Voices followed the squeaks of rubber-soled shoes up and down the hall. She pressed a hand to her forehead and tried to blot the pain. Jocelyn rubbed, expecting her fingers to sink in.
A tug and a kick worked her blanket loose, but not enough. She grabbed the offending cover and yanked. A tube attached to the top of her hand pulled, provoking a sharp sting. Jocelyn reached over and touched where cold liquid ran through a needle into her vein.
From the corner a chair creaked. “It’s about time you woke. You scared the shit out of me.”
“Nate.”
“Yes, Nate. Who’d you think it was? I’ve searched every hospital and morgue in this city.” He sighed and moved closer. “Why were you in the museum? You know you can’t handle places like that.”
She couldn’t handle places like this. She shoved the covers to the floor. “It called to me.”
“You’re lucky, Joce. Aside from some swelling in your brain from a concussion, you’re okay. A little too okay.” He sat on the bed beside her, leaning in to whisper in her ear and drop the blanket back over her legs. “It normally takes you days to come out of a bad trip like that, but it’s only been a couple of hours. What gives?” He ran a hand over her forehead and brushed the bangs off her face. “You don’t feel hot, either. Are you running a fever?”
Jocelyn pushed his hand away. “No. Please get me out of here.”
“That’s not going to happen. You need to rest.”
“I don’t feel safe.”
“You’re okay for now. I don’t think they’ve run you through the national med-link. They’ve downloaded from your implant that you’re coded as a past reader and prone to swelling in your brain. They’ve run you through a bio-scanner at least half a dozen times. I’ve seen at least twenty different doctors in here trying to determine where the mistake occurred.”
“What mistake?”
“There’s no scarring on your brain from the previous times you’ve suffered trauma.” He pulled a chair next to the bed and plopped down. “They might run your profile on the national link and that worries me. The reapers monitor it. I’m keeping an eye on them so they don’t.”
“Relax, Nate. They have to have my permission or a family member’s to run my profile. I’m safe from the reapers. It’s the hospital I fear. The energies.”
“You should be afraid of that reaper. I think the bastard healed you so he can give your body to someone else.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Hello? He’s a reaper. He doesn’t help criminals.”
“I’m not a criminal.”
“That warrant you’ve had from birth says otherwise.”
“I didn’t murder my husband to run away with a lover. I was protecting lives. I saw it all when I slipped the past in the museum.”
“And how do you plan to prove it?”
“He buried the bodies of his victims behind the house in the pecan grove. I need you to go back to the museum and find the location of the plantation. Her name was Josette. See if you can track where the items in the case came from.”
“Even if I can find the location, we can’t just go and dig up bodies. That’s somebody’s property. The legal system frowns on grave robbery.”
“We can call the authorities and report a mass grave. I only need to prove they’re there and it was a matter of defense.” If she could show that, she might be able to plead her innocence in the rest of the crimes she was accused of.
Jocelyn reached for the I.V.
“Oh, no you don’t.” Nate snagged her wrist. He set her hand back down on the bed. “The doctor said you were unconscious when you came in. You need to rest.”
“I have a week. That’s it.” Jocelyn rubbed her temple, trying to remember. “How’d I get here?” She couldn’t stay. “We can’t pay for this.”
“Some guy carried you in and left. The hospital staff said he didn’t leave an address or name. He paid all charges for your treatment and anything further you might need. He requested
A tug and a kick worked her blanket loose, but not enough. She grabbed the offending cover and yanked. A tube attached to the top of her hand pulled, provoking a sharp sting. Jocelyn reached over and touched where cold liquid ran through a needle into her vein.
From the corner a chair creaked. “It’s about time you woke. You scared the shit out of me.”
“Nate.”
“Yes, Nate. Who’d you think it was? I’ve searched every hospital and morgue in this city.” He sighed and moved closer. “Why were you in the museum? You know you can’t handle places like that.”
She couldn’t handle places like this. She shoved the covers to the floor. “It called to me.”
“You’re lucky, Joce. Aside from some swelling in your brain from a concussion, you’re okay. A little too okay.” He sat on the bed beside her, leaning in to whisper in her ear and drop the blanket back over her legs. “It normally takes you days to come out of a bad trip like that, but it’s only been a couple of hours. What gives?” He ran a hand over her forehead and brushed the bangs off her face. “You don’t feel hot, either. Are you running a fever?”
Jocelyn pushed his hand away. “No. Please get me out of here.”
“That’s not going to happen. You need to rest.”
“I don’t feel safe.”
“You’re okay for now. I don’t think they’ve run you through the national med-link. They’ve downloaded from your implant that you’re coded as a past reader and prone to swelling in your brain. They’ve run you through a bio-scanner at least half a dozen times. I’ve seen at least twenty different doctors in here trying to determine where the mistake occurred.”
“What mistake?”
“There’s no scarring on your brain from the previous times you’ve suffered trauma.” He pulled a chair next to the bed and plopped down. “They might run your profile on the national link and that worries me. The reapers monitor it. I’m keeping an eye on them so they don’t.”
“Relax, Nate. They have to have my permission or a family member’s to run my profile. I’m safe from the reapers. It’s the hospital I fear. The energies.”
“You should be afraid of that reaper. I think the bastard healed you so he can give your body to someone else.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Hello? He’s a reaper. He doesn’t help criminals.”
“I’m not a criminal.”
“That warrant you’ve had from birth says otherwise.”
“I didn’t murder my husband to run away with a lover. I was protecting lives. I saw it all when I slipped the past in the museum.”
“And how do you plan to prove it?”
“He buried the bodies of his victims behind the house in the pecan grove. I need you to go back to the museum and find the location of the plantation. Her name was Josette. See if you can track where the items in the case came from.”
“Even if I can find the location, we can’t just go and dig up bodies. That’s somebody’s property. The legal system frowns on grave robbery.”
“We can call the authorities and report a mass grave. I only need to prove they’re there and it was a matter of defense.” If she could show that, she might be able to plead her innocence in the rest of the crimes she was accused of.
Jocelyn reached for the I.V.
“Oh, no you don’t.” Nate snagged her wrist. He set her hand back down on the bed. “The doctor said you were unconscious when you came in. You need to rest.”
“I have a week. That’s it.” Jocelyn rubbed her temple, trying to remember. “How’d I get here?” She couldn’t stay. “We can’t pay for this.”
“Some guy carried you in and left. The hospital staff said he didn’t leave an address or name. He paid all charges for your treatment and anything further you might need. He requested
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