Truth - Romig Aleatha (читать книги полностью без сокращений бесплатно txt) 📗

The distance between them lessened as her back pressed against the cool glass. “I never told you I was...”

Without warning his hand forcefully contacted her left cheek causing her to stumble sideways. She caught herself against the glass before falling to the floor. He grabbed her hair and pulled her back to her feet. Tears filled her eyes as her scalp screamed in pain.

“Shut up!” He shouted. His foul breath making her stomach lurch.

She thought about her baby, “Please, you can have whatever you want. Just don’t hurt me.”

“I said shut up!” He slapped her again, releasing her hair and allowing her to fall. Her head bounced off the sill and onto the wood floor. Claire pulled her knees into her chest, as she tried to shield herself and her baby. Patrick’s foot connected her ribs pushing the air from her lungs.

As she struggled for air she heard his voice, “You’re coming with me. I’m going to get everything I deserve....” His fist now entwined her hair, pulling her body upward. She scrambled, trying to move – to stop the pain. He dragged her body across the floor. The room grew steadily darker, while in the distance she heard Harry’s voice – yelling. Pain intensified – in her head — her chest — a loud noise – everything faded away.

I hope you aren’t too ugly. What a collection of scars you have. Be grateful. Our scars have the ability to give us the reality that our past is real. 

—Red Dragon

Chapter 52

Consciousness came slowly; she felt the throbbing in her head and the intense pain in her side. As the feelings intensified so did her nausea. Claire couldn’t remember where she was... it felt wrong. Wanting to see her surroundings, she tried to open her eyes. Why did she hurt so much? Why wouldn’t her eyes open? Panic intensified her nausea. Instinctively she knew getting sick would increase her pain; she tried to breathe and distance herself from the agony. Beyond the darkness she heard sounds. Her mind scrambled, beeps – she heard beeps... what were the beeps?

As the fog cleared, the beeps steadily became louder and their origin registered. She was hearing monitors. She also felt a strange sensation in her arm. Claire tried to touch it, but her hand wouldn’t move. Why wasn’t her body responding to her thoughts?

Voices... she strained to hear the voices. Was it Tony? Oh, she wanted Tony. What about their baby? No, it wasn’t Tony’s voice – it was Harry’s. Her body didn’t move; yet, she felt tears escape from her closed eyes.

That feeling in her arm – she remembered it. She’d felt it before, but when? The pain in her head made it impossible to concentrate.

“How long will she be unconscious?” Harry’s concerned tone disengaged Claire from her thoughts, filling her with conflicting feelings.

“That’s up to her. She’s fighting her injuries the only way the body knows. Her energy is needed to repair the trauma; she’ll wake when she can. In the meantime, we’ll keep her monitored.”

“You said she was pregnant.”

Claire’s heart ached. Did Harry say was?

“Mr. Baldwin, Ms. Nichols is pregnant. The baby is strong and healthy. Ms. Nichols is fighting for two right now.”

Claire wasn’t sure what else they said. The only thing that mattered was that her baby was healthy. She drifted back to the place where her body didn’t hurt.

The beeping continued even in her dreams. She rolled slightly and the tightness in her arm intensified. Claire suddenly remembered when she’d had that feeling ... it was after her accident!

She concentrated on lifting her lids... slowly they obeyed. The florescent beams lit the room as they flowed from under the cabinets. The tubes in the crook of her elbow came into view. She was right; it was the same sensation she had after her accident. As her eyes continued to focus, she saw his golden hair resting near the foot of her bed. Although sleeping in a chair, Harry had his head resting on the bed with his hand over her leg. She remembered him picking her up at the airport; they were going to talk. She went into her condominium, and then... there was fog. Claire closed her eyes... Patrick Chester. She couldn’t remember anything else.

Claire tried to talk, “Harry?”

He didn’t move.

“Harry?”

The blonde head bobbled as Harry raised his head, and his light blue, tired eyes peered toward Claire’s face. “Oh, Claire, you’re awake.”

He climbed toward her as he grasped her hand. “I need to let everyone else know.”

“Everyone else?” Her voice sounded raspy.

“Amber, Emily, John, and Keaton are out there somewhere.”

Her heart sank. Where was Tony? Maybe he didn’t know she was hurt. Of course he knew! Where was he?

“Harry, what happened?” The words were difficult to form with her mouth too dry.

He gripped her hand and brushed her knuckles with his lips, “Claire, I’m so sorry.”

She was reeling from everything, “Why are you apologizing? Can I please have some water?”

He reached for the Styrofoam cup sitting nearby. Sipping the water from the offered straw, she relished the coolness as it moisturized her throat. Experience told her not to drink too much. She tried her question again, “What happened?”

“Let’s talk about that after we tell everyone you’re awake.” Claire nodded. There was no need for urgency, somewhere in her memory she’d heard her baby was all right.

Harry hit the nurse button. When the woman in light green scrubs came into the room, she took Claire’s vitals and promised more information after the doctor’s examination. Claire wanted to ask about the baby; however, Harry’s presence made her hesitate.

When Dr. Sizemore entered the room, she asked Harry to leave. He kissed Claire’s forehead and walked into the hall. She heard Amber, Emily, and John’s hushed voices as they questioned Harry beyond the closing door.

“Dr. Sizemore, I don’t know what happened, but please tell me, is my baby all right?”

“Yes, Ms. Nichols. I’ve already shared with Mr. Baldwin that your baby’s vitals are strong.”

“Mr. Baldwin?” Claire asked, puzzled.

“Yes, he said that the two of you...” the doctor’s face blanched. “I know that I shouldn’t have, but I guess I assumed. Ms. Nichols, I’m sorry.”

Claire couldn’t stop the tears. Oh my god! Harry knows I’m pregnant and thinks it’s his! Her thoughts came with such velocity her head spun.

“My head hurts – Doctor.”

“Ms. Nichols, you hit your head very hard. You don’t show signs of a concussion; however, the MRI indicated you’ve had one before.”

Claire nodded. That’s what Dr. Leonard said after her accident. “Yes, I did. That was a while ago. Does that matter now?”

“Well, yes. Any damage to your brain after a previous injury is significant. You also have bruised ribs. You are quite lucky they aren’t broken. Again, I saw evidence of past broken ribs. Ms. Nichols, were you in an automobile accident, in the past?”

Claire inhaled; the action caused her side to hurt. “I had an accident in 2010. Will any of that affect my baby?”

“No, we have pain medicine that won’t hurt your baby. I want you to get some rest. If you do, we can probably release you tomorrow or Thursday.”

Claire’s mind reeled, “Thursday? What day is it?”

“It’s Tuesday. You’ve been unconscious for about thirty hours.”

Thirty hours, why wasn’t Tony here? As happy as Claire was about her baby being healthy, Tony’s absence caused equal sadness. “Please send Mr. Baldwin back in.”

“I will, but you have an entire waiting room of people. Would you like me to let them all come see you?”

“Harry told me they were here.” She failed to sound happy.

Dr. Sizemore squeezed Claire’s hand, “You have a great support system. I apologize for sharing your secret, but everyone is thrilled.”