Remember Me

19

I pulled the oxygen tube off and tossed it off the side of the bed. It felt like I couldn't breathe at first, like I really did need the oxygen. But I knew it was just my panic, my fear. I wasn't dying and the set up was all for show to make me feel that way.

I pushed the magazines off my lap and the blanket fell on the floor. I put the note in the band of my underwear, not wanting James to find it when he didn't find me. I had to keep the note a secret because obviously he didn't write it. There was no way he would have wanted me to gain my consciousness back. Not with the realization that followed.

I pressed the button on the device left behind, alerting James that I needed him. Then I bolted from the room. I ran to the door and tried opening it with no luck. Of course, it was locked. And of course I was the idiot that didn't remember that.

I ducked into the closet near the door and pulled the sliding door until it was nearly shut. Then I waited.

He would come and find me missing. He would panic. I left the room like a crime scene, like someone kidnapped me and was holding me hostage. Like it wasn't my decision to leave.

But I knew he'd be suspicious and wonder if the IV wore off. If, or when, he found me, he would want to make sure I wasn't completely me. At least not the version he wanted me to be.

The door opened and James stepped inside. He wasn't in a rush or frantic. He just walked in and went for the bedroom.

"Sterling, baby, is everything okay?"

Once he was out of sight, I caught the door before it could close and took off down the hall. I passed several family rooms and hit a corridor I'd never seen before. My tour with James didn't give me much information about the place and I was still pretty disoriented while running. I didn't have a clue where I was going but I ran anyway.

Distantly, I heard footsteps. Then, from the overhead speaker, came a male voice I didn't recognize. Maybe a recorded alert.

"Patient SJ1 is missing. If found, alert J. Parker immediately."

I cursed to myself internally. It was clear everyone would go looking for me. Apparently, I had a reputation for running away. But so did Nicoli. Speaking of...

Arms grabbed mine and yanked me into a nearby room. I collapsed to the floor, a carpeted one, and caught myself before I could fall completely.

"Sterling, what the hell is going on?"

I lifted my head and saw Nicoli standing in front of me. Gone was his cast that I remembered from our time in the room together. He looked good, healthy. Not at all like the boy I remembered so long ago.

He was still waiting for a response but I wasn't sure what to say. What did he want me to say? "I ran away."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, no shit."

Jade stood in the middle of what looked like a living room, a coffee table beside her. She was in casual, lounge clothing. She didn't look at all like a doctor who wanted to kill us.

My mouth became dry and I was afraid something things were turning to shit too quickly. I was screwed and she'd tell on me and that was it.

"I'm not going to say anything."

Nicoli helped me up. I noticed him staring at me and it really made me want to hit him.

"Don't."

He backed up and lifted his hands in surrender. "I'm not saying anything."

"I know what you're thinking."

"Which is?"

Jade interrupted us, thankfully, and approached us. "Sterling, you can't hide for very long. This place is only so big. James will have every room investigated until he finds you."