Chapter Thirty-Three
A fter breakfast, Daniel and Layla got Keira up and walked her down the same hallway and back. Keira was pleased she wasn’t as tired as she had been the day before and wanted to keep going.
“Keira, remember the doctor didn’t want you exhausted. This afternoon we’ll go a little farther.”
Keira growled in frustration. “Okay. I just hate being weak.”
“I know, and I hate that you are hurting, but it will get better. Besides, we need to talk about when you get released.”
Layla looked worriedly at Daniel over her head.
They started her toward the bed. “I want to sit in a chair. Just for a little bit.”
“Just until Logan gets back with breakfast.”
Keira nodded and settled back into the recliner Daniel had been using.
“I should get some of the sweet rolls you were talking about, right?
Layla chuckled and smoothed the blanket on top of Keira’s lap. “Absolutely. We wouldn’t think about keeping you from a sugar source.”
Keira snorted. “Look who’s talking.”
“What kind of sweets do you like, Keira?”
Both women looked at him like he was crazy before Keira spoke up. “There are no bad sweets.”
Daniel chuckled. “No, I meant, do you like pie, cake, cookies, or candy?”
Both women blurted at the same time, “Yes.”
Daniel threw back his head. It felt good to laugh. It seemed like it had been months.
The door opened, and Logan came in. The scent of cinnamon and caramel drifted to her, making her stomach growl. She let Daniel pull her slowly up and help her toward the bed. “It’s ridiculous that I still feel hungry when I just ate breakfast.”
Logan paused as he pulled Styrofoam containers from a sack. “You called that eating? You barely touched it, and I don’t blame you. You couldn’t pay me to eat that slop.”
Layla wrinkled her nose and laughed at her husband. “Really, I’ve seen you eat pig’s feet and chocolate-covered crickets. Now that’s just gross.”
“Hey, those are delicacies. You need to refine your tastes a little there, Doll Face.”
“Ha. You’ll never catch me eating bugs.”
Logan just shrugged and chuckled. “Don’t knock it until you try it, Babe.” He set a container in front of Keira and handed her a plastic knife and fork.
“Good God. That’s huge, Logan. Someone is going to help me eat this, right?”
“No, I got one for each of us.”
They ate in silence for several minutes. “Oh, Lord, I can’t eat anymore.”
Daniel looked over at her roll. “You barely ate any of it.”
“Remember, my stomach is a bit smaller right now because of the accident, and I already had some breakfast.” Keira frowned and looked back and forth between the others as they all instantly stiffened and turned toward each other, concerned. “What’d I say?”
Daniel set his container aside and stood to take care of her things. He moved the table out of the way and then started lowering her bed.
“Daniel, what did I say?”
“You weren’t in an accident.”
Keira didn’t like that he wouldn’t look her in the eyes. “Then what happened?” Her mind was swimming through a haze of confusing, shadowy memories.
Daniel smoothed out the blanket. “You know I can’t tell you. You have to remember on your own.”
Keira threw her arms out. “I don’t see why. Was my nightmare last night a memory?”
“I don’t know. You haven’t talked about it.”
Keira relaxed back and closed her eyes. She wanted to be able to tell them about her nightmare, but every time she tried, terror swept through her veins.
A strange sense of calm descended over her. She took a few deep breaths and opened her eyes. “I was attacked.” She frowned when Daniel cringed, and Layla’s eyes teared. “That was it, wasn’t it? I wasn’t in an accident, I was attacked.”
Daniel stood over her. He could tell she was starting to remember. “Yes.”
“Who?”
Daniel paused. “We don’t know.”
Keira closed her eyes again. Flashes of pictures ran through her head. Pieces of paper, a very messy bedroom, perfume bottles. The feeling of fear and sadness ran through her. She could understand the fear, but sadness? And it wasn’t a simple sad. It felt like it went soul deep.
Her eyes swept to Layla before landing on Daniel. “Why would I feel sad? I understand the fear, but this level of sadness?”
She was startled when tears sparkled in Daniel’s eyes. “Maybe because you didn’t think you could trust me and felt alone.”
“How? I know we don’t know each other that well, but I can’t imagine myself not trusting you.”
Daniel wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “I have a lot to tell you, but we’ll have time to figure it out later.”
A streak of chilling dread coursed up her spine as Keira looked worriedly at Layla across the room. It had to have been something bad to get that look on her sister’s face.
Daniel used his fingers to tilt her head back a little farther. “Don’t worry. It’ll all work out.” He pressed his mouth to hers, slowly as if afraid he’d hurt her.
Keira sat back and sighed. “I’m going to rest for a bit. I’m hoping the nurses will be in shortly and I can take a shower.”
Daniel helped her lower her bed. “If you can’t, I’ll give you a sponge bath.”
Keira laughed when Daniel’s eyebrows wiggled. “We’ll have to see about that.”