Chapter 10
AVA
Steam hissed from under the crumpled hood, the acrid smell of burnt rubber and engine oil thick in the air.
Ava peeled herself away from the deflated airbag, her mind a whirl of disorientation.
She’d momentarily lost consciousness, but the world seemed to have shifted dramatically in those few seconds.
With a whimper, she pressed a trembling hand to her forehead, wincing as she touched raw skin. The sticky warmth of blood coated her fingers as she pulled her hand back, the sight sending a fresh wave of panic through her.
Outside, the crunch of shattered glass underfoot pierced the silence. Ava’s heart hammered against her ribs as she slowly turned her head toward the sound.
In the dim glow of the moonlight, a sinister figure approached, the cold glint of steel in his hand unmistakable–a gun.
Desperation clawed at her. She shoved the limp airbag aside, her hands shaking as she fumbled with the start button, trying to coax the engine to life, but it refused to turn over.
Suddenly, the shrill cry of a siren sliced through the night, and her attacker’s head snapped toward the noise.
Red and blue lights flickered in the distance, casting eerie shadows across the wrecked vehicles.
The man hesitated, his silhouette tense, then turned sharply and bolted back to the truck that had smashed into her.
Tires screeched in a desperate bid for escape, the vehicle disappearing into the night just as the first police cruiser rolled onto the scene.
Ava’s breath hitched, her heart a chaotic drum in her chest as she teetered on the edge between relief and terror.
The flashing lights blurred into a dizzying swirl of red and blue, each pulse echoing the frantic beat of her own pulse.
As the officers rushed toward her, their voices a distant buzz, her vision blurred–not from tears, but from the grip of fear and shock.
Paramedics appeared, their faces blurred and their voices warbling, as if underwater.
While she should feel safe, the chilling image of the gun in the hooded man’s hand haunted her, a stark reminder of the danger still lurking.
One paramedic murmured something to the other before a penlight shined in her eyes. She squinted against it.
“Ma’am, can you speak?”
“Yes,” she answered, holding a shaky hand up against the light.
“Great,” the paramedic said as she took Ava’s pulse. “What’s your name?”
“Ava,” she answered. “Ava Collins.”
“Ava. That’s a pretty name. Can you tell us what happened?”
“Someone hit me. They…came right through the sign and t-boned me. They took off.”
A police officer hovered over the paramedic’s shoulder. “Can you describe the vehicle?”
Ava winced as they manipulated her now-swollen wrist. “A truck…uh…dark colored. Pretty big, like it was jacked up.”
“Get a look at the driver?”
Fear shot through her again, sending her pulse spiraling higher. The image of him striding toward her with a gun in hand rattled her. “Uh, no, he…had a hood on. I couldn’t see his face.”
“Any chance you saw a license plate?”
“No, sorry,” Ava answered, her mind already searching for other solutions. Were there any CCTV cameras Alex could access to find the truck?
“Okay, looks like you’ve got some swelling here on your wrist and a nasty cut on your forehead. We’re going to need to take you to the hospital to be checked for internal injuries and get these cleaned up. Is there someone we can alert for you?”
“Alex,” she answered on autopilot, “my husband.”
“Is he your emergency contact?”
She nodded as they helped her from the mangled car onto the stretcher. “Okay, we’ll make sure the hospital calls him.”
“Oh, my purse,” she said, pointing back toward the car.
“We’ve got it,” the male paramedic answered. “Don’t worry.”
“Thanks, I can call Al–” Her voice slurred as she suddenly felt faint. Her eyelashes fluttered, fighting to stay open.
“Ma’am? Stay with me.”
“Dizzy,” Ava answered.
“It’s okay, Ava. We’re going to get you some fluids. I want you to put your head back and try to keep talking to me, okay? Tell me something about you.”
“I…have a black belt.”
“Oh, yeah?” The female paramedic squeezed closer to her in the tight space as her partner closed the doors on them.
Seconds later, the rig lurched forward, sirens screaming as they made their way to the hospital.
“I bet that took some doing.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Are you experiencing any nausea?” the paramedic asked. “Little pinch here.”
The cold needle pierced her skin before cold liquid began to crawl through her veins.
“No,” Ava said with a shake of her head.
“Okay, did you hit your head? Looks like your airbag deployed.”
“It did. I just…wow, I’m dizzy.”
“That’s not abnormal. Just try to relax and take some deep breaths.”
Ava squeezed her eyes closed as she fought through another round of vertigo. When she opened them again, the bright lights of the emergency room’s trauma space shined down on her, hurting her eyes.
“Welcome back, Ava,” a nurse said as they worked on her. “You’re at Southhampton Hospital. You were in an accident.”
“Alex…”
“Someone’s called your husband,” the nurse assured her. “We need to run some tests on you, okay? Looks like you may have hit your head and wrist.”
Ava’s forehead creased as she tried to make sense of the conversation through the pain now coursing through her. Her adrenaline must have covered it before.
She struggled to inhale, each attempt painful. “I can’t breathe.”
“Can we get her oxygen?” a dark-haired doctor ordered as he approached her. “We’re going to get some x-rays and a CT scan of your belly to make sure you don’t have internal bleeding or any broken ribs, okay?”
She tried to nod, but it made her dizzy again. With her eyes squeezed closed, she rode out the wave. Voices swirled around her, ordering tests and care.
Seconds later, she was whisked away for the onslaught of tests. Goosebumps formed on her skin as they pushed her through the icy cold halls of the hospital to the radiology department.
After a variety of different procedures, she found herself back in a cubicle of the emergency department, wrapped in a warm blanket to help with her injuries and shock.
“Try to lay back and rest. We’ll be in with your results soon,” the nurse said.
She bit into her lower lip as she squeezed her eyes closed.
A panicked voice split through the buzz of the hospital, forcing her eyes open.
“Ava?” Alex called, his voice cracking.
Her features twisted with relief and upset as she reached for him.
He rushed into the room, scooping her into his arms and squeezing her tight to him. “Ava, oh my goodness. Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?”
He pulled back, studying her as tears filled her eyes. She shook her head and wrapped her arms around him again, laying her head on his shoulder.
A torrent of emotions battled within her. Relief that she was alive, terror over what had just happened, and a crushing wave of vulnerability as the reality of her near-death experience sank in. Tears welled uncontrollably, her voice shaky as she finally managed to whisper, “I’m okay.”
“Are you sure? You don’t look okay.”
“I’m fine, more or less. I just…” She pulled back from him, fear in her eyes.
He stroked her hair, concern etched into his features. “Avs, what is it? What happened?”
“I–Alex, I don’t think this was an accident.”
“What?” His eyes went wide as his breathing turned ragged. “You mean someone hit you on purpose?”
“I think so. They got out of the truck after they hit me and came toward me. Alex, he had a gun.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No. The police were on their way already. He fled.”
Alex heaved a sigh of relief. “I programmed your car to dial emergency services immediately after an accident.”
Despite her fear, the corners of her lips tugged upward at how well he took care of her. He caressed her cheek before his fingers found the butterfly bandage on her forehead. “This looks bad.”
“It’s not that bad,” she promised him, her fingers curling around his. “I’m better now that you’re here.”
“I’m not leaving you, Avs.” He pulled her close again before he pressed his forehead against hers.
A second later, he pulled back and studied her. “Sparky, what is your favorite book you read this year? And how many clients do you have? And what do you do to relax at night if you don’t game?”
“Huh?” she asked.
He opened his mouth to speak when a doctor strode into the room, Ava’s chart in hand. “Mrs... Collins?”
“Ah, Ms. Collins,” she answered. “This is my husband, Alex Stone.”
Alex rose to shake his hand before he slid an arm around Ava’s shoulders. “Is Ava okay?”
“Right, sorry. Your wife sustained a few injuries.”
Alex’s hand tightened around her.
“Nothing life-threatening, but you’ll definitely want to have a quiet few days, make sure she gets plenty of rest, and follow up.”
“Of course. I will…I will make sure she stays in bed. I will wait on her hand and foot. No problem. Just…tell us what’s going on with her. Tell me she’s okay.”
“Well, Ava, you sustained a concussion. You also have some bruising around your ribs, so you’ll have some pain breathing.
That’s normal, but if it turns excruciating or you have difficulty breathing, you need to come back to the ER right way.
Same with if you experience any confusion, slurred speech, anything like that.
“On top of that, you also sprained your wrist. That’s just going to need rest, ice, elevation, and over-the-counter pain relievers for pain.
And lastly, you’ve got that gash on your forehead.
Keep that clean, watch for any signs of infection, and use an antibacterial ointment on that to prevent it from scarring. ”
“Right, okay,” Ava said with a nod. “But other than that, I’m okay, right?”
“You are in great health, and you’re perfectly fine.”
Both Alex and Ava blew out a sigh of relief at the words, sharing a glance as she clutched his hand.
“She can go home, right?” Alex asked.
“Absolutely. Just watch out for those signs I told you about and try to relax.”