. Rehashing the details didn’t appeal to her. But, she owed him an explanation.

“You know my parents intended for me to marry Mason Novack. As you so graciously pointed out the first time we met, I’m less than thrilled about the match.” She grabbed a piece of her hair, twisting it around her finger. “The day after my coming-out party, my father informed me that he had already entered negotiations with Mason’s father. He told me I had no choice in the matter and that Compatibility wasn’t even a factor in my case. I had less than two months until the wedding and about a month until the engagement went public.” She looked down at her hands, clenched in her lap. “I tried the only thing I could think of to get out of it.”

“You entered the Lotter,” Thayer supplied.

She shook her head. “Not at first. Drew and I had our Compatibility tested. Obviously that didn’t turn out as we hoped. “A … friend suggested I try the Lottery. This afternoon I went and entered my name. When my father realized where I was, he—” Charlie broke off, fighting the lump rising in her throat.

“I think I can guess the rest,” he said quietly.

There it was, pity. Charlie hated that look. She swallowed back her tears, refusing to let her emotions get the better of her.

The look disappeared from Thayer’s face almost like he sensed her thoughts. He spoke in a clinical tone. “What’s stopping your father from accessing your chip and altering our marital status?”

Charlie shook her head and immediately regretted the movement. “I don’t know. But the fact that the hospital contacted you tells me that something is preventing him from tampering with my chip. I can only imagine my mother is keeping him from doing anything drastic, at least until I am home and under their control again.” Her voice had a bitter edge.

Thayer leaned forward. “That won’t happen,” he vowed.

Charlie studied him, noting the look on his face. Fire burned in his eyes. For a moment, she really believed he could protect her. Then the moment passed. “I don’t see how it can be avoided.”

Thayer was quiet for a moment, clearly thinking the situation over. “There’s one way to make sure you’re free.” He paused, eyeing her like he was trying to gauge how she would react to his plan. “We need to have a wedding as soon as possible. After the ceremony, we allow someone to ‘leak’ it to the press. By the time your father tries to undo our marriage it will be too late.”

Hope flared in her chest. She was desperate enough to try it, even if the plan didn’t work. “Let’s do it.”

He nodded, determination filling his eyes. “Excuse me for a moment.” He stood before Charlie could say anything. She watched him pull a cell phone from his pocket as he walked down the hall and out of sight.

Almost as soon as he disappeared, Drew reappeared by her side.

“Where did your husband go?” He sneered.

She closed her eyes, rubbing them despite the discomfort it caused.

“I hate this,” he muttered, dropping back into his chair.

“I do too, but there’s nothing else we can do.”

Drew inhaled sharply. The familiar look of hope filled his eyes. “Let’s run away together.” He spoke as if afraid to hear the words aloud.

She tried not to laugh at the suggestion. “Drew, adultery is against the law. Anyway, my father would track our chips. We wouldn’t make it out of the city.” Charlie glanced to where Thayer disappeared, hoping he’d come back and save her from this conversation.

“We remove our chips. No one would find us.”

She looked back to Drew, finding excitement in his eyes. “A week ago you told me how you believe in the system, in the chip. Now you want to cut it from your arm?” She demanded. “What’s happened to you?”

“A week ago I had hope,” he snapped. “I had you. My life made sense.”

Charlie shook her head. “If we got caught they would send us to the islands. Do you know who they send there, Drew? Murderers, rapists, the scourge of the earth. At least here you have some chance of living a normal life.”

His voice rose. “Where is your faith? The girl I love would never take this laying down.” His words hurt almost as much as the wounds Richard had inflicted.

“You think I’ve let this just happen to me?” Blood pumped in her ears and red clouded her vision. “I’ve been fighting for weeks and I lost. If I’m taking this lying down it’s because I’ve been beaten so badly I can’t get back up!”

He jumped to his feet. “Damn it Charlie, I’m trying to get you out of this!”

“Right now,
this
is the best I can hope for. I may be married to a total stranger, but at least it’s not Mason. You can’t save me from this, not with my father and every Council member fighting against you.”

Drew’s voice took on a beseeching tone. “That’s it, then. You won’t even try?”

“I’ve done everything I can. I need to accept when I’ve been beaten, even if you can’t.”

Someone cleared their throat, interrupting them. Thayer stood a few yards away, hands in his pockets. With an apologetic look in her direction, he walked back to the chair and sat down. She wondered how long he’d been listening. Nothing in his face gave anything away.

“I made a call to a justice of the peace who owes me a favor. He’ll be here within a half an hour.” Thayer spoke to her, ignoring Drew.

She stilled, surprised at the speed his plan was progressing. At least before the night ended she would be free of her father. Relief made her limbs feel weak. “Thank you.”

“What do you mean?” Drew glanced between the two.

“Given the circumstances, it’s best that Charlotte and I make our marriage official as soon as possible.” Thayer finally looked at Drew, his eyes full of contempt. The look made Charlie uneasy, but she pushed the feeling aside. Thayer couldn’t be worse than Mason or Richard and she couldn’t afford to lose her best chance at freedom.

Drew scoffed. “What’re you going to do after the wedding?”