Page 79 of Be My Vengeance

“He’ll be here soon.”

“Is he okay?”

He nodded. “Last I heard, they had Vladimir and were driving to the safe house with him. Alex was going to come here after.”

Not wanting to really talk too much, I closed my eyes and slipped to sleep.

This time when I woke, I was alone. Raff wasn’t here, the curtains were open, and I saw the nurses fluttering around out there. I was about to just go back to sleep but the doors whooshed open, and a doctor entered with a smile.

“Good evening, Mr. Brooks. I’m Dr. Bauer. I’m going to do a simple exam—nothing that will hurt; I’ve ordered some more tests as well. Someone will come by and bring you up there are a few.”

“What tests?”

“MRI, which is why we can’t bring that in here. Most are portable but not that.”

I didn’t argue, and I let him get on with his poking. After he was done he said it would be a couple of minutes, and then I’d be wheeled up.

“Can someone tell my friend?”

The doctor’s brows dipped. “What friend?”

“I think he’s in the bathroom or something, his name is Rafferty. He’s been sitting with me. I don’t want him to worry if he returns and I’m not here.” Talking that much took the wind out of me, and the doctor must have noticed.

“Just relax, and I will let your nurse know to tell him.”

It was more like ten minutes by the time they came to take me for my MRI. The PCA was gathering my tubes and such so they wouldn’t get tangled. Raff still hadn’t returned, and something wasn’t sitting right with me.

“Can I make a call?”

The PCA seemed surprised by the request. “I gotta take you for imaging. I can let the nurse know that when you come back you want to.”

I didn’t want to wait. “It’s an emergency.”

He grinned. “Well, you’re in a hospital; we got emergencies covered.”

“Please. It will take a second.”

He glanced out the glass doors, then to me. “You got a cell?”

“Not here.”

The PCA took out his phone. “You know the number off the top of your head?”

“Yeah.”

He handed me his cell. “Wait until we pass the nurses’ station, and you can call while I transport you. Don’t tell no one I did this. I’m not supposed to since it’s a work phone.”

“Thank you.”

Once we passed the nurses’ station, I called Alex’s number. It rang three times before he answered in perfect Alex fashion.

“Who’s this?”

“Alex, it’s Danny.”

There was a pregnant pause. “Danny, what number is this? What’s wrong?”

“That’s Danny?” I heard Gideon’s voice in the background. “Put it on speaker. Danny, what’s going on?”