Hospital Food
The first thing she heard was the heart monitor. The second thing she heard was Simon calling her name. And then she felt him squeeze her hand, and the weight of the blanket on her chest, and the mask on her face. She opened her eyes, and the world came rushing back.
“Kani. Thank god,” Simon whispered. “How do you feel? You had a heart attack, I think. They say you’ll be fine. They’re just being careful.”
She reached up, took the mask off her face.
“How long have I been here?” she asked. It hurt to breathe. “What time is it?”
“A little past one in the morning,” he said. “Not that long. Listen, Kani—”
“Excuse us for a minute, young man,” said a doctor from the door. He was older than the other one. White hair, a stern face. He held his clipboard under his arm like a soldier. “I need to talk to the patient alone.”
Simon held her hand, shook his head.
“I’m going to stay,” he said. “She needs me here.”
“And I need you out,” said the doctor, pointing to the door. Simon looked to Kani, and she nodded, giving him permission. He slipped past the doctor, out into the hall, and the door closed behind him.
“Hello, Alanna. I’m Dr McGruther. You’re feeling better, I see. You gave us quite a scare for a minute there. Do you know what happened?”
Kani shrugged, looked away from him.
“Nose bleed and heart attack,” she said.
“Yes,” he said, sitting on a stool and wheeling closer. “Do you know how it started?”
Kani cleared her throat.
“I was diving and—”
“Young lady, please save us some time and tell me the truth. I know that’s not your brother outside, and I know you weren’t diving. This is not the bends. I need you to be honest with me.”
Kani didn’t say anything.
Dr McGruther rolled closer, lowered his voice.
“Your blood work indicates you’ve been exposed to constant low levels of radiation for several hours. I don’t know if it’s what caused your bleeding and the heart attack, but I’ve got a pretty good idea they’re related somehow. And if it keeps up, I’m sure you’re aware the damage could be much worse than what you’ve experienced so far.”
Kani bit her lip, looked at him in flickering glances.
“I don’t know what it could be,” she said.
“I don’t believe you,” he said.
She shrugged, looked down at her hands, picked at her nails.
“I have a daughter about your age,” he said. “She’s in that rebellious stage. The one I’m sure you don’t think you’re in. I understand rebellion, wanting to be your own person. I do. But there’s a difference between being your own person, and putting yourself in danger for the wrong reasons.”
Kani looked him in the eye. She was shaking.
“I don’t care what you’ve done,” McGruther continued. “I don’t care where you’ve been, or why you did it. I can’t talk about it even if I knew, because you’re my patient, and I need you to trust me. All I care about — all I want from you now — is that you tell me the things I need to know to treat you properly.”
Kani was crying, picking at her fingers. She saw Stacey at the side of the river, her hand broken open, the blood on the ground, and couldn’t help wish it had been her instead.
“You’re young,” he said. “You’ve got so much life left to live. Don’t waste it like this. Let me help you. Please.”
She nodded, caught her breath, and looked up again.
“C-c-can I see Simon again?” she asked.
McGruther sighed, thought for a moment, and then got up. He walked to the door, rested a hand on the handle.
“I’ll be outside,” he said. “Please. Please trust me enough to let me save you.”
He left, and Simon came in, rushed to her side. He took her hand, brushed the hair from her face, and knelt down beside her.
“Are you okay?” he asked. Did they tell you anything? You’re going to get better, right?”
“I think so,” she said. “I think so. You told them I was Alanna?”
“They knew her name from the health records. It was the easiest way to play it.”
She nodded.
“I have to remember to answer to that name, I guess.”
“Kani… it’s been on the news all night. Stacey… she was kidnapped. It’s everywhere. Her parents are freaking out. And I… I don’t mean this the wrong way… but I think you know something about it, don’t you?”
Kani sighed, shook her head.
“That’s why you’re hiding. You’re afraid.”
“It’s not that, Simon.”
“Why are you lying to me?” he asked. “Why won’t you tell me the truth?”
“It’s not that simple,” she said. “I can’t get you involved. I can’t. I’m sorry, but it’s just not possible.”
“Kani,” he said, and kissed her. It caught her by surprise, but she didn’t resist. Their hands locked together, and she felt dizzy again. Pleasantly dizzy.
“Kani,” he said. “Tell me the truth.”
His face was so close, she couldn’t say no, couldn’t avoid the question. She nodded, pulled him closer, and whispered in his ear.
“Stacey was kidnapped,” she said. “I was there. It’s the mob. They’re going to kill her, and there’s no one that can help her but me. And I just don’t know what to do anymore.”
Simon pulled back, smiled at her.
“We’ll think of something,” he said.
“No,” she whispered. “I can’t do that to you. I don’t want to be part of this, but I really don’t want you getting hurt.”
“You’re going to have to try extra hard to stop me, Kani. You should know that by now.”
She was about to protest when the door opened again, and McGruther peeked his head in.
“I’m fine,” said Kani. Really. Fine. You don’t need to—”
“It’s not that,” he said. “I’m really sorry, Alanna, but there’s someone here to see you. From the government. I don’t know how they found out, but they think you know something about a kidnapping.”
Kani and Simon exchanged glances.
McGruther cleared his throat.
“They want to see her alone, young man.”
Kani squeezed his hand and nodded, and he left with the doctor. Left her alone in the room with no place left to run. The door opened a moment later, and a stocky man in a black suit walked in, meandering at the foot of her bed, playing with the pages in the Bible there. He seemed lost in his own world, and for a moment she thought he might not have anything to do with her after all.
But then he looked up, and saw straight through her, she could tell.
“Hello, Kani,” he said. “You and I need to talk.”