CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

HAZEL

I awoke to a soft beeping noise and blinding light stabbing through my eyelids like knives.

My mind raced, accelerating my heart rate and the beeping sound as I squeezed my eyes shut. How long had it been since I saw anything but pure darkness?

Slowly I relaxed my eyelids and allowed the light to creep in. Florescent lights shined down from directly above me and made a soft humming noise. Only then did I realize I was lying down. 

"Ahh," I groaned as I tried moving my head from one side to the other. My neck felt terribly stiff and sore. As I slowly became aware of the rest of my body, the pain throughout my limbs permeated through everything. 

I looked down and saw multicolored bruises and rope burns all along my arms. A needle with a tube was inserted into my right arm and was hooked up to an IV bag next to my bed. 

My body was covered with a blanket up to my chest over the flimsy hospital gown but I could only imagine what my legs and the rest of my body looked like. 

The machine beeped even faster as my recent memories formed. Or were they nightmares? 

Darkness for hours, if not days. Hands grabbing me, hitting me. Tied to a chair and being more thirsty than I ever felt in my life. It hurt so badly. Was it real? 

"She's awake! Hazel!" 

My head snapped to the side as I wondered for a split second if I'd be able to run. 

But relief flooded through me as my eyes fell upon Dahlia and Ash rushing to my bedside with tears in their eyes. 

"Guys," I choked before my own tears came rushing out. I never thought I'd see them again, my beloved family. 

Dahlia squeezed my hand as she kept the other one against her belly. My heart swelled with gratitude knowing I would be able to meet my baby niece or nephew after all. 

"I can't believe you made it out of there," Ash sighed. "It's all over the news." 

"What is?" I croaked, my voice hoarse from dehydration and lack of use. "What happened?" 

They exchanged glances nervously while Dahlia ran a protective hand over her belly. 

"Guys tell me," I pleaded. "What happened? Where's Liam?" 

My brother and sister-in-law both looked back at me with dumbfounded, shocked expressions. 

"How did you know he was there?" Ash asked. "They said you were unconscious the whole time." 

I wasn't sure what caused me to say it. On the surface, I didn't know. I had no idea. I couldn't even see anything during the whole time I'd been captured. 

But somehow, instinctively, I knew. Deep down I knew he would come for me. And the lack of answers scared me more than anything. 

"Seriously, you have to tell me," I said, my voice getting stronger and more confident. "I'm going to see it on the news anyway so don't hold back." 

Ash bit his lip and pulled Dahlia close before he spoke.

"There was a shootout between police and a gang at a warehouse just outside of town. Several police officers were injured. At least five gang members died."

"The FBI is getting involved," Dahlia added. "It's the most violence this place has seen in nearly a century."

My stomach churned. Violence and death in the quiet little town of Cloverville. And I was somehow in the middle of it along with the man I loved, who I didn't even know was dead or alive. 

I moved to sit up in bed but they both reacted quickly, shoving my shoulders back down. 

"You need to rest," Dahlia said. "You were severely dehydrated and your muscles need to recover." 

"I need to see Liam," I insisted, sitting back up again. "I need to know if he's okay." 

"Stop, Haze. Take it easy," Ash growled as they both shoved me back down again. 

Finally I relented, collapsing back onto the thin, hospital pillow. Just trying to sit up already zapped all my energy. 

"I can't just lay here and do nothing," I cried. 

"That's exactly what you need to be doing," Dahlia said in what I imagined was her best mom voice. She sat on the edge of my bed and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "Liam is tough as nails. I'm sure he's fine. We'll find everything out soon, regardless." 

I looked all around me until I finally spotted what would hopefully give me the answers I needed-- the nurse call button. 

I pressed it rapidly even after the light came on until a middle-aged woman in purple scrubs and a stethoscope around her neck entered my room. Her nametag said Caroline.

"I see we're awake," Caroline said cheerily. "How are you feeling Miss Forsyth?"

"Liam Barnes," I said, not bothering with introductions or politeness. "Is he a patient here? I need to know if he's okay." 

"I'm not familiar with that name, Miss--"

"He was one of the officers in the shootout," I said rapidly, moving to sit up again. "He was one of the ones who came to save me." 

"Miss Forsyth, you really should focus on resting--"

"Tell me!" I screamed, gripping the flimsy sheets in my fists. 

The soft murmur of voices out in the hallway stopped after I screamed. I didn't want to be a bitch but I was so damn frustrated on top of being in pain and worried. 

My face scrunched up as I began to cry, my eyes pleading with the stone-faced nurse who didn't look like she had an ounce of sympathy for me. 

"Miss Forsyth, he's not one of my patients so I honestly am unaware of his condition. But even if I were, I cannot tell you due to doctor-patient confidentiality. Are you a family member?" 

I lowered my head and shook it slowly, defeatedly. 

"Then I'm afraid I cannot help you, aside from monitoring your own condition." 

I said nothing more, refusing to look at her as she came to my bedside to check my IV and vitals. 

When she left, Ash let out a dry chuckle which Dahlia promptly smacked him for. 

"I'm glad you think this is funny," I snarled at him. It killed me not knowing if Liam was alive or dead or somewhere in between. 

"I just didn't expect you to be that kind of patient," he shot back. "The kind every nurse hates. She's just doing her job, Haze." 

"Fuck you," I said defiantly. I didn't give a single fuck if I was rude or inconveniencing anyone. The love of my life could be in the morgue for all I knew. 

Dahlia suddenly stood up. 

"I have an idea," she declared. "I'll be right back." Without another word she left my room and pregnancy-walked down the hallway.

I cracked a smile at Ash. 

"She's starting to waddle." 

"I know," he breathed with a half-smirk. "I can't believe I'm closer to being a dad every day." 

"I'm so glad I'll still get to be an aunt," I said, squeezing more tears out of my eyes. "Before I have my own, that is." 

Being kidnapped and so close to death sent my emotions through a never ending rollercoaster. First I was pissed at the world for no one telling me about Liam, then I was overcome with relief and gratitude at merely being alive.

How could I even begin to go back to normal life after this experience? Especially if it was a life without Liam? 

I didn’t dare to think of it.

Dahlia returned about twenty minutes later holding the arm of an older gentleman with a thick salt and pepper mustache. His eyes were red and I noticed a thick bandage wrapped around his arm.

"Hazel, this is Detective Jeffrey Barnes, Liam's dad." 

Suddenly, being polite seemed utterly important. 

"It's nice to meet you, Detective," I greeted, extending a hand. 

"Likewise, despite the circumstances." He cracked a small smile and patted my hand before sitting down with Dahlia and Ash. 

"Were you there too, Detective?" Ash asked him. 

"I was," he replied. "So far I'm the only one that's been discharged. Those young cops kept me in the back of the pack so I wouldn't get hurt." 

He dabbed at his eyes with a tissue in his pocket. "Those poor guys. It really was a war zone. It'll take a lot for all of us to recover. Mentally and physically." 

"And Liam?" I asked, unable to hold back the question any longer. "How is he?" 

Detective Barnes' eyes immediately watered again as his mouth trembled. My heart began to break in preparation for the absolute worst news. 

"Liam took the worst of it, I'm afraid." He paused to blow his nose and wipe his eyes again. "He ran straight into gunfire to save you. He got shot several times and lost a lot of blood."

“Oh my God,” Dahlia raised both hands to her mouth in horror while Ash wrapped a protective arm around her.

My breath left me again and I could only say one word.

"No..." 

The word rattled around in my skull before it came out of my mouth. It couldn't be true. I couldn't accept it. 

"He's been in surgery for the last several hours," the detective went on. "We don't know if or when he's going to wake up."