Until Winter Breaks by Elana Johnson

Author:Elana Johnson [Johnson, Elana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cleis Press
Published: 2017-01-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Jared reached toward the annoying alarm beeping on his phone, intending to silence it by smashing it with his bare hands. Instead, his fingers met soft hair, smooth skin. That, more than anything, caused him to open his eyes.

Bright light assaulted him, but he searched through slitted eyes until he recognized Millie’s dark hair, her porcelain skin.

“Hey,” she said. “Are you awake?”

He groaned, which was all his voice seemed to be able to do. Something pulled on his wrist, and the pain in his leg blazed.

“Time to wake up, Mister Newton.” This wasn’t Millie’s docile tone, but someone with much more authority.

He swung his head in the direction of the voice, and his brain hit one side of his skull and then the other. At least that was how it seemed. Another sound like a wounded animal emanated from his throat.

The bed moved, which sent a fresh unit of agony through his body. The blasted beeping increased, and full awareness descended on Jared.

“I’m in the hospital?” He sat up without the help of the bed, which only increased the spinning in the room. “What’s going on?”

“You had a high fever, Mister Newton. And a growing infection in your leg. Your friend called the ambulance, and we’re getting you all straightened out.”

Jared found Millie, who watched him with apology in her eyes. “I couldn’t wake you up. I got scared.”

He stretched his hand toward her, happiness filling him when she gave him her fingers.

“Your leg needed stitches,” the nurse continued. She was nothing like Millie, with her gentle touch and intoxicating scent.

“We took care of the stitches, and we’re prescribing you something for the pain. Now that you’re awake, we’d like to see you up and around for a couple of hours. Once you seem clear-minded, you’ll be discharged.” She pointed at him and shot him a look that would terrify an international spy. “Only take the dosage prescribed. Your friend here said she’d make sure of that.”

“I will,” Millie pledged.

Jared nodded too—anything to get the nurse’s finger out of his face and Millie to stay with him another night.

He groaned, this time not out of physical pain. “Our date,” he said.

Millie graced him with a genuine smile. “There’s always tomorrow.”

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