year. “A hotel, I guess,” I replied.
He frowned.
The nurse began explaining what to do with the bandages and medicine. I paid attention, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill onto my cheeks. I was no baby, but this hurt. The kind of pain I hoped I never had to feel again.
The doctor came in as the nurse collected her supplies. He stopped at the foot of my bed and stared down at me the way he had yesterday. “I received some of your lab results.” He looked over at Holt before continuing.
“It’s okay. He can stay,” I said. I knew I barely knew him (okay, I didn’t know him at all), but there was something about him that just made me comfortable.
“You had traces of gamma hydroxybutyric acid, commonly known as GHB, in your blood stream.”
“Isn’t that the date rape drug?” I asked, confused. Then a whole other kind of alarm swamped me. Oh my God, was I raped? Immediately, I started to pay attention to certain parts of me… like the parts between my legs. Did it feel different? Did I feel different? Why hadn’t I thought of this before? I had no clue how I ended up tied to that chair in my living room… What else did I not remember?
Holt shot up from his seated position and paced over to the window. Both hands were fisted at his sides.
My mouth opened, but no sound came out. How did you ask a doctor if someone raped you?
The doctor cleared his throat. “As far as I could tell, you were not raped, Miss Parks.”
I expelled a breath, relief making me weak. “I don’t understand,” I murmured.
“The drug is fairly common, easy to get ahold of. It can render the victim unconscious and can also strip away memories—Miss Parks, did you knowingly ingest GHB?”
“No!” I demanded. That was absolutely ridiculous.
The doctor nodded. “I thought as much, but I had to ask. Did you go out to, say, a bar the night before the fire?”
I laughed. “No. I don’t go to bars. I didn’t go anywhere when I got home from work.”
“Where do you work? Is it likely that someone could have slipped it into your drink in your office?”
“I work in a library. I’m a librarian. So no, it’s very unlikely.”
“I see. Well, I had to inform the police of the toxicology screen. They will likely have questions. The drug is out of your system and there seems to be no ill effects from ingesting it. I can have your release papers ready this evening. Who will you be staying with?”
Why did they all keep asking me this? “I’ll be staying by myself.”
The doctor seemed to balk at that. “Perhaps a few more days here,” he began.
“That isn’t necessary. I’ll be fine.”
“I’m afraid I cannot in good conscience let you leave here alone.”
“She won’t be alone,” came his voice by the window.
Both the doctor and I looked his way as Holt turned, spearing me with those light eyes. “She can stay with me.”
“Absolutely not,” I protested, my skin flushing at just the thought.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea. You need someone to help you,” the doctor lectured.
I didn’t need help. Not from anyone. I was very good at taking care of myself. I told them both that. What a bunch of Neanderthals.
“I’m afraid if you want to leave this evening, it will have to be on the condition that you not be alone. Otherwise, you can stay here and I will discharge you at the beginning of the week.”
Shit. I really didn’t want to be here any longer than I had to. Plus, I had to call the insurance company, go back to work, and start looking for another place to live.
“How do you know you aren’t releasing me to some crazy person?” I asked the doctor.
He chuckled. “Miss Parks, I have known Mr. Arkain here for several years. He has an impeccable reputation in the community.”
I glanced at Mr. Impeccable. “So you take girls home from the hospital
He frowned.
The nurse began explaining what to do with the bandages and medicine. I paid attention, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill onto my cheeks. I was no baby, but this hurt. The kind of pain I hoped I never had to feel again.
The doctor came in as the nurse collected her supplies. He stopped at the foot of my bed and stared down at me the way he had yesterday. “I received some of your lab results.” He looked over at Holt before continuing.
“It’s okay. He can stay,” I said. I knew I barely knew him (okay, I didn’t know him at all), but there was something about him that just made me comfortable.
“You had traces of gamma hydroxybutyric acid, commonly known as GHB, in your blood stream.”
“Isn’t that the date rape drug?” I asked, confused. Then a whole other kind of alarm swamped me. Oh my God, was I raped? Immediately, I started to pay attention to certain parts of me… like the parts between my legs. Did it feel different? Did I feel different? Why hadn’t I thought of this before? I had no clue how I ended up tied to that chair in my living room… What else did I not remember?
Holt shot up from his seated position and paced over to the window. Both hands were fisted at his sides.
My mouth opened, but no sound came out. How did you ask a doctor if someone raped you?
The doctor cleared his throat. “As far as I could tell, you were not raped, Miss Parks.”
I expelled a breath, relief making me weak. “I don’t understand,” I murmured.
“The drug is fairly common, easy to get ahold of. It can render the victim unconscious and can also strip away memories—Miss Parks, did you knowingly ingest GHB?”
“No!” I demanded. That was absolutely ridiculous.
The doctor nodded. “I thought as much, but I had to ask. Did you go out to, say, a bar the night before the fire?”
I laughed. “No. I don’t go to bars. I didn’t go anywhere when I got home from work.”
“Where do you work? Is it likely that someone could have slipped it into your drink in your office?”
“I work in a library. I’m a librarian. So no, it’s very unlikely.”
“I see. Well, I had to inform the police of the toxicology screen. They will likely have questions. The drug is out of your system and there seems to be no ill effects from ingesting it. I can have your release papers ready this evening. Who will you be staying with?”
Why did they all keep asking me this? “I’ll be staying by myself.”
The doctor seemed to balk at that. “Perhaps a few more days here,” he began.
“That isn’t necessary. I’ll be fine.”
“I’m afraid I cannot in good conscience let you leave here alone.”
“She won’t be alone,” came his voice by the window.
Both the doctor and I looked his way as Holt turned, spearing me with those light eyes. “She can stay with me.”
“Absolutely not,” I protested, my skin flushing at just the thought.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea. You need someone to help you,” the doctor lectured.
I didn’t need help. Not from anyone. I was very good at taking care of myself. I told them both that. What a bunch of Neanderthals.
“I’m afraid if you want to leave this evening, it will have to be on the condition that you not be alone. Otherwise, you can stay here and I will discharge you at the beginning of the week.”
Shit. I really didn’t want to be here any longer than I had to. Plus, I had to call the insurance company, go back to work, and start looking for another place to live.
“How do you know you aren’t releasing me to some crazy person?” I asked the doctor.
He chuckled. “Miss Parks, I have known Mr. Arkain here for several years. He has an impeccable reputation in the community.”
I glanced at Mr. Impeccable. “So you take girls home from the hospital
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