Shattered: A Psychic Visions Novel (11 page)

“No.” He grinned. “You were thinking of other things.”

“You did that on purpose,” she accused but with a smile. “I was worried they’d be lying in wait,” she admitted, “even though I’d have bet on them not doing something so obvious, but one can never tell.”

“I didn’t want to take a chance so came out the service entrance.” He turned to look at her. “We’re only about ten minutes away from our destination.”

She settled back. Before she realized it, Trevor was turning into a large parking lot. She leaned forward to study the huge building. “What is this place?”

“It’s a multipurpose building, that’s for sure,” he said with a laugh. “It’s a long-term care home with a hospital attached and this is where Dr. Maddy operates from.” He turned off the engine and pointed to the top of the building. “Maddy’s Floor is at the top.”

“And why are we going to see her?”

He exited the car and came around to her side where he helped her out. As she stood there and studied the multiple balconies all along the top floor, he locked the door, pocketed the keys and in a surprise move, swung her up into his arms.

She squealed in surprise and clutched at his shoulders. “I can walk.”

“No, you can’t. There are wheelchairs available, but they aren’t right here in the parking lot, and I never thought to arrange one ahead of time. Besides, you are a lightweight and it’s not far.”

By the time he finished speaking they were already at the front door. Both double doors opened up to…chaos. She had no other word for it. Sure it was a hospital and home, but there were people going in all directions.

He didn’t put her down. Instead he walked straight ahead to a bank of elevators then on to an elevator further back. There he set her on her feet and pushed the call button.

It opened immediately.

With his help, she hobbled in the small space. “What’s this one – a private elevator?”

He grinned. “One for VIPs.”

She snorted. “So not me.”

After moving up several floors, the elevator came to a stop. The door opened then, and it was as if she stepped into a completely different world. Gone was the hustle and bustle of downstairs. No one raced in front of her or stood speaking in large groups to the side. This was mellow, a sweet ambiance of peace. She loved it.

“Now this is what the downstairs should be.”

“Welcome to Maddy’s Floor.” A nurse, her name tag said Glenda, smiled at her. “Come this way. Your bed is ready and Dr. Maddy will see you shortly.”

In pleased surprise, Hannah tried to fall in behind Glenda, but Trevor picked her up again and proceeded to carry her down the hallway. There were no closed doors that she could see, just beautiful small sitting rooms with beds and massive windows. Small seating areas for visitors, each with small balconies, dotted the hallway. It was so non hospital-like, she was shocked. It was like a five star resort hotel and she loved everything about it. Glenda led them into a small room to the right. A similar layout to the rest of the other welcoming spaces she’d seen on the floor. Trevor laid her down on the bed.

“Now relax. We’re here overnight.”

She stared up at him and smiled in pleasure. She motioned to the huge window. “Wow, it is beautiful here.”

“It is, and the turnover on some of these rooms is unbelievable,” he admitted.

“How sad.”

She felt his sharp look and returned it with one of her own. “What did I say?” she asked in confusion.

“Why is it sad?”

“Well, it’s a nursing home so obviously a high turnover means the patients died.”

Glenda smiled at her but stayed quiet as she brought over a tall glass of water and sat a pitcher of water beside her. All glass. The bedding beneath her was beautiful cotton. She didn’t know what to say or think. What kind of place was this?

“It’s special,” Trevor said as if reading her mind.

She frowned and nodded but stayed quiet.

Glenda left silently, and Trevor made himself comfortable on a leather recliner beside the bed. Hannah didn’t have anything so nice in her own place. She frowned. Her own place? That’s the first time that thought came to her. But she knew she had a place – somewhere. “I wonder if my plants are all right.”

Trevor glanced at her. “I never thought to ask if there was anyone we should have notified about your accident. I figured the hospital and then your father would have taken care of that.”

She winced. “I need a phone again so I can make some calls.”

He held out his phone. “Use mine for the moment.”

He placed his phone in her hand. She slowly dialed the store to talk to Tasha. It rang and rang. She frowned. “What time is it?”

“Almost four.”

She swallowed and dialed again. Still no answer. Perturbed she handed the phone back. “No one is there,” she said softly.

“Where?”

“At Some Things Are Forever.”

“A store?”

“A florist shop. The manager is a friend and I need to tell her what happened. She’ll worry.”

“I can swing by later, but she’s likely to be closed.”

Hannah said, “The shop closes at six.”

“Then you can call again in a few moments.”

“Unlikely,” said a new melodic voice from the doorway. “And I’m not a big fan of cell phones or anything electronic while healing is going on, anyway.” A tall woman in a bright blue dress and stilettos making her well over six feet tall walked in. “Hello, Trevor.”

He bounced to his feet and hugged the woman gently. “You are looking gorgeous as always, Dr. Maddy.”

“Liar.” She laughed. “But the healing is a nice side benefit of my profession.”

He grinned at the woman as they exchanged a knowing look. Hannah once again had the feeling she’d missed something.

And then the air filled with static again. “Stop it,” she said crossly. “You’re doing the same thing you did with Stefan. It’s really irritating.”

Both of them stopped to look at her. “What thing?” the woman asked. “How nice that you got to see Stefan. I’m Dr. Maddy by the way.”

She said the last bit almost absentmindedly as if it was the most natural thing in the world. And for her, it was. But Hannah was used to doctors who were old and gray and wore arrogance as their coat. Dr. Maddy likely wore sunshine as hers.

It was such a unique experience to see this that Hannah almost forgot the question but as both people were still staring at her, she shrugged and said, “It’s like you’re communicating in such a way that no one else can hear you. Hell, I wouldn’t have heard you either except for the static in the air.”

“Static?” Trevor asked. “Interesting.”

“Very.” Dr. Maddy smiled at him. “Now go away. I want to spend a few moments with your new wife.”

Trevor hesitated but although couched in nice terms it was obvious to Hannah this wasn’t a request but an order.

“I’ll be fine,” Hannah said to him. “Go.”

He nodded and in a move that seemed to surprise him as much as it surprised her, he leaned over, gave her hard kiss and walked to the doorway, whistling.

“You appear to have made him very happy,” Dr. Maddy said gently. “Interesting, considering you two just met.”

Relieved the woman knew the details and Hannah wasn’t going to be required to play act at this stage, she nodded and said, “He’s a nice man.”

“He is indeed.” Dr. Maddy walked closer and said, “Let’s see what we’ve got here.”

She checked Hannah over. Only she never once removed the bandages and only gave the bruising on her ribs and collarbone a cursory look. The head, however, was a different story. “I’m not too happy about the head, but the rest we can fix up pretty easily. I need to do a full diagnostic on your physical body,” Dr. Maddy muttered more to herself and Glenda who’d appeared as quietly as she left. “She had X-rays done at the hospital. See if we can get our hands on those, will you?”

She stepped back and frowned at Hannah. “I want you to lie here quietly and close your eyes. I need to run some scans. You need to lie perfectly still while they are going on, understand?”

Hannah nodded. She wasn’t sure what to think about an exam that didn’t involve looking at wounds and that went through clothing in rooms that resembled high end homes.

But she wasn’t going to argue. This was much easier on her soul.

She closed her eyes and waited. She heard sounds of footsteps but following Dr. Maddy’s instructions she lay quietly with her eyes closed. No hardship really. And in no way did she feel threatened. That might be partly due to the fact she was fully clothed with her shoes on. As if escape was possible and just right around the corner. And knowing that, she didn’t feel the need to run. She’d just relaxed when she began to feel the heat.

It started at her toes and ran lightly up her foot and ankles to shine all over her calves and knees. This must be the scan Dr. Maddy had mentioned.

Letting it do its thing, she relaxed back. When the scan reached her leg she sighed, loving the heat on the injury. It felt so much better already. If she’d known heat would make it feel like that, she’d have asked for a warm blanket at the last hospital. The scan carried on but left the injury warm and tingly. Next it moved across her pelvis and slowly worked up her belly. It moved at a fraction of the speed it had before. Then moved up to her ribs. Again the heat intensified.

In response, her ribs pulsed with healing. Lord, she’d have come here immediately if she’d known it was an option. The scan continued up her chest leaving her ribs to ooze with a sense of wellbeing. The collarbone received the same attention that the ribs and legs had and oddly enough so did her arms. She must have injured them more than she’d realized. The heat pulled right to the end of her fingertips then slowly moved back up her neck. She smiled as her face was bathed in that same warm glow. The heat rose and stopped right above her eyebrows.

She whimpered in distress. She wanted that heat at the top of her head. She needed it there. That’s where the worst of the injuries were. Surely the scan could pick that up. Dr. Maddy would have requested it.

She could sense the scan trying to go higher. Maybe there was an equipment malfunction. She waited in anticipation, but the heat slowly slid down her spine. The sensation was so surprising and unexpected she arched her back to accommodate the pulsing efforts.

She groaned when it reached her lower back then zinged all the way back up to the top of her head and…stopped. Right at the base of her neck. Then inched higher to just above her ears. But no farther.

As if it couldn’t go into that area.

She was so frustrated her entire head was being left out of this incredible experience, and yet it was the one part of her that needed it the most.

As the heat started to fade, she cried out, “No, please don’t stop.”

And it hesitated.

She tried again. “Please scan my head. It feels so good and my head hurts so much.”

The heat came again, this time in a light, warm touch over the top of her head and slowly worked downward toward her ears. She smiled and tilted her head into the scan. “Thank you,” she whispered.

The soothing warmth jerked to a stop, then continued only to stop yet again, as if it wasn’t working properly. Didn’t that figure? She needed it. Like she
needed
it. She mentally reached out to plead for it to work. And it worked again for a little while, then stopped. Damn it.

She did it again and sure enough it worked again. Well, if it was going to work that way then she wanted it to work properly, and she demanded that it scan her full head like it had done her body.

Feeling stupid but what the hell, she reached for the scan in her thoughts.

And the heat of the scanner slammed down on her head and covered all the areas that had been missed before.

She laughed and then cried out as the heat turned up to impossible temperatures and the joy became pain. A scream ripped out of her throat, a long horrible sound that echoed through the room, and she collapsed down onto the bed, limp.

She might even have lost consciousness… Finally the pain drifted away enough for her to move.

Lying there trembling, she opened her eyes to see a very worried man standing and staring down at her.

And marching into the room, holding a hand to her head, a tall elegant woman.

“Hannah, how are you feeling?” the man asked, reaching out for her hand.

She stared at him and swallowed hard, her gaze darting from one to the other.

“Hannah,” the woman said. “How do you feel?”

Feeling as if she’d been here a dozen times before with the sense of Deja vu rocking her soul she said in a small voice, “I feel fine now, but…” she took a deep breath and asked, “Where am I? Who are you? And what’s wrong with me?”

*

Talk about rocking
his soul. Trevor sat down on her bed, stunned by her words. He studied the look in her eyes, looking for some sign of recognition of him and Dr. Maddy. Nothing.

He turned to face Dr. Maddy. She didn’t look worried. Instead she looked fascinated. And that made
him
all the more worried.

“You’re Hannah,” Dr. Maddy said calmly. “I’m Dr. Maddy, you’re in my clinic. And this man is Trevor. He’s your husband.”