Wasted 「𝓭𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝓻𝓸𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮 」

Chapter Twenty Two

Eve stared accusingly at the stuffed bear on her nightstand. She rubbed her eyes, sitting up in the hospital cot. Even at four a.m., the smell of cheap coffee wafted into her room. Her door was only slightly ajar, propped open by the booted foot of a police officer. Eve didn't mind – she never wanted to be in complete darkness again.

Still, she couldn't blame the hallway light or the hospital sounds for her sleepless nights. That was uniquely the bear's fault. She frowned, facing the gift away from her. A week had passed since she'd officially regained consciousness. That made for an entire month since they'd been found. Dean and his crew were probably miles away by now. The media sure seemed to think so.

Eve had denied all requests for comment. She wasn't interested in a breakfast television feature any more than she wanted to moonlight on a grisly true crime podcast. She'd caught snatches of Valerie and Lucy giving interviews on the local news, always before Nurse Deliz swept in to change the channel. The nurse didn't have to intervene much, their kidnapping was already yesterday's news. Because really, the girls had only been missing for two months, and anyway they'd all lived – so was there anything more to discuss? Even having the culprits on the loose wasn't enough to hold the public's attention without any leads.

All but Sherriff Franklin seemed to be losing hope. Another dead end, she'd heard officers buzzing outside of her room, no leads, already crossed county borders, and then how long is the Sheriff going to leave us bench-warming? As far as they seemed concerned, the threat had been successfully run out of town. Megan had told them about the sedan's New York plates, and most seemed convinced that the crew had already disappeared into the city. Valerie's father could hardly extend his jurisdiction to the metropolitan crime hub.

Eve hoisted her legs over the side of the bed. The pads of her no-slip socks squeaked against the clean linoleum as she stood. She walked to the window, parting the thick curtains with one hand. Outside, the parking lot was blanketed in a thick layer of snow. Light flurries caught against the glowing streetlamps as they fell. It would've been pretty if Eve could think of anything other than her mother shivering at home.

She folded her arms across her chest. Her health hadn't fully returned – Nurse Deliz warned her that the muscle spams might persist for months even – but she was well enough. She could walk and talk, and that meant she could go back to work. As much as she wanted to stay in the hospital soaking up every luxury the state charity fund extended her way, she knew it was time. Reality could only be ignored for so long.

×××

Wind lashed against the tips of Eve's ears. She huffed into her palms, warming them against the crisp winter air. Fresh frost crunched under the tread of her new boots. Nurse Deliz had been disappointed when Eve requested her medical release forms, but even the nurse could sense that the world was moving on. Eve suspected Deliz was the one responsible for her new boots. The shoes didn't match the threadbare, musty quality of the other donated clothing that the hospital had provided, and Eve certainly hadn't missed the way Deliz had smiled when she put them on.

Sunny Acres was well into hibernation. Rows of shuttered windows and padlocked doors stared back at Eve as she shuffled home. There was no sign of tourists now . Still, she felt her heart soar. Home. She was finally home. There would be no more poking by doctors or prodding from police officers. Life could finally return to normal.

"Mom!" She couldn't resist from yelling as she hurtled up the rickety steps of her trailer. "Mom, it's me! It's Eve!" Her knuckles rapped excitedly against the door.