Dr. Nikkie Jean Netorre was on a mission. She had had over a week off after the storm, and no one could find a single reason why she’d lost consciousness in the middle of the storm. She didn’t have a concussion. Her blood pressure hadn’t just dropped.
She half-suspected she’d been unconscious before the storm had hit. She just didn’t know why. She’d asked Layla Kaur, her obstetrician, to run one more additional blood test. To look for sedatives. Something wasn’t adding up.
Nikkie Jean was going to keep that little thought to herself for a while. Until she knew for sure.
She was starting to remember things that weren’t making any sense.
Like a car. She kept dreaming about Wallace Henedy’s car.
It had had charcoal gray interior. And had smelled like strong perfume. Nikkie Jean had always avoided perfumes—too strong scents had always made her ill.
She’d woken screaming the night before. About a car and getting out of it.
Now that she had had that blood draw done, she was going to spend the rest of the day with Annie. Her friend was itching to get out of that bed.
Nikkie Jean understood. Annie had a life out there, specifically three little men, who she needed to get back to.
Annie was in the bed when she walked in. The physician in Nikkie Jean immediately gave her friend a once-over. “Ok, how do the wounds look?”
“I haven’t exactly looked,” Annie said, tossing the television remote on the table. “I want out of here, Nik. Make it happen.”
“If I could.” Annie wasn’t her patient—and she was technically off the clock—but Nikkie Jean was a surgeon through and through. “Let me see. Front first.”
After a thorough check herself, Nikkie Jean gave her the bad news. “I…I’m sorry, kid. I’m not sure Allen’s going to let you out of here anytime soon.”
“Infection? It was starting to burn back there.”
“Infection. Not uncommon after these types of injuries. I mean, how old was that metal stake of doom? If you were a vampire, you’d have been dusted in a heartbeat.”
“Great.” Annie’s eyes filled.
Nikkie Jean climbed on the foot of the bed. “You can go ahead and cry if you want. Go ahead.”
“I’m running out of time, Nik. I can’t move the boys until after the hearing. And I don’t have time to go look for a place to live.”
“I know the feeling.” Her own house needed a new roof. She was staying with Caine right now. It was taking her time to get used to that too.
Nikkie Jean pressed the call button to bring the nurse on duty. She wanted Allen fetched as soon as possible. She hadn’t told Annie the full story.
The wound on her back was starting to look worse than it should. It was time for Allen to up the antibiotics.
Annie wasn’t going anywhere. Not for a while, at least.