Chapter 22 #2
“Are you still going to be this hot when I’m an old grandma?” I ask curiously.
“I don’t know,” he sighs. “One bridge at a time, Ansley.”
We step into Morgan’s infirmary, and the current bridge is on a table in front of us.
Daisy. She looks so peaceful, like she’s enjoying the best sleep she’s ever had.
Morgan has cleaned her up, in addition to treating her wounds.
He even put a nice pink ribbon in her blonde hair. She will not like that.
“This will only take a moment. She’ll be a little groggy when she wakes up,” Morgan says, placing his hand on her head.
Morgan’s hand glows orange, the light getting brighter and brighter until it fades to nothing. He takes a step back, and for a few agonizing seconds, nothing happens. I start to get worried, squeezing Hayden’s hand.
Then Daisy’s eyes flutter open. I walk closer to the table, then freeze. My stomach drops. Something’s wrong.
Daisy’s eyes are supposed to be blue. The same bright, indigo blue I’ve known since we were kids. The blue I’d recognize anywhere, even in a crowd. I know those eyes better than I know my own. But the ones staring up at the ceiling right now aren’t blue. They’re green.
“Ansley!” Daisy chirps, hopping out of bed and bouncing on her toes. “I was just having an awesome dream about you!” A brow rises, then she looks around, noticing Morgan and Hayden. “Wait, who the hell are you guys? Where the fuck am I?”
She looks like Daisy, sounds like Daisy. She still has the same mannerisms I’ve grown accustomed to over the years. I’m not sure why her eyes are different, but she’s still my best friend. I’m just glad she’s alive.
“Um, how much do you remember?” I ask cautiously.
“I went on a date with Xander last night, and uh, it was going well. He’s so freaking hot!” Daisy says excitedly, then the excitement fades, her brows knit, and she touches her neck. “Wait, I think he bit me. And not in a good way…”
“That wasn’t last night,” I say, moving closer to Daisy and taking her hand. “He kidnapped you and held you captive. You’ve been in a coma for three days.”
“What?” Daisy’s new green eyes flicker with concern, then she squeezes my hand. “Is Caddo okay!? Please tell me you fed him!”
Her eyes may be off, but she’s exactly the same. That alleviates some of my concern, but I still can’t help the worried knot in my stomach.
“Caddo’s fine,” I say. “He’s with your mom. She’s taking good care of him.”
“He’s going to be so freaking mad at me. I never got to the store to buy more cat food!” Daisy groans, then she looks around again. “Are you guys the cops? This doesn’t look like a hospital.”
“Right, this is Morgan,” I sigh, gesturing to the Witch Doctor. “He’s the one who treated you.”
“And him?” Daisy asks, looking Hayden over, a grin spreading across her face. “Hello, handsome.”
“His name is Hayden,” I say, a twinge of jealousy creeping in, which is a strange feeling for me. “Um, he’s with me. We rescued you.”
“We?” Daisy tilts her head slightly.
“There’s a lot to explain,” I explain. “But for now, you’re safe. Your injuries weren’t severe, but you did need a blood transfusion. Thank goodness I’m O negative, right?”
“I always said you’d be the one I came to if I ever needed blood,” Daisy says, looking herself over. “Um, if I needed a transfusion, where are the cuts? That asshole better not have raped me. I… I guess I’d be able to tell.”
“No sign of that,” Morgan says. “That’s not what he was after.”
“Great, I bet he robbed me then,” Daisy mutters. “Don’t suppose you found my phone or my purse?”
“No, I’m sorry,” I say, squeezing her hand again. “But if you’re feeling okay, we should go. There’s a lot we need to talk about.”
“Jeez, you said it was only three days, right? How much did I miss?” Daisy turns and looks at Hayden, then at me, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. “He’s not one of the guys I introduced you to at the bar.”
“I’ll explain everything, I promise,” I interject, letting go of Daisy’s hand. “But seriously, we should go.”
“Okay…” Daisy says hesitantly, then she turns to look at Morgan. “Thank you for… um, taking care of me. Uh, I’d give you my insurance card if I had my purse.” She pauses for a moment, a flicker of concern in her green eyes. “I’m lying. I don’t have insurance.”
“Hayden already took care of it,” Morgan says.
“Oh, um, yeah, there’s a lot you need to tell,” Daisy says, glancing at me. “Let’s go.”
Hayden leads the way and Daisy skips after him, way too much energy for someone who just woke up from a coma. I trail behind them, still a little confused and concerned.
Once we get outside, Daisy looks around. “Wow, where did you bring me? This isn’t even a doctor’s office.”
“He was the only one who could help,” Hayden growls, not slowing down.
Daisy shrugs and stretches, then skips down the alleyway. I haven’t seen her skip this much since we were kids. What happened to her? Then a thought hits me. What if it’s because I gave her my blood? Could that have done something to her, since I’m not exactly human? I really hope not.
“Oo, nice ride,” Daisy chirps when we get to the SUV. She opens the back door and hops in without a second thought, then I hear a scream. “MY EYES ARE GREEN!?”
“Oh no,” I mutter, pulling the passenger door open. “Um, I don’t know what happened. The blood transfusion, maybe?” I glance at Hayden and he shrugs.
“Could be,” he growls, then he walks around to the driver’s side.
“Hmm,” Daisy leans across the backseat, looking in the rear-view mirror.
She yanks the ribbon out of her hair, looks at it, then tosses it in the seat beside her.
“Well, I don’t hate them. If I was in a coma for three days, and this is the worst of it, I guess I won’t complain.
But that’s weird, right? Like, that kind of stuff doesn’t usually happen when you get a blood transfusion. Not that I’m an expert.”
“If you think that’s weird…” I begin, not finishing my sentence.
“We’ll talk when we get to the safehouse,” Hayden interrupts, turning the ignition.
“Safehouse? Am I in witness protection or something?” she questions.
“They still haven’t found Xander,” I say, hoping that won’t lead to a million more questions. “Until they do, you’ll have to lay low. It’s the best way to keep you safe.”
“Does this safehouse have alcohol?” she asks.
“Yes,” Hayden replies quickly.
“Alright, I’m good,” Daisy chirps. “But you better tell me everything once I’ve got a drink in my hand.”
“I will,” I say, turning around in my seat and putting on my seatbelt.
I’m not sure how Daisy is going to react. She’ll probably tell me I’ve lost my mind. I would, if the roles were reversed. But she’s my best friend, blue eyes or green.
I have to tell her the truth.