Dead Man’s Hand by Giulia Lagomarsino
Ciara
Everything was sore. I felt like my body had been through the wringer and my head was still pounding. Raising my hand, I felt something pinch in my arm. Peeling my eyes open, I groaned at the bright light.
“I bet you feel just awful, honey. Here, let me get you something to drink and your next round of medicine.”
I squinted at the way too cheery woman that was moving around my room. “Huh?”
“You were brought in last night. You knocked your head pretty hard and you have a nasty gash on your leg, but we’ve gotten you all sorted,” she smiled, patting my hand.
“Why are you so cheery?”
“It’s morning. The snow is beautiful. What more could I ask for?”
I groaned, closing my eyes. “Since the snow got me into this mess, I’ll have to disagree with you.”
“We’ll have you right as rain in no time.”
“Can you tone down the chipper attitude just a tad? I haven’t even had my morning coffee yet,” I grumbled.
“Well, I can see why you’re with that man. He’s just as grumpy as you are.”
“What man?” I asked, still muddled and confused.
“The man that sat here all night with you. He just went to get some coffee.”
“Lucky him,” I muttered, trying to sit up in my bed slightly.
“I wouldn’t do that,” the woman rushed on. “Your wrist is broken. You’ll need to take some time to heal.”
She came over and helped me sit up, but it didn’t make me any happier. I hated this place. The door swung open and the man walked in. I narrowed my eyes at him and scowled.
“What’s that look for?”
“You’re holding coffee.”
He took a sip, smirking slightly at me. “Yep, I am.”
“Evil bastard,” I muttered.
“So, have your memory back yet?” he asked, taking a seat.
“I remember that you still haven’t told me your name,” I shot back.
“You…” The nurse looked at me in confusion. “You don’t know this man?”
“Let’s just say I know him about as well as I know myself.”
“I’m sorry, I wouldn’t have let him stay the night if I had known that you don’t actually know each other.”
“Well, if he was going to kill me, he would have done it at his cabin.”
The man narrowed his gaze at me and I stuck my tongue out at him.
“That’s real mature.”
“Where can I get some coffee?” I grumbled. “I don’t suppose you thought to bring some for me.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s not part of your prescribed diet.”
“It’s not,” the nurse interjected. “I’ll just get the doctor now that you’re awake.”
She hurried toward the door, glancing back like she was unsure if she should leave. I motioned her on.
“It’s not like anything’s going to happen here,” I said just a tad too harshly. The poor woman was probably wishing she had a different patient. “How soon until I get out of here?”
“I guess we’ll find out when the doctor gets here.”
I eyed him curiously. “Did you really stay here all night?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Would you believe me if I said I was worried about you?”
“No.”
He nodded. “I was too tired to drive home, and this chair was just as comfortable as the one out in the waiting room. At least in here I had some privacy.”
Sighing, I waited in silence for the doctor to show. The man sat next to me, drinking his coffee like the asshole he was. When the doctor finally showed up, he checked me over, looking at the gash on my leg and testing my reflexes, along with a whole other host of tests. It was ridiculous.
“So, what’s the last thing you remember?”
“Nothing before the accident.”
“Not a flash of something or a town that sounds familiar?”
I thought about it again, but there was nothing. “No. Should I be worried about that?”
His brows raised slightly. “Well, head wounds can be difficult. Your memory could come back in a few days or it might not come back at all.”
“Was there anything that could help with identifying her?” the doctor asked the man sitting in the chair.
“She had suitcases and her purse. She didn’t remember anything when she saw her license.”
“Hmmm, I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
His shoulders tensed, and for a moment, I thought he was going to tell him the same thing he told me, but then he spoke. “Antonio.”
“Antonio,” he smiled. “And you were at the scene of the accident?”
“Yes.”
He nodded, taking down notes. “And how long was she unconscious?”
“About nine hours.”
“Any dizzy spells?”
“A few. She passed out in the shower, and that’s when I brought her in,” he said matter-of-factly, as if it was the least concerning thing of all.
“Well, I’d like to keep you another day, just to make sure the medication does its job, and I’d like to run some more tests on your head wound.”
I huffed in irritation. “I doubt tests are going to make it better,” I muttered.
Imagine my surprise when a police officer stepped in as well. It didn’t escape my notice that Antonio stiffened slightly, but if the cop noticed, he didn’t say anything. It crossed my mind that it might not be Antonio that was in trouble, but me. After all, I knew nothing about myself. Maybe I had done something, and that’s why he was here.
“Ma’am, I’m Officer Kent. I heard you had an accident.”
I glanced over at Antonio again, wondering what the hell was going on. Though the officer’s tone was friendly, there was a question to what he asked. I didn’t know what to say. It was an accident, I mean, as far as I remembered.
The officer caught me watching Antonio and stepped forward. “Ma’am, would you like this gentleman to leave the room while we talk?”
I swallowed the dry nothingness in my mouth. Was it hot in here? Why was I sweating so much? Fuck, I must have done something, that’s why the officer was looking at me like that. God, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. He was going to send me to jail for something, and I had no idea what I had done. I didn’t even notice Antonio standing over me until he grabbed my good hand, pressing his fingers to my pulse like he had done before. Why did that feel so good? What was going on with me?
“Sir, maybe you should leave.”
“Maybe you should shut your fucking mouth,” he ground out.
“Now, just a minute—”
But Antonio didn’t give him a minute. “What the fuck are you trying to do? She’s been in an accident. She doesn’t remember anything, and you walk in here, acting like she’s done something wrong.”
“I never said—”
“You implied it,” Antonio ground out, his voice low and threatening. I wondered how he was getting away with talking to a cop like this. It could be totally normal behavior for him. When I finally felt like I was gaining some control, I took a deep breath and nodded to the doctor who stood off to the side, studying me as I regained control.
“Why don’t you tell us what happened?” the cop asked.
I stared at him, shaking my head slightly. “I don’t know. I don’t remember anything.”
He nodded, glaring at Antonio who still stood right beside me. “Do you remember what you were doing before the accident?”
“No. I just told you I don’t remember anything.”
“What is the last thing you remember?” he asked.
“Look, either you’re the stupidest cop I know, which isn’t saying much considering I don’t know anyone, or you’re trying to trip me up in some way. I told you, I don’t remember anything. I woke up in this man’s house after he rescued me. We waited out the storm, and then he brought me here.”
“Alright,” the doctor said, patting my hand gently.
My heart was still pounding slightly, but the cop seemed a little more satisfied. He pulled out his notepad and started writing stuff down. Turning to Antonio, he asked, “When was the accident?”
“Saturday afternoon, about mid-afternoon.”
“Why didn’t you call in the accident?”
“Because I live in the mountains and there was no cell service. In case you hadn’t noticed, there was a bit of a snowstorm.”
The officer stopped and looked up at him. “And you didn’t think to try and get her here sooner?”
“I went out yesterday to check the roads. They were still pretty bad. I brought her here as soon as I could,” he said through clenched teeth.
I frowned at the officer. “Why are you asking him those questions?”
“Ma’am, this is just routine.”
“It sounds like you’re accusing him of something,” I said angrily. I wasn’t sure why I was so angry, but I was, and I couldn’t seem to control it. “This man saved my life, bandaged me up, and took care of me. He climbed down a cliff to get me out of my car! And you’re acting like he did something wrong!”
I was heaving by the time I finished my rant. I wasn’t sure where that came from or why I was defending this man like I was. But it pissed me off. I felt like I had a hair trigger inside me and it was being pulled. I glanced up at Antonio, who smirked slightly at me. Finally releasing my wrist, he stepped away from me, which really pissed me off even more than I already was.