Once you are rescued, the recovery process—mentally and physically—can be hard.
At the hospital, I wake up with a nurse wheeling me out of one bright room and into another.
The minute I open my eyes, it’s like I’ve morphed into someone else. I might appear to be the same on the outside, but on the inside, something very different has invaded my body. Dulled the real me.
A body snatcher.
Whatever medicine they gave me must have worked because I feel abso-bloody-lutely nothing. Too bad nothing stops my brain from processing.
My head fills with the deaths of Annie, Bob, Hercules, and Dylan, even Junior.
It’s all I see. It’s all I think about. Everything else—any remaining good—has slipped away.
When they move me to the bed and leave, Birdee’s face comes into focus. She kisses my cheek. “Chicken, you okay?”
I nod, causing the world to crash around in my head. Throbbing and pulsing.
I wince as Mom’s face appears over me. Like an angel.
She strokes my hair. Her eyes are swollen and red, telling me she’s been crying very hard and very long. She sucks in air as if to force back her raw emotions. “I love you, baby. Thank goodness you are okay.”
Birdee holds up a box of Moon Pies.
“Birdee!” Mom says. “Did you sneak those in here?”
“Yes I did. Don’t say I never brought you anything.” She opens them and hands me one. She leans in and whispers, “And I think they’re much better than that young man’s flowers.”
I glance over at the table and see a huge colorful bouquet of Gerber daisies.
I smile and try to sit up. “Never too wounded to eat these.” I force my tongue to move but it feels fat and hairy in my mouth. Maybe from the drugs they’re giving me.
“That’s my girl.” Birdee picks up the chart at the end of my bed. She uses the pen and scribbles something. “Says right here, just what the doctor ordered.”
Mom snatches the chart from her. “This is illegal.”
Birdee frowns. “So I get arrested. What’s the charge? Moon Pie distribution.”
Mom groans as Birdee laughs.
I can’t help but giggle softly. Pain shots through my leg. “Stop. It hurts to laugh.”
“You better hide those. Don’t let this old lady get you in trouble.” Mom pats my hand. “Mo’s right outside. He’s been waiting here all night, so let me tell him you’re awake.” She kisses my forehead and leaves.
Birdee hobbles after her. “I need to talk to that damn nurse. Can’t they see you’re bleeding? Your dressings need changin’.”
I glance at my leg, wrapped in blood stained gauze. “I’m sure there are people in here worse off than me.”
“Maybe,” Birdee says. “But they aren’t lucky enough to be my granddaughter. So, too damn bad for them.” She holds the door handle and winks. “Don’t tell your mom I cussed in a hospital or she’ll have my hide. Cussing and smuggling in sweets is not really her thing.” She heads into the hallway to terrorize some poor candy striper.
The door opens.
I turn my head and see Mo walk in.
And, my world is okay again.
He’s wearing the same clothes but his face is scruffier and his hair is messier. He walks up to my bed. “You awake?” When I nod, he walks over. “Well Blossom, you definitely keep things exciting.”
My mouth is dry so it’s hard to talk. “Yeah, that’s me. All danger and daring.” I cough and pain rips through my thigh. “Ah...my whole body hurts.”
He grabs the small stool and rolls it under his butt. I don’t know why but a random thought scrolls across my brain, that’s one lucky stool.
He pours a glass of water and holds it to my lips. When I’m done, he rests his chin on my chest like a little cat looking for love.
I look down over my nose. “Go ahead. I can tell you want to say something.”
He grins. “You look smashing.”
“Ha!” I stroke his messy hair. “That’s not what you really want to say.”
He shrugs innocently. “Oh. I love you?”
I shake my head, which feels like a bell gonging inside. “Noooo.”
“Don’t have the faintest idea of what you mean then.” He sits up in the chair and presses his warm hand against my forehead. “Then again, maybe you’re delirious.”
“That...you were right. I was wrong.” I lay my head back and wait for him to come clean.
“Blossom...” Mo leans over and lightly kisses the bandage above my eye, like a butterfly whisked by and lightly brushed over my skin. “...I don’t need to say that.”
“Well I do.”
He wrinkles his too perfect nose. “Yeah? Well you can criticize yourself for both of us then.” This time he leans over me and drops a light kiss on my lips. “I’m glad you’re tough, Grace Wells. My life would tank if you weren’t here to keep it lively.”
I grin like a stupid girl. “Ditto, Mr. Cameron.”
He sits back in the chair and holds my hand between both of his. “You had a chance to see Sadie yet?”
And back to reality. “No. No one has said anything about her. Is she still here?”
“Down the hall.”
“Will you take me to see her?” I push up to a full sitting position and force myself not to wince. If he sees me in pain then he probably won’t let me even pee by myself. I’ve already used enough Free Humiliation cards with this guy.
“Sure you’re up for it?”
Not in the slightest. But, I lie anyway. “Yes, of course.”
He stands and helps me out of bed. This takes longer than I expect with the bruises to my limbs, a concussion to my head, and bullet wound to the leg. He supports my elbow as I hobble out to the hall. The world is not quite straight, slightly tilting to one side. But I stay focused.
Birdee gives me the thumbs up. “That’s my girl.”
Mom stands and rushes over. “You sure you’re okay to walk? It’s not too soon?”
I try hard not to show any pain on my face. “Mom, I have to see Sadie.”
“Her father is in there now.”
A tall handsome man, dressed in a fancy navy suit, steps out of Sadie’s room, which is only a few doors down the hall.
Then minute he sees me, he beelines straight for me. A few young men with cameras charge down the corridor after him.
I grip Mo’s arm and brace myself.
As he gets closer, I notice he’s frowning. My heart speeds up. “Is Sadie alright?”
“For now.” He says then he narrows his eyes. “You’re Grace Wells, aren’t you?”
“Uh yeah...I mean, yes sir, I am.” I hold out my free hand to shake his but he ignores my gesture and folds his arms across his chest. A few bodyguards flank him, keeping the media at bay as they yell questions over the mayor’s shoulder.
“How is Sadie?”
“Do you think this will impact your position on the Everglades Conservation Project?”
“What does this say about roadside zoos in the state of Florida?”
He pretends not to hear them. A learned skill because my head is already pounding again. “How could you do this?”
At first I’m not sure I heard him correctly. “Excuse me?”
He glances back at the growing crowd and lowers his voice so the reporters can’t hear. “Why did you leave my Sadie out in that forsaken swamp...alone?”
“I...I didn’t.”
“You didn’t? What do you mean, you didn’t?” He moves closer to me. “From what I gather, you’re the one who dragged my baby girl into this mess anyway. Is that right?”
I draw my head down like a turtle. At first, I want to defend myself, but technically, he’s right. If I hadn’t gone looking for Cat at Bob’s, Sadie and Dylan wouldn’t have been grabbed that night. Bob would have just snatched me. Which means they would both be here now.
“Yes. I guess so.”
“You guess so?” He snaps the words in half with his tone.
Mo squeezes my hand as my legs start to tremble from the weight. “Sir, this is not Grace’s fault.”
Sadie’s dad bites his lip in anger, trying to keep himself composed. The crowd grows and more people yell questions, making the hall smothering and loud. The mayor grows more and more flustered. “Well it’s someone’s fault.”
Birdee speaks up from behind. I didn’t even know she was listening. “Sir, not to be rude, but if you want to blame someone, blame yourself for allowing those kinds of places to stay open in the first place. That’s the true crime.”
“Birdee...” I say.
She holds up her hand and walks between us, her head craning back so she can see his face. “No, it’s true. That place was atrocious, and so was the horrible man running it. So if you want to blame someone, the only options I see are you or those men, some of which are probably still out there hurting other people as we speak. So instead of picking on a wounded girl who saved lives, I suggest you get to your office and get some men out in those swamps to find them. While you’re at it, make some real laws that make sure none of this ever happens again.”
The mayor appears flustered and has no response.
Leave it to Birdee to tell a politician off. Just like that.
A reporter breaks through the line and jams a mic in my face. “Grace Wells, what do you think about the mayor’s policy on roadside zoos?”
The mayor brightens up and throws his arm around my shoulders, speaking louder than he has been this whole time, making sure everyone hears his speech. “Grace and I both agree that right now, our focus is on getting my Sadie better. Bringing these men to justice. All the other stuff can wait. Right, Miss Wells?”
“I agree we should bring these men to justice.” Birdee gives me the don’t-put-up-with-his-bullshit-look.
This is my time to stand up for something. By my choice. Not because it was forced on me.
I remove the mayor’s draping hand. And attempted control. “But...no offense Mr. Mayor, but I think your policies on roadside zoos and conservation stink. So I’d like to see that addressed in your upcoming election.”
That felt good. I can’t help but smile inside.
As I hobble away, the mayor gets hit with a barrage of questions and reporters asking him to comment on my comment about his comment.
When I glance over my shoulder, the mayor locks in on me.
Although I’ve never met him before, I can already tell he doesn’t like me.
Not one bit.