Page 16 of Axton
“Can I go with her for the scan? I don’t actually want her out of my sight.” Dammit, what the hell was wrong with me? My instinct to protect her was ridiculous. She probably would have been fine to just go for a scan.
“You can escort her to radiology, but unfortunately, you’d need to stay in the waiting room.” He answered.
Two nurses stepped into the room and started preparing the breathing machines and monitors to transport her. “I wanted to ask about settling her bill for services?” I asked.
“We can have someone from billing come up later to talk to you. Is Creed’s Lake footing the bill?” He stood with his hands in his pockets.
“I don’t think we have a choice.” I’d talk to Creed, but if we were the ones checking her out of the hospital then something probably had to be settled. I wasn’t happy with the expenses we had been paying lately, but for some reason the girl was a priority to me. When I returned to Creed’s Lake, we were going to have to sit down and discuss the budget.
It was quiet for a moment. “Are you saying you’d consider waking her up today if the scans look good, with hopes oftransporting her tomorrow?” I didn’t want to say too much in front of the nurses.
“Most likely tonight we can ease her out of it, but it’s not something that happens rapidly.” He paused when the nurses left the room for just a moment. “I’d feel better if we could wait to transport her in two days, but her circumstances might take priority. I spoke with the front desk, and they said two men stopped in and asked if we had any patients that fit her description. Of course they couldn’t release that information, but promised to have Tara call them. She hasn’t had any seizures or anything that leads me to believe we would be doing any damage by waking her up, but she will be in pain. We can try to manage that through pain medication, which will also help her sleep once she leaves. Her brother is on board with any plans we can make to reunite them. I’ll prescribe morphine for the pain and lorazepam to fight any restlessness and anxiety, which I’m sure she will experience some agitation as well under the circumstances.”
Shit, she was close to being found. I was not comfortable leaving her with Bolton alone. Maybe having two of us with her would be best. “I think as soon as Bolton returns, it would be best if we both stayed at all times.” I stopped there because the nurses stepped back into the room with some sort of medical equipment.
“I’d say that’s a good idea.” Dr. Ford whispered. “Crock may want to post a few people outside to watch the entrances.”
I was sure he was worried about Satan’s Disciples. I wish I knew what their business was with that false prophet. Why did I suspect it had something to do with human trafficking? I was mentally keeping a list of questions for Belle’s brother.
“Alright, well, I’ll make another round here in a bit and I’ll look over her scans. Like I said, you’re more than welcome to follow her to radiology if you want to stay close.” Dr. Ford went for the door, just before the nurses rolled Belle’s bed out of the room and I followed.
Hours went by, and I thought we would see Dr. Ford again. We were back in the room after her test for quite some time. Bolton returned and once everything settled, we joined the Originals daily meeting via video call. I updated the team about everything I learned. They were made aware of Satan’s Disciples and Jeremiah Brown. We stayed on the line as Creed and Irons had the command center, who were all bored out of their minds, dig up everything they could on them. We waited as Creed made some other calls. December was always a very boring time of year at Creed’s Lake. We didn’t send out as many operatives on missions, and it was too damn cold to take any rides.
Irons spoke up. “I’d like to send a recon team out to observe this cult, and also Unit C to raid Satan’s Disciples compound and find out what the hell they are into as far as human trafficking. I think I have a pretty good idea of what’s happening, and I’d like to confirm it.”
“Great minds think alike.” Creed said. “That MC is nothing more than a thorn in law enforcement’s ass. They’re small, but still dangerous for the people living in the area. They’ve got their hands in drugs of course, but also some small time sex trafficking from what Sniper had to say when I called him. It shouldn’t be too hard to snub a group like that out. It should help the people who want to escape that cult if this false prophet is using that MC to do their dirty work. Obviously, it’s not just drugs they are smuggling across the border.”
“Yeah, I don’t think it takes a genius to figure out who this Jeremiah Brown has building those tiny homes. What do you think? False promises of earning their freedom and bringing their families safely across the border?” I asked.
“Yeah, but it doesn’t answer why the girl wasn’t made into a child bride and why the guy wants her so bad. Once you get her out of that hospital, find out from the brother. I understand he doesn’t want to see the feds raid his families homes and arrest his brothers and possibly dad, but just escaping isn’t enough. He has to help all those kids. Fucking marriage at twelve to old men, it’s disgusting.”
I sighed. “Fucking domestic cases, it’s bullshit. Did any of you suspect there would be so much of this shit right here at home? We need to get back to focusing on foreign contracts. We need them if we have to support all of Morgan’s demands. What the fuck, Creed? A library now?”
He groaned. “I’ll talk to her.”
“I think some of us are starting to lose focus with this new DV program. I can’t stress the importance of our foreign contracts enough. That’s what keeps us afloat, Creed. When I return, I want to sit down with everyone and discuss the future of Creed’s Lake. It was never meant to be what it is today.” I said.
“I’m sorry if you guys don’t like it, but I agree with Axton.” Magnus spoke up.
“Yep.” Jennings agreed.
“100%.” Said Drakos.
“Any ETA on Baros? I’d like to be home for his visit.” I asked.
“Christmas Eve till New Years. It’s the best he could work out.” Irons said.
“Yeah, it must really suck to be him. I can’t imagine being forced to kick back on a recon mission for a year. Must be terrible on that tropical island.” Magnus was being sarcastic.
“It’s a seventy-million-dollar contract, I think you’ll survive your jealousy.” Irons said.
“On to other business.” I changed the subject. “I want to know who had to pull the dildo from Santa’s ass?” I felt a kick to my leg and looked up to see Bolton looking at the doorway. “Shit, we have to go.” Dr. Ford was looking at me like I just ruined his Christmas.
“I hope you have good news for us.” I said as he still looked at me like I was the most insane person on earth.
“Yeah, she looks good. The swelling has gone down, and the hematoma is way smaller than I predicted. It may even have had some absorption already. I still want to keep her on the blood pressure medication, and I actually feel good about waking her. I don’t think the injury is severe enough for anti-seizure meds, and we probably could have gotten away with just pain meds and anti-anxiety meds, instead of this deep sleep. I truly did believe the hematoma would have grown. Her scans look much different than they did when she came in, so I’m very pleased. The ER doctor really did a great job at patching up her wounds, but those will also cause her some pain. She could visit a plastic surgeon to minimize the scarring, but I don’t think they will be all that severe. We will monitor her very closely but take her off the sleep medication right now. I need to do an exam of her other wounds if you wouldn’t mind stepping out. Dr. Bolton is welcome to stay for the exam and a nurse will be in to tend to her wounds and reapply her bandages.”
“When will you remove her breathing tube?” I asked, mainly because that was something I’d rather not witness. It was atrauma from my past sort of thing because I could remember when mine was removed, and it was not a pleasant experience. Then again, I was only eight, but still it was something that stuck with me.
