Zach

When I came across the fight on the way to Maddie’s, I was shocked. Well, I called it a fight, but it was little more than a skirmish. It had lasted a few seconds before the woman had both men laid out on the ground in one fluid move. I had already called my security team and was rushing over to help.

When she looked up at me, I was momentarily frozen in fascination of her beauty. She was still heaving a bit from adrenaline and the strap of her dress had fallen off her shoulder. She looked like a warrior before a confused look flashed across her face. Reaching her hand to her arm, she touched something. I could see a needle protruding from her flesh.

Then she started to crumple, and I rushed in to keep her from falling to the ground. Some men from the security team I had called came over and helped me secure the two who were passed out until the police and ambulance showed up. Explaining the situation, I went with the woman into the ambulance while the officers checked on the two men. They had since come to and were being booked and heading to jail.

The paramedics took a moment to stabilize her before securing themselves in for the ride to the hospital. One of the officers handed me a purse and cell phone before sending the ambulance on the way. I began searching for something that would help me identify her.  The cell was locked, but there was a wallet in the purse with a business card and a notebook. Her name was Samantha Steele and she worked at Steele Security.

“What are the odds?” I called one of the numbers listed in the notebook under family and a gruff voice answered the phone.

“This is Benny Steele, how can I help you?”

“Hi, my name is Zach. I came across Samantha Steele being attacked.”

“Damn it. Pike and Dad just got to where it happened and are talking to police.”

“She is okay, from what I saw. She took them out pretty quickly.”

“That’s Sammie for you. So why is she in the ambulance?”

“They had something in a needle, and she was stuck with it. They weren’t able to fully dose her up, but she still passed out from what they were able to administer.”

“Shit.”

“I had my security team with me, and they were able to secure the scene before the police got there. Since I was holding her, the officers sent me with her.”

“Thank you. Do you know which hospital she is going to?”

“Let me ask.”

“Where are we going?” I asked one of the paramedics.

“Summerview University.” Relaying the information to Benny, he asked me to stay until he or someone from his family got there. Reassuring him I would stay, we hung up. It wasn’t long before we got to the emergency room and her dress was exchanged with a hospital gown. Sammie had tests run and the drug from the needle was tested.

The doctors said that she had been dosed with a potent sleeping medication. One that would have her out until the morning. Doing the admission paperwork, they moved her to a private room upstairs to monitor her till she woke. I followed her up and talked to the nurse in the hall before heading into the room. I slid the door closed behind me.

I hated the hospital, but I couldn’t get the vision of Sammie crumpling to the pavement out of my mind. I paused at the anger that rushed through me. How anyone could hurt others always baffled me. Those men had obviously targeted her. Judging from the prepped needle, they had even planned to force her cooperation if she said no. A shiver ran up my spine as I imagined what might have happened if she had been alone.

I was glad I was in the area. Even though she had been able to protect herself, the moment she had been stuck with that needle, she would have been vulnerable if I hadn’t been there. Her brothers may have been able to make it in time, but that wasn’t a guarantee. I shook off the anger. Her family would be coming here soon to take care of her.

I looked up and as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, they fell onto the bed.

The empty bed.

I crossed the hospital room, checking the other side of the bed in case she had fallen off. Not seeing anyone I spun around searching for where she could be before seeing the crack of a door. I relaxed, thinking she must have woken up and gone to use the restroom.

The door slid open, and Sammie emerged with a sheet covering her head. I widened my eyes in shock. She looked like a Halloween side show ghost at an elementary haunted house. Her body swayed as if the drugs she had been given were still making her dizzy.

I walked over to her and helped her move the sheet off her head. I left the fabric draped over her shoulders and guided her back to the bed.

I guess that is why I wasn’t prepared when I felt her grab my shirt and tugged me into her. My eyes widened when I felt her lips meet mine. I pressed my mouth shut and held still until she relaxed and fell back to the bed. For a moment, I couldn’t move because of the shock. After waiting, I realized that she had fallen back to sleep. I pressed my fingers to my lips and shook my head. I could feel something stirring in my heart but pushed the feeling aside.

She wasn’t coherent because of the drugs and for me to feel anything right now except empathy was wrong. I took the blanket from the foot of the bed and draped it over her. Then I shifted her head onto the pillow. Once she was settled, I moved to the seat that was next to her bed to wait for her family to show up.