the demon continued with a chuckle in his voice. “Chicken son of a bitch. You are going to go on and find another one for me.” He pulled a photograph out of his back pocket and dropped it on Ash’s bed.
Ash stared at it in disbelief. “And just how am I going to do that?” he asked. “There is a line of staples down my chest.”
“You forget, human, how powerful I am. I can heal you if it suits me, and as it turns out, it does.” The demon walked around the side of the bed and laid his meaty hand on Ash’s chest. His chest started to burn, not in a painful way, just uncomfortably.
“I died. Our deal was that I work for you until the day I die. Well that day has come and gone.” Ash saw a tiny chance of escape and he was taking it. “I was legally dead for several minutes. I saw the flames of Hell.”
“But you didn’t go in,” the demon snarked. “The deal is not complete.”
“Wasn’t my fault,” Ash shrugged. “I was saved by the medical staff here. I was prepared to meet my destiny head on, but that pretty little doctor saved my ass. My part of the deal is intact.”
The demon raised a brow and then narrowed his eyes. “So you mean to tell me that the little doctor stole you from me? That she stole a soul that was rightfully mine?”
Ash’s heart hammered against his ribs. “No, that wasn’t what I meant,” he said quickly. Damn it, did he just put the doctor in danger? His big mouth had really done it this time. “She was just doing her job. I was just saying that you didn’t make provisions for that situation in our contract.”
Suddenly, Ash felt his chest tighten up and his heart stuttered. It felt like knives were being driven into his chest while his heart was being squeezed. He didn’t have to look to know that the demon was doing it. “I said I could cure you,” he growled, “but I can also kill you with just a thought. You will keep working for me and our contract remains valid. Because if it isn’t, I am free to take that sister of yours and maybe, I will take that doctor too.”
Ash knew he meant every word. He had opened his mouth and made things worse. The demon could and would take Lele, and now he was gunning for the good doctor too. Ash wanted to tell him to fuck off, but that would mean certain death. If he were dead, no one would be able to protect Lele or Dr. Rone. As the machines started blaring alarms, Ash didn’t have a choice. He nodded in agreement.
The room was suddenly brightly lit and filled with hospital staff. They fussed over him, taking his blood pressure and giving him medications and anything else they thought would help. What Ash needed, they couldn’t provide. He needed a time machine to go back and never strike the deal. He needed a miracle. And of course, even though he could hear the demon laughing, no one else could. Ash was left without a choice, he thought as the nurse stuck a needle into his IV. He palmed the photograph of the demon target and resigned to the calming effect of the medication. When he was able, he had to get out of there and back to work. His sister depended on him. And now, so did Dr. Elizabeth Rone.
***
Elizabeth heard the code all the way in the ER. They had done an announcement, looking for Dr. Tucker, throughout the hospital. Even though the nurse calling in the code didn’t say what room, she did say the floor and Elizabeth just knew it was her stranger. It was Ash.
She rushed from behind her desk and tore through the hallway. She bypassed the elevator, shoved open the door leading to the stairs, and climbed them, two at a time, up three floors. She burst through the doors on the third floor and immediately turned to her right, forcing her feet to slow down as she approached Ash’s room, trying to convince herself that the code wasn’t him. She didn’t understand why it upset her so much, but he just
Ash stared at it in disbelief. “And just how am I going to do that?” he asked. “There is a line of staples down my chest.”
“You forget, human, how powerful I am. I can heal you if it suits me, and as it turns out, it does.” The demon walked around the side of the bed and laid his meaty hand on Ash’s chest. His chest started to burn, not in a painful way, just uncomfortably.
“I died. Our deal was that I work for you until the day I die. Well that day has come and gone.” Ash saw a tiny chance of escape and he was taking it. “I was legally dead for several minutes. I saw the flames of Hell.”
“But you didn’t go in,” the demon snarked. “The deal is not complete.”
“Wasn’t my fault,” Ash shrugged. “I was saved by the medical staff here. I was prepared to meet my destiny head on, but that pretty little doctor saved my ass. My part of the deal is intact.”
The demon raised a brow and then narrowed his eyes. “So you mean to tell me that the little doctor stole you from me? That she stole a soul that was rightfully mine?”
Ash’s heart hammered against his ribs. “No, that wasn’t what I meant,” he said quickly. Damn it, did he just put the doctor in danger? His big mouth had really done it this time. “She was just doing her job. I was just saying that you didn’t make provisions for that situation in our contract.”
Suddenly, Ash felt his chest tighten up and his heart stuttered. It felt like knives were being driven into his chest while his heart was being squeezed. He didn’t have to look to know that the demon was doing it. “I said I could cure you,” he growled, “but I can also kill you with just a thought. You will keep working for me and our contract remains valid. Because if it isn’t, I am free to take that sister of yours and maybe, I will take that doctor too.”
Ash knew he meant every word. He had opened his mouth and made things worse. The demon could and would take Lele, and now he was gunning for the good doctor too. Ash wanted to tell him to fuck off, but that would mean certain death. If he were dead, no one would be able to protect Lele or Dr. Rone. As the machines started blaring alarms, Ash didn’t have a choice. He nodded in agreement.
The room was suddenly brightly lit and filled with hospital staff. They fussed over him, taking his blood pressure and giving him medications and anything else they thought would help. What Ash needed, they couldn’t provide. He needed a time machine to go back and never strike the deal. He needed a miracle. And of course, even though he could hear the demon laughing, no one else could. Ash was left without a choice, he thought as the nurse stuck a needle into his IV. He palmed the photograph of the demon target and resigned to the calming effect of the medication. When he was able, he had to get out of there and back to work. His sister depended on him. And now, so did Dr. Elizabeth Rone.
***
Elizabeth heard the code all the way in the ER. They had done an announcement, looking for Dr. Tucker, throughout the hospital. Even though the nurse calling in the code didn’t say what room, she did say the floor and Elizabeth just knew it was her stranger. It was Ash.
She rushed from behind her desk and tore through the hallway. She bypassed the elevator, shoved open the door leading to the stairs, and climbed them, two at a time, up three floors. She burst through the doors on the third floor and immediately turned to her right, forcing her feet to slow down as she approached Ash’s room, trying to convince herself that the code wasn’t him. She didn’t understand why it upset her so much, but he just
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