The New Friend by S.L. Harker

Author:S.L. Harker [Harker, SL]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-01-29T13:00:00+00:00

21

I sprint to the guest house and beat on the door until Connor answers. It’s nearly four in the morning, and he’s already dressed in his typical black slacks and button-down shirt. I don’t ask why. I just tell him Vanessa’s been found and toss him my car keys. There’s no way I can drive. I’m shaking so hard, my fingers are trembling. He takes me in, no doubt noticing the pallor of my skin, and nods.

He maneuvers my car down the darkened driveway and through town with a deft hand, arriving at the county hospital in record time. We’re silent the entire journey, but I’m grateful for his presence.

Bursting through the doors into the brightly lit emergency room lobby, I skid to a stop in front of the reception desk.

“Where is she?” I pant. I swallow and try again when the nurse behind the desk raises her eyebrows at me. “Vanessa Bird. I’m looking for Vanessa Bird.”

“Ms. Callow,” a voice calls from behind me. I turn and find the silver-haired officer there, Officer Willis. “We have her here. If you’ll come with me, I’ll find out if it’s okay for you to see her.”

I mumble a thank-you and turn to Connor. In an unspoken exchange, I leave him by the desk and follow Willis down bleach-scented hallways. He leads me through a series of swing doors before we find ourselves at another desk. The other cop is there—the one from the brick incident—along with a tall doctor with bloodshot eyes and an antiseptically clean white coat.

“She’s here,” Officer Willis says to the doctor. “Think it’s okay if she goes in?”

The doctor turns and looks at me before giving a nod. “Nurse,” he says to the woman standing next to him in pink scrubs, “take Miss Bird’s… friend? Roommate?” He turns to me, looking for an answer, but I don’t say anything. “Take her in. Stay with them.”

The nurse gives me a sympathetic smile and leads me a few doors down to a darkened room.

Vanessa is on an adjustable bed, dressed in a hospital gown with a blanket pulled up to her waist. Her head is directed away from us when we walk in, and I can’t tell if she’s asleep. I stand in the doorway, twisting my hands together.

“Hey, honey,” the nurse says, walking to the other side of the bed. “Oh, you are awake. Good.” The nurse fusses around with a cup, filling it with ice and water from the pitcher beside the bed. “Here, I know your mouth has to be dry.” Vanessa takes the cup but doesn’t drink. She still hasn’t looked at me. The nurse examines the monitors and checks the IV drip.

“She’s a little dehydrated,” the nurse says, gesturing to the IV bag. “We’ll get that fixed right up.”

I step around the bed until I’m in Vanessa’s eyeshot. She looks right through me. Her eyes are dark, swollen and rimmed with red. My breath stops when I see that there are red marks ringing her wrists and scratches on her cheek.

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