AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The guys dig into their sandwiches, it occurs to me they likely haven’t eaten anything since before running into me. They’ve been by my side this whole time or waiting outside in the hall, never going far. I’m thankful to have them here with me, but guilt sits heavy in my chest.
Bennet hands me my spoon and I take the hint. I manage to finish the whole bowl of broth and a piece of toast, pushing the rest away for later. It makes sense now why she started me with a light meal first, my stomach is full just from that little bit, and it was mostly liquid.
Now that everyone is fed and bonded over my embarrassing outburst, I figure it is a good time to talk about the plan. Bennet is clearly agitated, his jaw flexing, trying to be patient as he watches each of us finish our lunch.
I clear my throat a little. They all look up and wait patiently for me to consider my words.
“Could you walk me through the exact plan?”
Bennet nods, happy to take control and lead us through the culmination of 24 hours of stress and planning.
“Tomorrow morning after Dr. Franks has been to give you one last checkup and discuss medical needs with Micah, we will simply put you in a wheelchair and slip out a back door. Your files will be wiped from the computer like you were never here. We’ll drive you to the secure location, a remote property on the edge of Barnaby Falls. There will be two other people there to help us, they’re trustworthy family friends of Jackson’s. We’ll focus on your healing, and then we can decide where to go from there.” He pauses, “… If we are all in agreement, of course.” He gives Luis a look, obviously trying to avoid the awkwardness from earlier.
“Wait, we aren’t transferring to another hospital?” I’m surprised by this development.
He shakes his head. “There’s too much chance you’d be found, especially considering I won’t have the same influence in another medical facility. Jackson is allowing us the use of some family property where we can continue your treatment and healing. And Micah will be your own personal medic, with Dr. Franks on standby to take our calls should we need his help.”
Oh.
“So, you’re going with me?” A little spark of relief and happiness flashes through my chest.
“I think the plan was for all or most of us to stay,” Jackson clarifies. “As long as that’s what you want. There’s plenty of room for anyone who’d like to come.”
Oh.
I’m stunned. “I mean, I can’t think of anything better. I’m just wondering… why? You’re all taking huge risks and going so far out of your way for a complete stranger.”
They all look at each other with similar expressions. Like they have a lot they want to say, but aren’t sure what they should say.
Bennet shrugs. “It’s the right thing to do.”
“I appreciate that you are all good Samaritans, but I sincerely doubt you go this over the top for every charity case you meet in the street.” As much as I really do want to go with them, I don’t feel comfortable allowing anyone to go so far out of their way. What if they get caught? Or, what if I never get my memory back and they get stuck with me?
“I don’t think you’re a charity case,” Lukas says softly. “I just meant…” He trails off and I can’t even look at him, my cheeks flaming.
“It’s fine, Lukas. I’m embarrassed, but I’m so thankful for everything you all have done for me. I am so extremely fortunate to have literally stumbled on five of the most thoughtful and kindhearted strangers. But you don’t have to do this for me. You shouldn’t feel obligated to go through all this trouble.”
There’s a long, awkward pause as everyone tries to put words to what they’re thinking. They’re probably all trying to figure out how to word things, so that I don’t cry again. I’m a mess.
As much as I’m trying to talk them out of this, I’m also reeling at the possibility of not having them with me. I’ve grown too attached, too quickly.
Jackson breaks the ice. “You don’t…. you don’t feel like a stranger.”
His words daze me a little, sending a tiny jolt from the top of my spine to my toes. I honestly don’t know how to react to that, or to the butterflies that have taken residence in my stomach.
Since the moment I woke up to these five men all sitting around my hospital bed, I’ve felt a crazy connection to them. There’s something about each one of them. I assumed it was due to head trauma. It’s too much to hope that it could be more.
They just feel so important to me. If I had woken up from that coma and been told they were all my husbands and we’d been happily bound in polyamorous marriage for years - I would have believed it.
Now here I am sitting in a hospital bed, wrapped in bandages and feeling like I haven’t showered in a decade, blushing at the mental image of our fictional six-way marriage.
How would that even work? No. Stop. Ohmygod.
“He’s right.”
Hmmm?
“I didn’t want to say anything before, because it’s probably kind of weird and I can’t explain it fully. I don’t know what it means, but I’d like to find out.” Micah seems nervous. I want to comfort him, but I’m too busy trying to swallow my heartbeat. Is it possible they might be feeling the same way? I’m obviously still asleep and have traded my nightmare for a happy fantasy dream world.
