Face Your Fears

Chapter 18

 "...know what could've caused him to pass out like that?"

"Not for any reason that I can find. The guy is perfectly healthy as far as I can see. His lungs are a little damaged, so my guess is that he's a smoker, or was a smoker, but other than that, he's fine."

There had to be some little dwarf marching around in my head, beating a hammer into the side of my skull. That's how hard my head was pounding.

I felt like I was going to throw up, too. There was a nasty taste in my mouth and my throat must've been rubbed raw, because it hurt to swallow.

What I really wanted was for the people talking in hushed voices to shut the hell up. I wanted to go back to sleep.

"Did you contact his family?"

"Yes. I pulled his name from his license and searched his records in the New York database. I called his wife - Hailey, I think her name was. Some name that started with an h. She said she'd be on her way. That was about an hour or so ago."

"Good. At least we'll be able to ask her questions about him."

Wait a moment.

These people had called Hadley? Where was I? What the hell happened?

I fought to open my eyes for a moment, and when I finally did, I was met with the blurry sight of some middle-aged woman in purple scrubs hovering over me, adjusting the pillows propped up behind me, fussing over me.

"Who the hell are you?" I demanded, my voice raspy from sleep.

I wasn't exactly all that lucid at the moment, but I knew well enough to tell that something out of the ordinary was going on here. Well, something out of the ordinary more than usual.

The woman laughed, giving me a motherly sort of smile. "Not to worry, honey. You're just fine. You're in the hospital right now."

"Hospital?" I repeated confusedly. "I'm in the hospital? What happened?"

I couldn't remember a damn thing. I forced myself to focus, to think back on the last thing that had happened, but all I got was this black wall.

"You passed out," the woman told me, shaking her head sympathetically. "Hit your head pretty hard. Hard enough to get a concussion."

I passed out? When? Well, not only when, but where?

What on Earth could've possessed me to pass out? That was so not a manly thing to do.

"You called my wife?" I said after a moment, frowning.

The woman nodded. "She'll be here soon, not to worry."

Well, that was relieving. She may not have been there, but Hadley would be able to tell me what had happened. Somehow. I think it was a woman thing.

"Actually, she's here right now."

My eyes flashed to the door, and sure enough, Hadley was passing over the threshold, still dressed in her work clothes, looking rather frazzled.

"You sure got here fast," the woman said with a laugh.

"I have my ways," Hadley said wryly. "Would you give us a moment?"

"Sure." The woman gave me a smile, patting my hand. "I'll be back in a few to check up on you."

She waltzed from the room, shutting the door behind her, humming under her breath.

Hadley came to my bedside, a grief stricken look passing over her face, reaching out to clutch at my hand.