Crashed (2 page)

Chapter Two

It’s a Blast from the Past

Emily lay in her hospital bed thumbing away at her iPhone, trying to remember even the littlest bit of her life before the accident. The hit she’d taken to the head had certainly done a bit of damage, but the doctors insisted it would be nothing permanent. She worried they weren’t right about her lapse in memory.

Her hospital room door slowly crept open, setting off a horrific screeching sound. The noise had annoyed the heck out of her during the past week in the hospital. She stared at the doorway as two firemen in black Dickies pants with pressed navy blue work shirts on, walked inside to stand at the end of her bed. One man looked familiar, with dirty blond hair and a small smile on his face. The other man appeared to be older by maybe a decade with dark brown hair, sporting a mustache.

Emily pulled the scratchy white cotton hospital blanket upward, covering her exposed body in an attempt to be modest in front of the strangers. Quietly she spoke, “Hello, is there something I can do for you?”

The older gentleman spoke with a serious demeanor, “I am Captain Sullivan, and this is Firefighter Martin. We were both on scene at your accident last Monday. Firefighter Martin pulled you from your vehicle and transported you here to the hospital.” He motioned toward the blond man who was approaching her bedside with a worried look on his face. Slowly, he reached his hand out in greeting.

Hesitantly, Emily extended her hand, the hospital identification band slowly sliding down her arm. Her cold fingers met his warm, strong, callused palm. For a moment she could clearly remember him, lying in his arms as he moved her into the back of the ambulance just days earlier. But his touch ignited more than just her memory. Her insides flamed with lust for the man standing before her.

Her body flushed and her heartbeat started to race as he slowly pulled his hand away. “I remember Firefighter Martin, actually. Vaguely, but I do remember his face,” she said, batting her eyelashes and looking up into his beautiful green eyes. “Is there something I can help you gentlemen with, today?” Emily asked with curiosity. It had been a little over a week, and only a police detective had visited her with information of the man who hit her that morning.

“We just wanted to check in on you. We were worried and concerned you were still in the hospital. Nothing more, Miss Taylor,” Avery spoke, slowly stepping back toward Captain Sullivan.

“It isn’t often an accident like the one you experienced turns into such a long hospital stay. We were both worried since we transported you that morning,” the superior said with a father-like concern she hadn’t seen since losing her own dad.

“Well, I appreciate it guys, seriously. I should be able to go home within the next day or so. I have some mild memory loss, but it must be getting better if I remembered you,” Emily spoke while looking at Avery.

Her angelic like expressions tugged on his softer side. “That’s great to hear.” A smile spread across Avery’s face as he tried to remain professional in the presence of his superior. “If you need anything at all, please contact us,” he continued, handing her a small piece of paper with names and phone numbers scribbled on it. The two men turned to walk out of the room in unison. Just as Avery reached the doorway Emily called out to him.

“Firefighter Martin!”

He turned to the Captain, waving him on. “I’ll catch up in a minute.” Going back into the hospital room, he asked, “What can I do for you, Miss Taylor?”

Emily wondered if she should even consider making a move on this gorgeous man. But the magnetic pull she felt toward him was just too strong to ignore. If he wasn’t interested, he would surely politely decline. It was now or never. “Call me Emily, please. I hate being called anything formal when I’m not at work.” She let out a small laugh, the first since her accident. “I was wondering if you could come back and visit, when you’re not on the clock?”

Avery’s emerald eyes flashed a tender expression as he slowly moved closer to where she lay, pulling out the uncomfortable hospital chair at her bedside. Flashing a pearly white smile, he sat and reached out to touch her hand, comforting her with his electric touch. “Of course, Emily. Anything you would like. Just tell me when.”

“Maybe later on tonight? I get lonely after everyone leaves for the day. I wish I could just go home really.” She started fidgeting nervously with her free hand, pulling at small balls of lint on the hospital blanket. His response had taken her by surprise; surely someone so beautiful would have a girlfriend in the wings. Just as she thought about retracting her previous request, Avery spoke again.

“How about I come back with dinner around seven? This hospital food blows, huh?” They both let out a laugh, knowing his statement had been beyond accurate.

“That would be absolutely amazing. I think I’ve lost five pounds in the past week from not eating this shit!” Emily added.

“Any favorites?”

“God! I could go for a burger and a Butterfinger shake from Steak N Shake.” Her mouth started watering just thinking about a delicious steak burger and a Butterfinger milk shake, one of her favorite food combos.

“Then it’s a date, kinda,” he said, standing up. “Oh, and Emily? Write down your number for me,” he said while still holding onto her hand.

“Uh, I sorta need my hand.” She flashed him a teasing smile, before reaching for her phone and scrolling through to locate her number.
This whole memory loss crap is embarassing.

Avery chuckled. “I suppose you do.” He kissed the top of her hand, then released it. She quickly scribbled her cell phone number on a scrap of paper he gave her. “Until tonight, Emily.” He winked as he turned for the door. Her heart beat so hard, it was a good thing she was in the hospital—just in case.

***

On the other side of the door, Avery pumped his fist in the air in a silent victory and headed for the elevators. Standing there at the doors waiting patiently for them to open, he felt a hand on his shoulder. As he turned to greet the owner of the hand, his good mood was shattered with her voice. “Avery Martin, I was beginning to think you were avoiding me.”

Quinn Daniels was a stunning woman, tall and slender with long brown hair and eyes to match. You could bounce a quarter off her ass, and she was always dressed impeccably. He’d met the emergency department nurse through work two months ago when she was hired at Halifax Medical Center. After taking her out on a couple dates, he’d decided she was more drama than she was worth. Slowly he had ridden off into the sunset, praying she would forget all about him. Apparently, that had not worked.

“Hi, Quinn, just dropping some paperwork off. I’ve been really busy with work.” He knew that was a lie, but he wasn’t the kind of guy to be mean or even brutally honest. Avoiding confrontation at all costs was typically his motto. “I left my dog out in the truck, though. I gotta run, but I will give you a call,” he lied to get away from her and nearly ran into the elevator when the door opened.
My dog? I don’t even have a dog!

***

Emily awoke from a nap to see her sister, Amelia, sitting in the chair next to her bedside texting away on her cell phone. Her impeccably manicured fingers were tapping the keys a million miles an hour. “Was wondering when you were going to wake up,” she muttered as she finished up a couple more keystrokes and tucked her phone into the side pocket of her Coach bag.

“It’s been a long day, sis.” She let out a big yawn and pulled back the covers to get up from the bed. There weren’t many people Emily recalled, but memories of her family were fresh in her mind. Amelia and her parents were never forgotten. What she’d neglected to remember was their death. On her first day in the hospital, she wondered where her parents were and why they hadn’t run to her rescue when she’d been admitted. Amelia explained, bringing those painful memories back to light.

She made her way into the bathroom to freshen up while she chatted with her sister on the other side of the thin bathroom door. “I have a hot date tonight.” She laughed while squirting toothpaste onto her tooth brush.

“A date? What the hell kind of a date can you have in a place like this?” Amelia asked.

“This hot ass fireman pulled me out of my car. He came to visit me today, and I actually remembered him. Shocking, right? He’s coming back with some
real
food tonight. So you have to be gone before he gets here!”

Both women burst out laughing.

“The nurse came in while you were sleeping. They’re going to let you out of here tomorrow. Since you don’t have a car and I have to work, Ben is going to come and pick you up and if you are feeling up to it, take you car shopping.”

Ugh Ben.
Emily thought while grinding her teeth, a bad habit of hers when she became agitated. Emily hated Ben O’Connor and had since the day her sister married him. He’d never given her a specific reason, besides just being a rich, cocky asshole with an attitude problem and the fact that he treated her sister like shit. Still, the idea of spending any period of time with him drove her mad. Amelia was such a sweet woman; she would never understand why she put up with him. Hell, she didn’t understand what attracted her to him in the first place.

“I feel fine, so I guess I might as well get that knocked out of the way.” She would put her own feelings to the side for the day, so she could hopefully buy a new car.

“I don’t know why they’ve kept me here this long. I recognize the important people, that’s all that should matter, right?” Emily let out a frustrated sigh as she sought pity from her big sister.

Amelia looked up from her phone and turned toward her sibling. “They kept you so long because you had a major head injury. I know it sucks being here instead of at home, but we’ve lost enough in our lives, don’t talk stupid Emily. They only want to make sure you’re okay and for a point in time, you weren’t!”

Her sister’s words cut like a knife, comparing her accident to the one that took their parents only two short years ago. No matter how much time passed by, it would always be a fresh wound for the both of them. Emily often felt alone without them. She missed them both, especially her mother.

Emily pulled her backpack onto the bed, searching for a clean shirt. The day after her accident, Becca, her best friend had gone to her apartment and brought over all the comforts of home. Her makeup bag, hair accessories, the lime green robe she couldn’t live without, the pink and black Nike comfort flip-flops she used as house shoes, and most of all her own clothes. The hospital staff was nice enough to let her skip out on the ugly, uncomfortable, scratchy gown most of the time. All of the clean clothes were almost dirty, leaving her with one choice, her “I love Si” T-shirt which incorporated a huge red heart alongside the picture of Uncle Si Robertson from Duck Dynasty.

“You’re really going to wear that tonight, Emily?” Amelia questioned with her usual fashion snob tone. Anything without a designer tag or purchased at Walmart was a cardinal sin in her book.

“Don’t hate on Si.” Emily snapped back with a laugh. “Besides, it’s all I have left that’s actually clean, and I am not wearing a dirty shirt.”

“On that fashion disaster note, I’m leaving. I have work to do tonight, and a client meeting at seven-thirty.” Amelia rose from the hospital chair and picked up her oversized Coach bag, sliding her cell phone back into the side pocket. She walked over to Emily and wrapped her arms around her, planting a light kiss on her cheek before turning to head toward the door of the hospital room. “I’ll call you later,” and like that she walked out of the room. She could hear Amelia’s heels clicking loudly all the way down the hallway until she reached the elevators.

Grabbing her makeup bag, she walked into the bathroom and applied just a tiny bit, being careful not to touch the gash on her forehead still stitched together. She rolled a bit of shiny lip gloss before puckering her lips in the mirror.
Duck face perfection.
She laughed to herself.

Emily climbed back up into her hospital bed and pulled her phone out to text Becca. She missed her. They hadn’t talked since she came to visit yesterday after she got off from work. They’d been life-long best friends, rarely doing anything without the other.

Got a hot fireman visitor today, he’s coming back tonight.

As soon as she set her phone down, reaching for the hospital bed buzzer to call the nurse, her phone lit up with Becca’s reply.

What? Where? How? Who is he?

Emily quickly replied.

He pulled me out of my car, came to visit today to see how I was doing. Bringing me Steak N Shake 2nite.

She was practically drooling over the thought of the burger. The hot fireman was just icing on the cake of her shitty week. One of her weaknesses had always been a man in uniform. On her twenty-first birthday, Becca had dragged her out to a male strip club full of fake firemen and cops. What a night that was!

Take a picture of him when he isn’t looking. I want to see what he looks like.

Emily let out a booming laugh.

Creeper!

Emily called the nurse for the details of her morning release and closed her eyes waiting for Avery to arrive back in her hospital room.

***

A little after six o’clock she heard a soft knock and the door started to inch open.

“Come in,” Emily announced to the guest on the other side.

Through the door came a tall twenty-something familiar looking doctor. He had short brown spiked hair, and deep mocha eyes. He was exceptionally tall, coming in at over six feet. When he rounded the corner of the door, his face lit up like an airport runway at night, flashing his perfect pearly white smile at Emily.