next beautiful thing I lay my eyes on, is a giant illuminated H .
I’m at the hospital.
I throw the bag in a nearby garbage can and slowly make my way up to the emergency entrance. There is an ambulance parked near the doors, and just as I reach out to grab it before I faint, my knees give out and I fall.
***
“She’s lucky to be alive, Neil. Don’t go burning down New York just yet. Let the cops do their job.” Lucas’ voice grumbles softly over the quiet beeps of machines in the hospital room.
I slightly open my eyes to see Neil and Lucas standing at the foot of the bed, both with their arms crossed.
“Hi,” I whisper. My throat burns, and it’s painful to swallow.
“Leah! Holy shit. Let me get the doctor!” Lucas bounds out of the room without another word, and Neil rushes to my side and grabs my hand.
“Sweetheart, what the hell happened to you?” Neil’s eyes glisten in the low-lit room.
“I don’t know, Neil.”
“Who was it? Just tell me. I know people.”
“You know people?”
Neil smiles just a little. “Well, not really. But the boys and I will form a mob and find that motherfucker.”
“I don’t know who it was. What time is it?” I force the lie.
Neil looks at his watch then back to me. “Almost nine AM.”
“What’s the date?”
“September 27th. You’ve been gone for two days.”
“Miss Marshall, good to see you awake. I’m Felicia Allen, the attending doctor. I was here when you arrived. Do you remember anything?”
I nod. “I was dropped off, and then I fainted.”
Doctor Allen nods. “The police were just in the cafeteria, they’re on their way up to speak with you. A paramedic found you behind the ambulance. Luckily, too. You were so dehydrated, it wasn’t looking too good.”
The door slightly opens and a man followed by a woman come into the room. It’s suddenly feeling very tight in here. The man looks at Neil and Lucas, and without words, asks them to leave the room.
“We’ll be right outside, sweetheart,” Neil says before following Lucas out the door.
“I’m Detective Soloman,” the man says. “This is my partner, Detective Lin. How are you feeling, Leah?”
“Sore. Tired. A bit hungry.”
“I bet you are,” Detective Lin says, pushing her dark bangs out of her eyes. “You up for some questions?”
I nod. It’s now or never. I just need to think about how exactly I’m going to answer questions I’m vowed not to speak about.
“What time did you get dropped off at Times Square Studios?” Detective Soloman asks.
“Umm…I think it was almost six.”
He nods, looking down at a notepad.
“You already know that though…”
“I do. We’ve seen the footage.”
“What does it show?” I ask, nervously.
“Well, it shows you getting out of Mr. Field’s car, standing for a few seconds while looking at your cellphone. Tell me what happened next, Miss Marshall…” he prompts.
I swallow, and silently pray. “Someone grabbed me.”
“Very brazenly, too. I’ve never seen anything like it. You were right in front of the door…ten seconds after you were dragged off, Lucas Field came out to find you.”
“Unfortunately the video didn’t show anything as the person was wearing all black and had a hood on.”
“What did,” I almost said she . “The person use to knock me out?”
“Standard chloroform. Typical. You can get that shit anywhere. The cloth was left at the scene,” Detective Lin says shaking her head. “What happened after you were taken?”
“I remember coming to, and I had a bag over my head. It smelled bad. I felt it against my face. It was burlap. My hands were tied behind my back, and I was sitting on a chair.”
“Was the bag on your head the entire time?”
“Yes,” I whisper, looking down at my hands.
Detective Soloman sits on a chair beside my bed. “We can take a break, if you like, Leah.”
“No, I’m okay. Can I have some water though, please?”
“I’ll get you some,”
I’m at the hospital.
I throw the bag in a nearby garbage can and slowly make my way up to the emergency entrance. There is an ambulance parked near the doors, and just as I reach out to grab it before I faint, my knees give out and I fall.
***
“She’s lucky to be alive, Neil. Don’t go burning down New York just yet. Let the cops do their job.” Lucas’ voice grumbles softly over the quiet beeps of machines in the hospital room.
I slightly open my eyes to see Neil and Lucas standing at the foot of the bed, both with their arms crossed.
“Hi,” I whisper. My throat burns, and it’s painful to swallow.
“Leah! Holy shit. Let me get the doctor!” Lucas bounds out of the room without another word, and Neil rushes to my side and grabs my hand.
“Sweetheart, what the hell happened to you?” Neil’s eyes glisten in the low-lit room.
“I don’t know, Neil.”
“Who was it? Just tell me. I know people.”
“You know people?”
Neil smiles just a little. “Well, not really. But the boys and I will form a mob and find that motherfucker.”
“I don’t know who it was. What time is it?” I force the lie.
Neil looks at his watch then back to me. “Almost nine AM.”
“What’s the date?”
“September 27th. You’ve been gone for two days.”
“Miss Marshall, good to see you awake. I’m Felicia Allen, the attending doctor. I was here when you arrived. Do you remember anything?”
I nod. “I was dropped off, and then I fainted.”
Doctor Allen nods. “The police were just in the cafeteria, they’re on their way up to speak with you. A paramedic found you behind the ambulance. Luckily, too. You were so dehydrated, it wasn’t looking too good.”
The door slightly opens and a man followed by a woman come into the room. It’s suddenly feeling very tight in here. The man looks at Neil and Lucas, and without words, asks them to leave the room.
“We’ll be right outside, sweetheart,” Neil says before following Lucas out the door.
“I’m Detective Soloman,” the man says. “This is my partner, Detective Lin. How are you feeling, Leah?”
“Sore. Tired. A bit hungry.”
“I bet you are,” Detective Lin says, pushing her dark bangs out of her eyes. “You up for some questions?”
I nod. It’s now or never. I just need to think about how exactly I’m going to answer questions I’m vowed not to speak about.
“What time did you get dropped off at Times Square Studios?” Detective Soloman asks.
“Umm…I think it was almost six.”
He nods, looking down at a notepad.
“You already know that though…”
“I do. We’ve seen the footage.”
“What does it show?” I ask, nervously.
“Well, it shows you getting out of Mr. Field’s car, standing for a few seconds while looking at your cellphone. Tell me what happened next, Miss Marshall…” he prompts.
I swallow, and silently pray. “Someone grabbed me.”
“Very brazenly, too. I’ve never seen anything like it. You were right in front of the door…ten seconds after you were dragged off, Lucas Field came out to find you.”
“Unfortunately the video didn’t show anything as the person was wearing all black and had a hood on.”
“What did,” I almost said she . “The person use to knock me out?”
“Standard chloroform. Typical. You can get that shit anywhere. The cloth was left at the scene,” Detective Lin says shaking her head. “What happened after you were taken?”
“I remember coming to, and I had a bag over my head. It smelled bad. I felt it against my face. It was burlap. My hands were tied behind my back, and I was sitting on a chair.”
“Was the bag on your head the entire time?”
“Yes,” I whisper, looking down at my hands.
Detective Soloman sits on a chair beside my bed. “We can take a break, if you like, Leah.”
“No, I’m okay. Can I have some water though, please?”
“I’ll get you some,”
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