Two weeks passed
Every morning, she checked his pulse. Every night, she changed his bandages, hoping today would be the day he woke up.
And now, just as she was wiping his arms with warm water, his eyes flew open.
Before could react, he jerked upright, his body stiff, movements panicked.
Debby froze
He stared at her, breathing hard like he had seen a ghost. for a second, she thought he was about to scream. she didn't know if he couldn't feel the pain....or if he just didn't care.
Maybe it was because she had always been too focused on school and work....But the name Alexander Whitson meant nothing to her.
Now that he was awake, though now that she could see him clearly, something about him made sense. The sharp jawline. The firm, well-built body. The way he looked like someone used to commanding rooms without saying a word.
She hadn't questioned the signs of wealth anymore, not after red made those phone calls.
The car was removed from the road within hours. Medical equipment she didn't even ask for showed up at the old clinic.
Tools she'd never touched before all delivered like she was treating a celebrity in hiding.
But what puzzled her the most...was overhearing him on the phone.
His voice was low, tired, but sharp.
"Don't let his family know. not yet"
Why?
"Get away from me! who the fuck are you?!"
Before she could blink, Alexander shoved her hard. His hand struck her shoulder with surprising strength, knocking her straight to the cold clinic floor.
He was wide eyed, breathing fast, like a cornered animal.
Then the shouting began
"you think I don't know what this is?!" he roared "you think i can't see it? Drug me, keep me in bed, take advantage of me, what the hell do you want?"
His voice cracked as it echoed off the clinic walls. He looked wild like someone on the edge of madness spewing insults and thrashing around like she was some kind of threat.
Debby's lips parted, stunned. She couldn't move.
is he still suffering from the accident shock? she wondered.
or was this something else entirely?
Alexander tore off the blanket and stood up from the bed, ignoring the pain shooting through his ribs. He stumbled forward, eyes locked on her like she was the enemy.
She backed up instinctively, hands shaking.
He was about to lunge when the clinic door burst open.
"Alexander!" Red's voice boomed.
He rushed in, and behind him came a girl
Jennie
Red rushed in, grabbing Alexander before he could launch forward again.
"Alexander, stop!" Red's voice hit like a steel wall. "you're okay, you're safe, do you hear me?"
Alexander's chest was heaving like a man drowning above water. His fist were clenched, knuckles pale. His eyes locked on Debby, wild, u readable.
Red gripped his shoulders firmly. " she's not the enemy. She saved your life, man. you were dying! if not for her, you wouldn't be standing".
For a second, just a second, Alexander's breathing eased. His jaw twitched. He didn't speak, but the fight drained his limbs.
And then
Jennie's heels cracked across the clinic floor.
"well", she said with a cool, bitter smile, " this was a mistake".
Debby didn't move. She was still on the floor, her palms pressed to the cold floor. Her body was trembling slightly from shock, from the shove, or maybe.... from something deeper.
Jennie kept going, like knives falling from her mouth.
"we left Alexander with a total stranger. Someone with nothing to lose. Now look, he's screaming, shaking, confused. What if she did something to him while he was unconscious?"
Red turned sharply. "jennie-"
"No, seriously," She pressed on, folding her arms. "What if this little rescue mission was her big break?. Get a rich man into your bed, patch him up, collect the reward. Maybe even fake a sob story while you're at it. she probably thinks we owe her something."
Debby's finger curled into the floor. Her stomach tightened. A sharp sitting laced through her lower belly.
She winced
Still, she didn't speak.
Jennie took one more look at Alexander."He might not even be better. He might be worst now. God knows what was in this rundown place. you can't trust people like-"
"Enough!" debby said. finally moving.
She pushed herself off the floor slowly, one hand pressing against her stomach. Her legs trembled beneath her. Her other hand reached for the chair nearby for support. The movement was quiet. controlled.
But her silence was louder than Jennie's voice
Red looked at her , guilt twisting his face."Debby, I'm so-"
"I want you", she said softly, not looking at Jennie or Alexander, "and these two....gone".
She looked directly at Red now. Her eyes weren't angry. They were tired, betrayed.
"By night fall".
"Debby-" he started.
"my work here is done"
she didn't wait for a reply.
she turned and walked out slow, shoulders stiff. Her left hand hovered near her stomach, but she never let it linger long. just enough to show she was in pain and strong enough to hide
it.
Red called her name once, twice, but she didn't stop.
didn't flinch
The door closed behind her
Hard.
And silence wrapped the room like a punishment.