Rescue Me(47)

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I can hear the familiar voices of my family and friends but I can’t see any of them. Why can’t I see them? Oh my God. Joel. He was here. He got to me. Oh no. Where is he? Sierra! Oh, baby, where are you? I need to see you. Somebody help me!

“She’s been out for hours, doctor. I just don’t understand, why won’t she wake up?” I hear my sister pleading and she’s crying. Oh, Shelby. Why are you crying, honey? Is she talking about me? Everything goes black again.

My head hurts so badly. I feel my eyes start to flutter open and when they finally do I look around and notice that it’s dark. The small glimmer of light shining from underneath the door is the only light I see. I try to take in my surroundings and then I notice a dark figure sleeping in a chair next to my bed.

All of a sudden, the memories come rushing back. Joel being in the house; his threats. Sierra! I hear beeps and then the dark figure from the corner is by my side.

“Erin. Honey, don’t move. Let me go get the nurse,” Adam says in a shaky voice.

“No. Not yet,” I whisper. “I n...need to know something first.”

“What honey?”

“Sierra,” I say hoarsely. My throat hurts so badly I can hardly talk.

“She’s fine. She’s with Shayne and Luke. Now let me go get the nurse, okay?” he pleads.

I reach out and grab a hold of his arm. “Don’t leave me yet. Please,” I beg.

“Erin, you have to let me go get the nurse. And you need to stay calm and try not to talk. Please, baby. She is just right outside the door.” His eyes are pleading with me to let him go, so I do. But my gaze stays with him until I can’t see him anymore. I have so many questions. I need to know if they found Joel. I need to know if my daughter is all right.

When the nurse and Adam walk back in I am instantly blinded by the light when she turns it on. I close my eyes and gradually open them again. My entire body hurts. I can feel my heart beating rapidly in my ears and my throat feels like it has been scraped raw.

“Hello, Erin. My name is Julie and I am your nurse for the evening. I am not going to ask you how you’re feeling, honey, but I do need to check your vitals and Dr. Hutchins will be here in a few minutes to talk to you, okay?”

Her voice is so calm and soothing that I simply nod.

“Sir, I do need to ask you to leave the room for a little bit.”

She turns to Adam and now that I see him in the light, he looks troubled. His hair is a mess, as if he has been running his hands through it and he looks like he has been crying. His eyes are bloodshot. His clothes are all wrinkled. Even through all of that he is still the most handsome man I have ever seen.

“No way. I am staying right here and there isn’t a damn thing you or anyone else is going to do about it,” he says with determination as he walks over and stands next to my bed.

“Look, sir. You can’t be in here when we examine her. Now I know how you must feel, but...”

“No, you don’t know how I feel. I am not leaving her and I mean it.”

His statement is firm and unwavering.

“I want him here, please,” I whisper.

“Okay, Erin. He can stay, but I want you to go sit back in that chair and let me do my job.” She points over to the chair.

“Thank you,” Adam says.

“First of all, Erin, I need you to tell me if you’re in a lot of pain?” Julie asks empathetically.

“I have a terrible headache and the right side of my face hurts, but other than that just aches and pains,” I whisper.

“And your neck? How does that feel?” she asks as she starts to listen to my pulse.

“That hurts too, and so does my throat.”

“You’re a brave woman, Erin. Let me finish up here and I will get you something for your pain, okay?”

“Thank you.”

After the nurse does her thorough examination and all my vitals seem to be to her satisfaction, she excuses herself and Adam is quickly back by my side. I go to speak but he silences me with a finger to my lips.

“I know you have many questions, but you need to rest right now. We can talk about all of this tomorrow. You’re going to be fine, Erin.”

I need to get this out, it is killing me not knowing anything.

“Joel. Did they...?”

He silences me once again. “No. He ran off the minute he saw your sister. The police have been here and they have talked with Shelby. She didn’t hear anything when she was in the shower. But she did identify him and they are out looking for him.”

Adam rubs his hands down his face in frustration. “That’s all I know right now. I got here as soon as Shelby called me and I haven’t left.”