Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 70940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
I sit down and glance at my phone, figuring I'll call Alarick, but I have no service.
How the hell do I have no service?
I wonder how far the club is from here. Driving, it's not that far, but walking is a whole different story.
My head starts to hurt and my throat is dry. I'm desperate for a drink.
Walking wasn't a good idea.
There is no immediate shade, so I decide to keep walking.
The quicker I can get back to the club, the faster I can get a drink and get out of this heat. Stopping is only going to make it all so much worse.
I walk more, and with every passing step, my head starts to pound. I rub my temples and keep moving, step by step, but I'm starting to feel unwell. The blistering sun is coming down over me, and I'm not sure I'm okay.
I find a tiny, slightly shaded tree and sit beside it. The worst part? Cars go past, and not one person asks if I'm okay. Look, I get it, I've listened to podcasts too, there are a lot of killers out there but come on. Surely one person is willing to take the risk to see if I'm okay. I'd seriously consider a ride right now.
I try to take a few deep breaths to calm my headache and recheck my phone, but there is still scattered service. I get a bit, but as soon as I try to make a call, it disappears. I take a deep breath, and then another, and try to get control of the situation. My head feels like it's going to explode. I moan in pain and grip the sides of my skull, begging for it just to stop.
The sound of a motorcycle rumbling has me very carefully lifting my head. I stare, praying that the motorcycle is someone from the club. As it nears, I see it's Alarick and Cohen. When they see me, they immediately come to a stop. Alarick jumps off his bike and is on his knees in front of me in a matter of seconds. He grabs my face in both his hands. "What the fuck, where is fuckin' Sissy?"
"We got into a fight, and I asked her to let me out. I didn't realize it was so hot and so far to walk. I had no service and..." I trail off, wincing and gripping my head.
"You're in pain," Alarick says, carefully helping me to my feet. "What do I need to do?"
"Take me to the hospital," I whisper. "It hurts."
He moves quickly, walking me over to Cohen and saying, "Go and get the truck, bring it back. Hurry."
Cohen nods and disappears, speeding down the road on the bike. Alarick pulls some water from a side panier in his motorcycle and hands it to me. "Sip this slowly."
I do as he asks, wanting to skull the entire bottle, but knowing full well that's not going to help me. I sip it, and the pain in my head gets progressively worse until I'm whining and tears are rolling down my cheeks.
"Hey, it's okay," Alarick says, "we're going to have you to the hospital in no time."
Cohen arrives only minutes later, and Alarick helps me into the truck before ordering Cohen to get to the hospital. Looking confused, Cohen puts his foot on the gas and gets us to the hospital within five minutes. We arrive, and Alarick lifts me into his arms and walks me straight into the ER. A nurse comes rushing over. "What's going on?"
"She has a brain tumor, she's due for surgery in a week, but her head is killing her."
"Bring her right through. What's your name, sweetheart?"
I tell her my name, my doctor's name, and the date of my surgery. She nods and tells me she's going to make some calls but has another nurse immediately connect me to a drip to hydrate me. Alarick sits by my side, Cohen paces up and down the hall, stopping only once to look at me. "You're sick?"
"I'll be okay," I whisper.
"Fuck."
He eventually finds a seat and sits down, but Alarick doesn't move from my side. His hand stays curled around my fingers, his face stony, but I know he's only looking like that because he's scared. I'm scared. The pain in my head, even now they've given me morphine through the drip, is still so strong I'm struggling just to lay still. I want to move in an attempt to alleviate the pain.
"We've contacted your doctor, and he has advised that you need the surgery now. He'd prefer not to transfer you, as he doesn't want to risk leaving it a moment longer. He's going to be here in a few hours. He'll do the surgery here. I can assure you our facilities are just as good, and we will take great care of you. So please don't be scared."