Bombshell

“I don’t know – I do need to speak with her, however. What’s her name, I’d like to speak with her doctors.”

Merrick reluctantly gave the Special Agent her name. He hoped he wouldn’t be getting Tony in trouble when they realized that her identification was all fake. He didn’t know her real name, otherwise he would have gladly given it. He tried to press the Special Agent for details about their case against the Sheriff, but she wouldn’t tell him squat. Only that he was corrupt and dangerous and that Merrick and his Private Investigator needed to cease and desist all of their investigations and stay out of the FBI’s way.

Merrick took the stairs two at a time, wanting to make sure she was still okay. If they intended to question her, then maybe she did know something. Was she safe, even here? He wanted to get her out of the hospital.

After the FBI agent left, Merrick took the stairs to the sixth floor, to burn off some of the nervous energy. The fact that the FBI was looking into the Sheriff, made Merrick sick. He wasn’t just some lunatic, he was on the FBI’s short list of people to stay away from. What if he’d been involved in something big – what if he’d got Bombshell wrapped up in it. If the FBI was that dead set on questioning her, maybe she knew something that could put her in danger. Maybe that’s why the Sheriff had come after her? Was she safe? Even two states away? He wanted to get her out of the hospital as soon as possible. But, mostly he wanted to be the first one to talk to her, before the FBI showed up.

When he got upstairs, the nurses stopped him before he took two steps into the ward.

“Sir, where are you going?”

Merrick cursed under his breath.

“To see my fiancée,” he said without stopping.

A large nurse, moved faster than Merrick could imagine and blocked his path. “I’m sorry, sir, this is not an open ward. No visitors allowed without a doctor present.”

“Well, then, you’re in luck,” said a woman’s voice.

Merrick turned around to see a striking middle-aged woman wearing a short skirt and a low-cut blouse under a well-cut gray suit. “Merrick Flynn, I presume,” she said, extending her hand and smiling broadly.

“Doctor Garcia?” Merrick said. The moment he said “Doctor,” the nurse stood aside. She ran over to the desk and grabbed a sign-in sheet.

“Please sign-in, Doctor Garcia, I’ll let Doctor Armavir know that you’ve arrived.”

“Thank you, I appreciate that very much. May I take Mr. Flynn with me to see the patient?”

Yes, Doctor,” said the nurse. She got on the phone, and Doctor Garcia started down the hall. “Oh, I forgot to get a number.”

“That’s alright, I know where she is.”

Merrick’s heart expanded inside his chest, when he saw that her eyes were open and she was sitting up in the bed, eating off a tray. He hadn’t realized how frightened he was that she might not ever wake up. Her hair had been smoothed down, since he’d last seen her, and there was lipstick on her lips. Her face showed alarm at first—but then calmed down. Her lips almost seemed to quiver. Her voice cracked. “Merrick?”

“Yes, sweetheart, it’s me,” Merrick said, running to her side and taking her hand. “How are you feeling?”

“I want to go home,” she said as she looked into his eyes like he was the only man in the world.

Merrick’s heart squeezed. What did she mean? Did she mean a home with him, or did she want to go back to Misty Falls?

“To the mountain home, or to the beach home?”

“Wherever you live,” she said.

Her response struck him as odd. But, he let it slide.

“Bombshell, I want to introduce you to someone. This is Doctor Garcia—she’s here to help you with your amnesia.”

Her eyebrows disappeared under her bangs, then relaxed.

“I have amnesia?” she said. “Oh dear, I forgot all about that,” she added with a twinkle in her eye.

Everyone laughed. Then Doctor Garcia moved Merrick aside and pulled up a chair next to her new patient.

“I’m glad that you can take this with a sense of humor dear, but it’s important that you understand, losing so much of your past is not a laughing matter.”

Merrick saw his girl’s face grow serious. She nodded, ready to cooperate.

“Why don’t you give us a little alone time?” the doctor said.