Page 113 of Rags's Awakening
Throttle’s old lady’s eyes cut to the guard. “Okay.”
Rags walked through the metal detector, retrieved his possessions from the bin, and waited for Kimber to clear security.
“Check in at the desk,” the security guard said.
Rags strode away without another word to him.
“Thanks,” Kimber muttered.
“May I help you?” the medical receptionist asked.
Kimber hurried to the desk and slumped into a chair. “My husband was brought here. I want to know his status and when I can see him.”
“What’s his name?” the jovial woman asked.
Rags turned away and stared out the large windows facing the parking lot. He focused on one of the overhead lights, blocking out the sounds and movement around him.
“Rags?” Kimber said, tugging on his T-shirt.
“Uh, yeah?”
“She said we can go in to see Throttle in a few. You have to give her your information to get a name tag.”
“Okay.”
After what felt like forever, Rags and Kimber sat in Room 8—she in a chair on the right side of Throttle’s bed, and he on the left. They stared at the machines hooked up to him as he lay with his eyes closed, a bag of blood dripping steadily into his veins.
“Sweetheart, can you hear me?” Kimber asked, running her hand over his forearm. She glanced at Rags. “Why won’t he open his eyes?” A sob spilled out. She coughed and turned away.
“He’s sedated to keep him calm. Doc said he gave him something to ease the pain. He also lost a lot of blood, so he might be in shock. Doc said once he gets some blood, he should start responding.”
Kimber nodded, her pale lips trembling.
“He’s gonna be fine. You know he’s a fighter. He’s not gonna let this shit pull him down. You gotta know that, right?”
“Yes,” she whispered, her gaze glued on her husband.
“Yeah. He’s gonna be just fine,” Rags said, trying to convince her… and himself.
“Hi,” a tall, blonde woman said, walking into the room. “I’m the nurse taking care of Mr. Reynolds.”
“Hi. I’m his wife,” Kimber mumbled. “How’s he doing?”
“Not too bad. His vitals are stable. The doctor will be in to keep you updated. We’ll have several techs coming in to run some tests.”
“Is he in a coma?” she blurted.
“No. He’s heavily sedated due to the pain and trauma. His body needs to relax.”
Kimber nodded and swiped her fingers across her cheeks.
The nurse glanced at Rags. “Are you his brother?”
“Yeah,” he said.
Nodding, she flicked her eyes between him and Kimber. “There are a couple of police officers who want to speak to you. I don’t want them coming in here for obvious reasons. You’ll have to talk with them in one of the offices. Follow me.”
Rags shot a look at Kimber. She nodded, and they followed the nurse down the hall. When they entered the room, two deputies sat at the head of a table. They glanced at Kimber then fixed their eyes on Rags.
