Karen Barrett - Hers To Remember

Oh, God, a baby! He’d never let her go now. “Please, no baby, no baby.” She’d finally found her voice, though she spoke in a mere whisper.

A hand cupped her face. “Shh, honey, the baby will be fine, and so will you. I’m going to take care of you both.”

I won’t be fine. Not if I’m pregnant. A dream, that’s it! This has to be a dream. Or a nightmare. My worst nightmare. Oh, God, I tried so hard. Please, God, please let me wake up.

“Come on, sunshine, that’s it. I’m right here.”

The voice drew her. Slowly, she opened her eyes. A man’s face hovered above her. At first creased with concern, it soon brightened with a relieved smile. And she knew God had answered her prayers. For this was truly the face of an angel.

Golden hair fell across his tanned forehead. Deep blue eyes the color of twilight sparkled with tears of joy. “Hi, sunshine.” He touched her face with gentle fingers. Then he turned his head. “Get the doctor.”

“Am I dead?” she asked the golden angel who touched her so tenderly.

He smiled down at her. “No, thank God, you’re alive. And now that you’re awake, you’re going to feel better every minute.”

She believed him. He sounded so sure, so confident. She wished she felt the same.

She licked her dry lips. “What happened? Where am I?”

“In the hospital. You had an accident. Can you remember?”

“An accident?”

The door opened and a man walked into the room. Tall, with reddish-blond hair, and nearly as handsome as the man sitting at her side, he grinned. “Well, it’s about time you woke up, little sister. The doc will be here in a minute.”

Little sister? Why would he call her that? She didn’t have a brother. She looked from one man to the other and felt only confusion. She didn’t know these men. They looked as though they could be brothers. But not hers. She was an only child.

“Casey’s the one who found you,” explained the man who’d called her sunshine. She guessed that made him Sam. “Can you remember what happened?”

She took in the concern on both men’s faces and wanted to cry. Who were they? Why were they here? What did these strangers care what had happened to her? She didn’t want to be so suspicious, but thanks to Vaughn, she didn’t know who to trust anymore. She searched her memory, trying to remember what had put her in the hospital.

“Don’t strain yourself, sweetie. We have plenty of time,” Sam said gently.

“I’m okay,” she assured him. “But I’d like to sit up a little.” The sooner she got back to normal, the better. She couldn’t fight Vaughn if she didn’t know what had happened.

He pushed a button on the side of the bed that raised the mattress behind her back. The movement caused the pain to intensify. She closed her eyes until the dizziness went away.

The memory came suddenly. “I was running.”

“Running? Was the phone ringing?”

“No, I was outside. It was dark, so dark. There was no moon. I could barely see. I must have stumbled over something. There were lights, bright lights, blinding me. Then I fell…That’s all I remember.” She reached up to touch her forehead and felt a bandage instead of skin. “I guess I must have hit my head.”

She recalled one of the men saying something about a concussion. No wonder her head hurt so much. She closed her eyes, trying to remember what had happened next.

A voice, a man’s voice. “Someone leaned over me and asked me if I was all right.” She opened her eyes to gaze at the man who held her hand. “The voice, it sounded like yours,” she said, not sure whether to be relieved or frightened. She still didn’t know who this beautiful man was or what connection he had to her. “Were you the one who found me?”

“Yes, I found you,” he said.

The strange look on his face caused her suspicion to heighten. Could this man be one of his? “Why are you looking at me like that?”

The snap in her voice seemed to startle him. “Amy, I…”

The name confused her. Her name wasn’t Amy. “Why did you call me that?”

He looked just as confused as she felt. If he’d been one of the people who’d been following her, wouldn’t he know her name? “My name’s not Amy. It’s Adrienne…Adrienne Winston.”

“Adrienne Winston?” He said it as if he’d never heard it before. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure.” She might have been confused by these strangers who’d shown up in her room, but she did know her own name.

“Sam, can I talk to you outside?” Casey asked, his voice still calm and professional-sounding.

A silent message seemed to pass between the two men. “Sure,” Sam said. “Why don’t you wait for me in the corridor.”

Casey nodded, then turned and left the room.

The strange exchange brought her confusion back full force. “What’s going on?”

The door opened again before he could reply to her demand. A petite woman walked in. Her tightly braided coal-black hair hung over one shoulder to her waist. She wore a white lab coat over a red sweater, slacks and a stethoscope around her neck. She walked over to the side of the bed, smiled and held out her hand. “I’m Dr. Yamana. It’s nice to see you awake, Mrs. Delaney. Your husband has been very worried about you.”

Adrienne stared at the doctor, confusion warring with fear. She’d called her Mrs. Delaney. Why? Hadn’t Vaughn told them who she was? The doctor had said her husband was worried. How could they think he was her husband and not know her name?

She looked over at the door. Where was Vaughn? Why hadn’t he come in when the doctor had been called? Her heart began to race. Maybe he wasn’t here. She turned to the doctor. “I have to get out of here.”

“All in good time,” the doctor said, ignoring her rudeness. She took a small black instrument out of her pocket. “I need to look in your eyes. The light might bother you, but it will only take a second.”

“Dr. Yamana, there’s something I need to tell you,” Sam said.

“Why don’t you wait for me outside? This won’t take long.”

“Please, Doctor, it’s important.”

The doctor smiled at him. “Five minutes, tops. I promise.”

When he moved toward the door, Adrienne felt a flash of panic. “Please, don’t go.” He’d taken care of her after the accident. His presence had made her feel safe somehow. If he left, the feeling of safety would leave, too. It had been so long since she’d felt even a modicum of security, she wasn’t willing to give it up. “Please.”

He smiled reassuringly. “I need to talk to Casey. You heard what the doctor said, five minutes, tops.”

“All right.” She didn’t like it. Vaughn could arrive at any minute. Vulnerability overwhelmed her. Cooperate, she told herself. It’s the only thing that’s going to get you out of this place.

Finishing her examination a few moments later, Dr. Yamana stood back and smiled. “I think you’re going to be just fine. But you do show signs of a slight concussion. I’d like to keep you overnight for observation.”

“I can’t stay!” The words burst out of her. In this hospital bed, she’d be a sitting duck.

“You were a very lucky woman, Mrs. Delaney,” Dr. Yamana said, her tone grave. “You and your baby are just fine. But an injury like this is a shock to the system. It will be safer for both of you if you get some extra rest.” A gentle smile lightened her serious expression. “Now, I need to ask you some questions.”

“Questions?” She had a few of her own. Like why did this woman keep calling her Mrs. Delaney? And where was Vaughn? Did he know about the baby? What had he told the doctor? Could she be trusted?

“Don’t look so worried.” The doctor’s calm voice cut through her thoughts. “It’s a routine part of the examination when there’s been a blow to the head. First, tell me your full name.”