Maxwell stopped in his stride and turned to her with a furrowed brow as he responded. "Susan? No, nothing at all. I know as much as you do. My men are still on it though, just as they are looking for him as well."
"Oh, okay," Reyona answered easily.
"Why are you suddenly asking that?" he asked as he approached her desk again.
"Oh, you know. I just think that Allysyn's birthday is tomorrow, and yes, we got her presents and all, but I think I know what she would have wanted the most tomorrow."
"What?"
"To have her parents around to celebrate it with her, of course. She would have been so delighted. Erm, her mom just disappeared without leaving anything behind? I mean maybe she left a note, or she did something. Anything at all that we can read meaning to?"
Maxwell inclined his head as he said "No, nothing at all. I heard they just couldn't find her one morning."
"So, she did nothing? Nothing at all? Just disappeared?"
"No, nothing…" he narrowed his gaze in thought as he asked, "Why do I feel like you are referring to something in particular?"
"Oh, you know" Reyona shrugged. "I have heard of mothers who tend to take to things like embroidery or stuff in places like that. Especially with their roommates, you know?" she looked at him expectantly.
All he did was nod.
She nodded subtly as well and shrugged as she said "I just felt she might have done something like that. Like something they found in her room after she escaped."
"No, I was not informed of anything like that."
"Okay then. Just asking" Reyona said with a smile before she added, "See you tomorrow."
********
"Thank you," she said as Nurse Killian helped her settle back in bed.
"It was nothing, ma'am" the nurse responded.
She sucked in her breath as she brushed her back against the pillow while trying to sit upright.
She smiled at Killian's watchful gaze as she said "Don't be so modest. I am sure what you did tonight was more than what you signed up for, yet you took it in your stride. I appreciate it."
"You are welcome, ma," the nurse said before he stepped back. "I will get the doctor," he said.
Reyona nodded and he stepped out.
He had tried for her that evening.
Not only had he been her companion, he had even been her chauffeur when they were coming back to the hospital.
Reyona didn't want to have to take a cab again since her car was perfectly idling in the parking lot.
She wanted to try driving, but she had not even taken more than a step towards the car before she felt the aura of disapproval rolling off him.
Musing about how she had ended up in a situation where she even needed someone's approval before she could drive her car, Reyona pointed the key at him before he could say what she knew he was dying to say.
"Can you drive?" she asked grudgingly.
"I race in my spare time."
Typical.
"I guess you wouldn't mind driving us to the hospital then," she said coolly.
"I will be more than happy to," he said as he collected the key from her.
Reyona could easily see him on a racecourse with adrenaline spiking, and his dreads flying as he gave the car all he had.
In as much as he remembered that they were not on a racecourse, she mused as he settled behind the wheels, and she had to make do with sitting in the passenger seat.
It felt weird for her to be sitting there when a stranger was in the seat she should be in.
That bitch had better run as far as possible.
"I bet this sucks, right?" Nurse Killian suddenly and Reyona realised she had been scowling.
They looked at each other and laughed.
The remaining journey had been pleasant as he filled it with chitchat.
Then she saw a food stand and remembered she had not eaten much since morning.
She didn't like hospitals, and she doubted she would like hospital meals any better either.
So, she asked him to take a turn at the next intersection, so they could go back.
Of course, like any typical medical personnel, he had to spend about three full minutes pointing out the things she couldn't eat and how they might inflame her wounds and make her heal slowly.
So, she had told him that she would let the doctor know that it was his fault that they got to the hospital a few minutes past two hours.
His look of shocked horror as he pleaded with her not to let him lose his job caused what Reyona had no idea could happen so soon after the scene in her office.
She laughed.
That bastard had looked her in the eyes and lied, but she could laugh after all.
Thanks to a man who knew nothing about her yet chose to cheer up her sour mood, she laughed.
She needed to find a way to reward him for what he had done that night.
Without knowing it, he had helped take her mind off the crippling thoughts that would have filled her mind if she had been alone immediately after that two-faced liar left.
Now, if she could just find a way to sleep without having any more nightmares, then things would be perfect.
She will be better tomorrow.
She was sure of it.
She had nothing to lose anymore.
She had lost what was much more, and it didn't break her.
This wouldn't as well.
She would simply toss the past few months aside like it never happened and move on with her life.
She had done it before. She can still do it again.
"I see you cut it close, ma'am", she opened her eyes as she heard the doctor come in.
"Were you about to send the police after me, doctor?" Reyona asked with a smile.
"Good to see you are feeling better," the doctor responded.
Feeling better enough to make jokes, he meant.
Reyona looked over at Nurse Killian as she said "Actually something delayed me."
He didn't look straight at her, but she saw his eyes smiling.
Reyona turned her head to face the doctor again as she said "I had to eat. I was hungry, and I don't like hospital food."
"Understandable, ma'am," the doctor said as he handed the file in his hands to Nurse Killian and moved closer to check Reyona's vitals.
"So, what is wrong with me?" Reyona asked as she nodded towards the file in Nurse Killian's hand.
"You have some internal laceration on your back where you hit it against something. The puncture to your stomach is the most dire of your wounds. Your uterus was saved by a hairsbreadth. A little shift downward and that impact would have ruptured your uterine wall. It is amazing that you can even move about at this rate because we detect minimal internal bleeding from the juncture of impact."
"What?" Reyona asked anxiously as she raised herself on her elbow. "Does that mean I will need surgery?"
"No, that wouldn't be necessary. We will have to give you mild intravenous vitamin K, fresh frozen plasma and platelets to keep you steady. We have to monitor the progress for a while though because…"
"Does that mean I can't go home tomorrow?" Reyona asked anxiously.
"I am afraid you can't, ma. There is a lot at stake here, so we can't afford to be carefree about this."
"More at stake?" Reyona was worried at that point. What else had that bitch destroyed in her body? "What else is wrong with me?"
"Oh, no. Nothing else. But your uterine wall is of the utmost importance right now. You are pregnant, ma'am."
What?!