CHAPTER FOUR
“SIR,” A SOFT female voice rings in my ears drawing me out of my sleep. “Dr. Morris is ready to see you.”
My gaze follows her back to the station where the doctor from earlier waits patiently. Shaking the sleep and crick in my neck away, I walk over to the doctor. “Dr. Morris, my apologies.”
“No worries, it happens all the time.” He says with a soft chuckle. “She should be waking up any moment. If you would like you can come see her now.”
“Yes.” I turn to Mark, who’s now standing next to me. “I’ll be back.”
With a curt nod, he returns to his section and continues working. Turning my attention back to Dr. Morris, I follow him past the stations swinging doors, stopping in front of a single bed room. “We ran several blood tests. Did a chest X-ray. As well as a pulse oximetry, which is where we attach a small probe to an extremity to determine how much oxygen is in the blood. We are waiting for the results.”
He opens the door without giving me a moment to process or ask questions. The sight of Autumn lying there asleep churns my stomach. Dr. Morris hasn’t said anything was wrong beyond potential repercussions.
Not a moment too soon, her eyes flutter open. She looks around the room taking in Dr. Morris first before her hazy gaze lands on me. Taking her hand in mine, I smile and kiss each knuckle. “Hey, baby.”
A void expands in my chest when she jerks back slightly. I swallow past the knot in my throat. Her beautiful green eyes are cloudy with fear and confusion. When she snatches her hand away and looks to Dr. Morris I feel as if I’ve been kicked in the gut.
“This is your fiancé.” Dr. Morris says motioning his hand toward me.
Her gaze darts to mine, searching my face. But after a moment there is no recollection. I feel my world start to crumble. “What’s wrong with her?”
“I told you there could be repercussions depending on how much smoke she inhaled and the damage it did to her. The lack of oxygen to her brain must have brought on a case of amnesia.” Dr. Morris states looking over her chart.
“Is it permanent?” I gaze at her feeling helpless, my heart breaking. I want to hold her. Take her in my arms and let her know it’s going to be okay.
“Hard to say. Most likely she will remember in a couple days. But amnesia is a fragile thing. You can’t do anything that will shock her brain into remembering. It has to connect everything on its own or it can be damaging to the brain.” He takes out a small pen light from his pocket and uses it to check her eyes.
“Shouldn’t you do small things to help her connect?”
“No, no. That is the worst thing you can do.” He tells me, his tone light. I’m getting awfully tired of his blasé attitude.
Biting back the anger boiling inside me, I force myself to stay calm for her sake. “What am I supposed to do? I can’t just leave her here!”
“Well, you can’t take her.”
“This is ridiculous. She’s Autumn! You can’t keep her from me.” I snap clenching my jaw.
The heart rate monitor starts beeping quickly pulling my attention to Autumn. She’s fine, besides the tears streaming down her face and the look of fear in her eyes. Her gaze drops to her hand studying the solitary diamond engagement ring finished in rose gold. I reach out to take her hand, just barely grazing her fingers before she snatches her hand away again. Another swift kick to the gut.
“You said you would do anything to help her.” Dr. Morris snatches her hand and nearly rips the engagement ring off her finger. He studies it a moment then shoves it out to me urging me to take it. “You need to leave.”
“What? You have to be joking.” I say with wide eyes and surprise clear in my voice.
He shakes his head. “No. You need to leave now before you cause her more damage. We will keep you updated on her progress and hopefully you can come back in a day or two.”
My gaze narrows on Dr. Morris. “I’m not leaving her, especially for that long.”
I catch that slight grin again before he composes himself. “You don’t have a choice. I’m her attending physician and this is what’s best for my patient. Now if you would.” He lifts his hand toward the door where two officers are waiting patiently.
“You can’t keep her away from me. I will be back tomorrow, with a lawyer if I have to.” I glare at Dr. Morris a moment before gazing back at Autumn. Brushing her espresso hair away from her face I press a kiss to her forehead, and whisper “I love you.”
“Sir, that is enough. You need to leave now.” Dr. Morris says in a curt, nasally tone.
Movement by the door catches my attention as one of the officers takes a step just inside the room, his hand resting on the butt of his holstered gun. Head hung low, I walk out of the room leaving Autumn behind.
Mark stands at the swinging doors the moment I enter the waiting room, a grim look on his face. Looking back toward the doors, I see the two officer standing there keeping their gaze trained on me. The two young nurses, who have to be doing their residency, are still giggling away at the side. The blonde nurse comes up to me with a blushing smile and tries to hand me a piece of paper. I don’t need to take it to know its her phone number. Without taking it, I walk past her and out the hospital doors. My body is too hot, and I can’t breathe.
The cool dry night air touches my skin the moment the doors open. But it’s not enough to cool the fury and fear boiling deep inside me. Mark walks up opening the car door in silence. My dark gaze connects with his. “Something isn’t right here. I want her under surveillance.”
“Do you think there is foul play?”
“I’m not sure yet. Something is definitely amiss. Check out Dr. Morris.” Something in my gut tells me things are about to get a lot worse before they get better. I get in the car and wait for Mark to join.
“Where to sir?” He asks shutting the door and turning the car on.
“Somewhere close. I want to come back in a few hours.” I pause looking back at the hospital bay doors and the two officers still standing guard. I tell Mark in a clipped tone, “Get her under surveillance tonight.”
“Right away, sir.”
We pull away, leaving the hospital and Autumn behind. As my mind replays everything that has happened my heart sinks. Not only did I lose her family, I lost mine as well. No. I’m not going to let that happen. I will come every day if it means sparking even the smallest recollection in her mind. I can’t lose her. I won’t lose her.