"Just get me a list of everything he'll need, and I'll make sure I have it ready for him when he comes home."
"I'll have the nurse have something ready for you in the morning. Until then, why don't we let Mr. Mathis rest. He'll be under for several hours, which is good. He needs it."
"Are you sure I can't stay? I'm so worried about him."
"Afraid not. Hospital policy, but if you want to sit with him, you can come at ten in the morning when visiting hours begin."
"Yeah, I'll do that."
"Nurse, can you take Mr. Mathis's vitals and run another blood panel? I want to make sure that fall didn't cause any undue injuries."
"Of course, Doctor."
He held his breath when someone's hot breath blew out across the side of his face. He kept his eyes closed tight when tears flooded them.
"Bye, love. I'll see you first thing in the morning," someone said loudly. A moment later, that loud voice turned to a whisper. "I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I suspect that you can. You say anything, boy, and I will unleash a hell on you that you've never experienced. And then I'll find all your friends and family and do the same to them, so keep your mouth shut."
Footsteps sounded on the tile floor as the man walked away.
A door opened and closed.
Lex jerked when someone grabbed his wrist. The hand holding him tightened. For a moment, fear paralyzed Lex, stealing his ability to breathe.
"Hold still, Mr. Mathis," the nurse whispered. "He's not gone yet."
What the hell?
The nurse held his hand a moment longer then gently laid it down. Lex heard her moving around the room. A blood pressure cuff was fitted around his arm. Lex winced as it tightened. He hated those things. He tried to breathe through it until the pressure loosened.
Something being tied tightly around his arm. The strong scent of rubbing alcohol filled the air before something was rubbed over the crook of his elbow then a slight poke as a needle was inserting into his arm. Whatever had been tied around his arm was loosened. A moment went by and the needle was removed, a piece of cotton taped over the insertion site.
The door opened again and someone walked in.
"He's gone." That was the doctor. "You can open your eyes, Mr. Mathis."
Lex swallowed tightly before opening his eyes and looking around. The nurse stood at the side of the bed, the doctor at the end of it. "How are you feeling, Mr. Mathis?" Dr. Green asked. "You took a pretty hard fall off the bed."
Lex actually didn't feel any pain at all at the moment. He couldn't help but wonder if that was due to the drugs they'd given him. "I'm okay."
The doctor grabbed the rolling stool and pulled it close to the side of Lex's bed. "I want you to understand that you are in a safe place, Mr. Mathis. No one will hurt you here, and anything we discuss is covered by doctor-patient confidentiality."
Lex frowned. "Okay."
"You had a pretty strong reaction when your fiancé came into the room."
Lex gasped as he struggled to sit up. "That man is not my fiancé. He's the one who attacked me and beat me up. I've never even seen him before then."
That statement didn't feel quite true to Lex, but he still couldn't figure out where he'd seen the brown-haired man before.
The doctor shot a quick glance toward the nurse. "Mr. Carson is not your fiancé?"
"No." Lex shook his head, rapidly at first, but slower when pain lanced through his head. "I have no idea who he is."
"Mr. Mathis, he had medical power of attorney for you, signed and notarized. That's the only reason he was even allowed in the room with you while you were unconscious."
"I've got to go." Lex flipped the blankets back and started to swing his legs over the side so he could get up. He just knew if Carson came back, he would inflict the pain he'd threatened to. "He said he'd kill me if I said anything."
"Slow down, Mr. Mathis." The doctor jumped up and stood closer to the bed, blocking Lex from climbing off the bed. "Running off is not going to help you."
