Bed of Thornes (Bed of Thornes Trilogy Book 1) Read online

  They both grab the sides of the bed that I'm laid out on. Another couple of people join them and they all wheel me inside of the hospital. I can't see any of their faces, all I can see is the white tiled ceiling flying by above me. Voices, words, and noises are spitting out everywhere around me. I hear so much at once, I can't understand anything. I continue to be wheeled down the long hallways, what is beginning to seem like an everlasting torture of ceiling tiles. My eyes are opening and closing rapidly. Trying to keep myself awake, but I'm so desperately tired. I just want to close my eyes, they hurt. Everything hurts.

  They finally pull me into a room. "One, Two, Three!" I hear. "AHHH!" I let out a scream as I suddenly feel an excruciating pain shoot through my spine while they lift me up and over to quickly slide me onto the other bed. "Sorry, Ms. Thorne." I hear a female say, she must be one of the nurses in the room. A bright light is in front of my face without warning, my eyes just about jerk backwards into my skull to hide from the stunning light they're shining into my eyes. "Ms. Thorne, can you open your eyes more for me hon." The same female voice asks me.

  I force my eyes open as wide as I can. "We just need to look at your pupils and see if you can follow this light at all. Can you follow it with your eyes for me please?" She says sweetly. I move my eyes along with the movement of the light. "Great, thank you sweetie." The nurse says to me as she takes the light away. Now my eyes have to adjust to the normal florescent lighting in the room. "Can you say your name for me?" She asks.

  My name... this should be easy enough. "Veron---" My voice cracks. Okay, maybe not so simple. I clear my throat and try again. "Veronica" I whisper out harshly.

  A male voice steps in. "Can you tell us your full name, Veronica?"

  "Veronica Thorne" I get out as clearly as possible so I don't get asked again. I hear beeping all around me, machines I'm assuming.

  "Veronica, I am Doctor Clayton. I will be taking care of you today, along with my incredible staff of nurses and interns. I see you got quite banged up this morning. On your way to meet with me?"

  No way, it can't be. I turn my eyes towards the doctor speaking. My client, Mr. Clayton, I was supposed to be meeting with him at my gallery! I know he's a doctor at this hospital, but I didn't figure he would be here.

  "Mr. Clayton?" I asked confused.

  "The person who collided with your vehicle... that was me, Veronica. I was running late to meet with you. I assume you were also running late. As soon as I hit you, I was able to stop my vehicle and climb out unharmed besides a few bruises from impact. I ran to see if the other person involved was alright. I realized it was you when I got there. You were blacked out. I called the ambulance, not wanting to move you in case of any injury that could worsen if I had picked you up from the ground without support. The ambulance came to the scene hastily. I followed behind them the whole way, ready to do whatever was needed to make sure you would be okay. I was in a slight shock; knowing the person I was headed to meet with was the one I almost killed." He confesses all of this to me while the nurses prep everything to get me tested.

  "I don't know what to say, this is crazy." I tell him, still in complete shock and speechless from how all of this occurred.

  "You don't have to say anything, try to clear your mind as much as possible right now and we are going to get some x-rays done. I just wanted to let you know what happened so you wouldn't be so confused." He explains. "I'll see you shortly, I'm going to have Nurse Teresa take you back to the Radiology Lab."

  "Oh, okay." I force a weak smile at him.

  "You will be alright, Veronica, I promise." He says with a certain gleam in his eyes.

  Dr. Clayton walks off and the nurse comes over to me. "Hello, Ms. Thorne. I'm Nurse Teresa Rodriguez and I will be helping the doctor get some testing done on you today. What is your level of pain right now on a scale of one to ten?" She asks with her clipboard in hand waiting on my response.

  I can't even think straight. Mr. Clayton, well Doctor Clayton, was the one who hit me. All of this because we were both rushing to meet. It's so bizarre. Now here I am and he is the one caring for me in the hospital. What a twisted situation. The fact that I could have died, and heaven only knows if I'll be able to walk again or function properly at all.

  My stomach starts to do flips, I feel nauseated. "Ten, I've never felt this horrible in my entire life, definitely a ten." I tell the nurse, realizing she was patiently waiting on me to answer.

  "Okay, and do you have any allergies to medications or any possibilities of pregnancy?" She jots down my reply as I answer no to both questions. "Alright, Veronica, we are going to take you back to Radiology and get this process started so you can rest soon."

  A male nurse and Teresa grab the sides of my bed to wheel it out of the room. As I'm lying there, staring at the ceiling going by once again, I can't help but start to cry. I wish my dad was here, or my mom, both of them would be nice. I feel so alone. Does anyone know that I just brushed shoulders with death himself? Jenna, oh god, I wonder if Jenna knows yet. She was there waiting for me to arrive. She must know something is wrong. Maybe one of my other friends or regular clients has seen the news, I'm sure it would have been reported, it was a big accident. I just want someone I know to be here, I feel like I did die or I'm in a bad dream with nobody around to help me out of it.

  They pull me into a dark room, with very little light, it's so quiet in here. I feel cold, and tired. My tears stop, I can feel them starting to dry beside my eyes but still wet where they have fallen into my ears. My mouth is so dry, I almost can't swallow. Let me out of this damn contraption so I can get a damn drink and lay the hell down already. My anger starts to kick in. Angry that I am in this situation at all. Angry that my dad is dead and not here to comfort me. Angry that my mom doesn't even know and isn't here with me. Angry that I have nobody who cares enough to come see me and let me know I'm not utterly alone in this fucking world. Angry that my dad's car is totaled, at least I assume it is, I don't even want to see how bad it is. Angry that I can't get a grip on my life lately. Why?

  "Veronica, we're going to lift you onto this table to get your x-rays done, you might be uncomfortable for a moment." The male nurse warns me. I'm silent. I don't care anymore. Just get it over with.

  They slide me onto the x-ray table, it's cold as death. My back feels like it's breaking. My heart is already broken, what a fantastic match. "Hold your breath, please... okay, let it out." Teresa says from behind the monitor room. "One more deep breath in... and you can release." They take a series of x-rays and move me back to my original bed. "Alright, let's get you back to where the doctor can have a look at the x-rays and talk with you." We proceed down the hall and they wheel me back into my room.

  "The doctor will be in shortly." Teresa tells me and pulls the curtain closed. Both of the nurses leave the room.

  I want to scream.

  After what seems like hours, Dr. Clayton knocks and comes in.

  "Veronica, how are you feeling?" He asks me. What a stupid question doctors ask when they know you are feeling like you're half dead. I just look at him. Anger, hurt, and sickness still residing within me. "Alright, well I got the results of the x-rays, and it looks like you're going to be fine. You do have some bruising on your muscle tissues in your back and what looks like a minor hairline fracture on your shoulder blade. But nothing too serious that it won't heal rather quickly. No broken bones or hemorrhaging, so we are happy about that."

  "That's good to know." I say without emotion.

  "Definitely. We were able to see your skull through the head x-ray and we haven't spotted any damaging effects on it. We are going to monitor you for a day or so to make sure you can handle all of your functions well before sending you home. I'll have a nurse come in shortly to remove you from the neck brace and body straps so you can move around a little." He pauses briefly. "Veronica, I know it's rough going through such a terrible accident. I hope that you will be alright after all of this, emotionally and mentally, it can t
ake a real toll on someone to deal with such an experience. I want to deeply apologize for the accident. Believe me, I may seem calm and collected, but inside I'm beating myself up over this. If there's anything I can do for you, outside of the hospital stay, please don't hesitate to let me know."

  "Thanks." My words are short. I really don't know what else to say. I'm not upset with him, I'm frustrated with the entire occurrence, I wish I could just rewind.

  He puts his hand on my knee, pats it gently as if to say he's sorry again, and walks off. I could tell he was genuinely feeling guilt. My shortness with him probably didn't help much, but I wasn't ready to smile and talk about it.

  A few minutes pass, someone knocks and calls in, "Ms. Thorne." The nurse steps inside and swings open the curtain. "Came to get the braces off for you." She says as she comes up to my bed. She unstraps the Velcro and buckles one by one, and removes them gently. Finally free. What a huge relief. She stops me from squirming, "Don't move to much just yet, take it easy, your body has been locked up for many hours and you don't want to strain yourself."

  "Thank you so much, it feels like I was just released from a strait jacket." I chuckle a bit. The first time I had a smile on my face since this incident. "I can imagine." She laughs. My smile quickly fades as I think about things. The nurse starts gathering the braces to take with her. "Do you need anything?" She asks me before heading out the door. I look at her with tears starting to form in my eyes and ask her, "Do you know if anyone has called or came by looking for me?"

  I felt pitiful for even asking, but I just couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that I could have died and nobody would have had a clue. She shakes her head, "Not that I am aware, honey, but I will double check for you." I force a crooked smile, "I appreciate it." She turns to head out the big door and turns back around to close the curtain, "Are you sure I can't get you anything, water maybe?" A tear is falling down my face. "That sounds nice, thank you." She smiles, "Alright, I'll bring it right in for you." She turns and opens the door with the braces in hand and leaves.

  I go full blown bawling, my emotions are a complete wreck and I feel like I would have rather died. It's so cold and empty in this hospital room, the walls are white and bare. The clock ticking away on the wall. I can hear people walking by the door in the hallway every so often, distant voice as they pass. My heart feels as empty as this dead room. Nobody has even called the hospital? Wait, I wonder if my belongings were brought with me, my purse and phone. I didn't even think to ask. There could possibly be missed calls on my phone. I press the nurse's station call button.

  "Can I help you?" A static voice asks over the intercom to my room. I clear my throat, "Do you know if my purse or phone were brought to the hospital?" There's a short pause. "Yes Ms. Thorne, your purse is in the locker closet in your room. Do you need someone to come in and get it for you?" I look over at the tall built in closet by the door. "No, thank you, I can manage." The nurse tells me to buzz if I need anything else and I put the call button towards the end of the bed, in case I fall or something when attempting to get up.

  I slowly bring my legs over to the edge of the bed; let them down towards the floor carefully. Damn this floor is like ice. I'm nervous to walk yet, but hopefully my body is ready for it. I ease my body up from the bed, standing up like a shaking newborn fawn. I sit back down, and begin to proceed trying again. I hold onto the rail of the bed and start shifting my steps toward the closet. Inching my way there, I reach the closet door and grip the metal handle tightly, pulling it open to reveal my purse hanging on the inside.

  I grab my purse, making sure to hold onto the closet door for stability. Okay, time to sit back down, my back is killing me. Where's my pain medication? I could use that right about now if anything. Oh, and that water I was promised. I couldn't wait to sit back down, I dig into my purse as I'm barely taking steps back to the bed. My phone is flashing, I pull it out and press the notification button on the screen. Nice, the battery is dying. That's my notification. Not one call? Really? Oh wait, a text, from Jenna. I knew she would be concerned if nobody else.

  'Ronni, I'm on my way to the hospital as soon as I lock up, please be okay' read the text. It was sent three hours ago, it must have been when she found out. I wonder how she found out. Where is she though? It's been hours since she said she would be here. I hope she's alright. I have almost made it to the bed when someone knocks on the door and walks in. I turn my head to see who it is since I didn't hear anyone say anything.

  "Veronica."

  I practically collapse.

  My heart flutters like a hundred butterflies in my chest.

  "Adrian." I gasp with a mix of excitement and confusion. He's the last person I expected to show up to see me, but the first person I could dream of being here with me. He quickly walks to me and grabs my hand, holding it in his, sending chills down my spine. I forget the pain in this very moment.

  "Jenna called Blank Canvas and asked for me. I was making a delivery so the manager called my cell and gave me the message to call her back right away. I called Jenna and she was frantic, telling me you were just in a car accident and were headed to the hospital. She said she had to lock up and then she would be heading here. I told her I would be here as soon as I got back to the city, I was about two hours out making a delivery to a customer that lives in a secluded area outside of Dallas. Then I got a call when I was headed here, she said her battery wouldn't start and there was nobody to give her a jump so she was going to take a cab but she locked her purse in the car and had no cash to pay for the fare. I got here as soon as I could. I'm so happy to see that you're alright, I was worried to death!" He took a breath of relief after his winded explanation.

  I stand there looking into his eyes, still surprised by his entrance. I reach my hand over and put it on his, which is firmly holding my other hand, and stroke the top of it. I look up at him with tears forming in my eyes. "You were worried about me?" I ask him.

  "Of course, why wouldn't I be?" He asks in return.

  "You barely know anything about me, Adrian. I have friends that have known me for years, and not one of them are here or have even bothered to call. I just didn't expect you to care enough to actually show up to see me." I tell him, pouring my heart out. "And what made Jenna call you of all people?"

  "Did you not want me here?" He asks with a sad look on his face.

  "No, it's not that. I'm just very shocked, and confused, and surprised. I'm happy you're here, I just didn't expect it to be honest." I reassure him.

  "That makes me happy that you're happy to see me." He grins. God, he's so beautiful. I must be dreaming right now. There is no way this gorgeous man is worried about me and here for me when nobody else is. His smile makes me weak, I just want to taste those lips.

  "Hey, you okay?" He asks. Yeah, just fantasizing about you as we speak, I think to myself.

  "I'm good." I smile. "Better now that you're here."

  "Aw... smooth." He laughs. I recall saying he was being smooth when we first met. I grin at him, "Touche." I say. What a flirt. I like it.

  "Sit down." He tells me. "Relax." I do just that.

  He sits in the over-sized beige colored chair that's next to the bed. I scoot back to get comfortable, he reaches over to fix the pillows behind me. What a gentleman. What's the catch? I mean, this man is damn near perfect. There has to be a catch. All men have a catch to them. I chuckle silently to myself while truly hoping there are no catches. I want this to be real.

  "I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner." He says. "I couldn't believe it when Jenna told me, my mind was scattered after hearing the news. I just wanted to leave the delivery and get here."

  "It's okay, I understand. I wouldn't expect you to just jump for me like that." I tell him with sincerity.

  "Veronica, you probably think I'm crazy for caring so much and not knowing you very well. I hope you don't view me as a creep or something. Just, I don't know actually, I don't have a reason besides the fact that I felt some sort of pull
to you when we met. I would like to get to know you more."

  "I would like that too." I reply. "And no, I don't think you're crazy... or a creep. I think it's rather sweet of you to be so caring."

  He smiles that delicious smile. "Then you go and try to die on me." He says jokingly and laughs subtly. "Was this your way of trying to escape Saturday? You know, you could have just said you couldn't make it or something. I would've respected your decline." His smile grows wider and he throws in a playful wink.

  "Oh no, I feel horrible, I forgot all about Saturday. I am so sorry. Believe me, I want to go, that's why I accepted in the first place. I had no intentions of using such extreme measures to get out of it. Hell, I wouldn't turn it down in any type of way. How am I supposed to go now? That's tomorrow." I say, upset that I will have to miss out.

  "We can still go if they release you in time. I'll make sure you're comfortable while you're there. That's if you still want to go." He says with the look of hope that I will agree on his face.

  "I'm not sure they will let me out of here before then, but I would love to attend. Fresh out of the hospital." I smile at him.

  "I'll make sure they do, and I will take care of you. I'll be your nurse." He grins.

  "Hey, I'll take that." I wink at him.

  Our flirting is pretty consistent. Maybe I was wrong about him not being into me. He seems like he has real attraction to me. His concern for me is extremely warming. I felt so alone, and he came to my rescue. It doesn't get any better, and I couldn't ask for more. He doesn't even have to talk, his presence alone is the best gift I can imagine. I like him talking though, his voice is soothing and makes me damn near drool when I hear it. Keep talking.