Chapter Ten
COLE
Beeping sounds…
Please stop!
My head hurts.
My eyes want to open.
They can’t.
But I want to try.
After a few more attempts, I finally open them.
Blinking a few times, I look around at my surroundings. Where am I?
I’m lying in a bed and staring at a white ceiling with very bright lights.
Attempting to look to my left, a jolt of pain surges through my skull.
“Don’t move,” a familiar voice says.
The person moves closer, and I see Belle is here with me.
“Where… where am I?” I croak out.
“I’m going to get the nurse. You’re in hospital. You were shot.”
My memory is blurred, and I don’t remember getting shot. What is the last thing I remember?
A car? Headlights? Bright lights. Kissing Belle. I remember kissing Belle.
“Mr. Brennan, I’m Nurse Fleur. How is your pain at the moment?”
“Nurse Fleur? So I am in a hospital?”
“Yes, that’s correct. You’ve been shot in the head, an injury that is normally fatal. God must have been watching over you that night,” Fleur answers, shining a bright light into each of my eyes.
Wait, what did she call me? I don’t hear part of her next sentence because all I am thinking about is the name she called me.
“Mr. Brennan? Are you listening to me? You have severe swelling on the brain. Dr. Felix will be coming to see you shortly. I’ve already called him and let him know you’ve woken up. Tell me, on a scale of one to ten, how strong is your pain?”
“Wait, did you say Mr. Brennan?” My voice is barely audible as it’s as dry as the desert.
“Yes, that is your name, isn’t it? Or is it Seth Hawkins? We’re not exactly sure, considering you had two forms of ID in your wallet with two different names on them.” She looks up at Belle. “This young lady here was as surprised as I was to see two IDs. She’s under the impression your name is Seth.”
“Can you explain that, Mr. Brennan? ” Belle adds with sarcasm in her voice.
Fuck! How could I be so careless?
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Panic rushes through me. If my mouth was dry before, it’s nothing compared to how it feels now.
“Water,” I ask.
“Of course, I’ll be right back with some water for you. I won’t be long.”
Please don’t go, don’t leave me alone with Belle.
Nurse Fleur leaves us and heads out of my room, leaving Belle and me all alone.
She steps closer, her arms folded, with sadness covering her features.
“Please…” I beg, “… let me explain.”
She frowns. “Please do because I’m dying to hear why you go by another name, Seth. Or is it Cole? I can’t keep up. Wait till my dad hears about this.”
Where’s my lighter? What the hell am I supposed to do? Why aren’t Theresa or Ben here?
“No, you can’t. Just... for God’s sake, where is my water? My mouth is dry as fuck.”
Finally, Nurse Fleur returns.
“Here you are, and I’ve brought you some painkillers.”
Everything is so confusing. One minute, I’m in the car with Belle, ready to kiss her goodnight, and then somehow, I end up here in the hospital.
She places a straw in a cup and pours fresh water into it, bringing it to my mouth.
As soon as the straw hits my lips, I drink eagerly, the cool water giving me a sense of relief.
Coughing hysterically, Nurse Fleur pulls back with the cup in hand.
“Easy, Cole, you’re drinking too fast. Just slow sips.”
I reply with a nod but want to correct her saying, my name is Seth . This time, when she brings the straw to my mouth, I take small sips.
“That’s better,” Fleur encourages.
Once finished, she places the empty cup on the side table and pours some more water.
“Here, take these.” She hands me a paper cup that contains two tablets. “They’re the painkillers.”
I hope to God these work because my head is killing me.
Throwing them both in my mouth, Fleur brings the straw to my lips once again, and I swallow them.
Sighing, I let my head rest against the pillow. However, the bandage that is tightly wrapped around it makes it impossible to be comfortable.
“Why was I shot? Who did this?” I ask.
Belle moves forward and explains, “It was a man wearing a balaclava. I didn’t see his face. When he shot you, he jumped in his car and sped away. It was the same car that beeped its horn at us at the lights. The bullet penetrated your skull. It was a miracle you survived. It was touch and go for a while. You’ve been in a coma for over a week.”
“Did you… did you get the license plate number?”
Belle shakes her head. “No, I’m sorry. I was in shock. It was Pete who heard everything and ran out and called the ambulance.”
“What about… What about…”
“My father?” Belle asks. She looks out of the window in thought.
“Belle? Does he know what’s happened? I know this is confusing with my name and all, but just give me time to explain.”
“He knows you’re here and have been shot, but if you’re asking if he knows that you lied, the answer is no. But I intend to tell him as soon as he gets here. He’s on his way…”