Read Online Past Forward- A Serial Novel: Episode 16 by Chautona Havig - Free Book Online

outside carrying her favorite couch pillow and curled into the porch swing to watch the stars, listen to the cicadas ’ song, and reconnect with her Lord.
     

     
     
    The pain intensified, seemingly with every passing nanosecond . He stared at the little button that could help alleviate some of the misery he was in and hesitated. Which was better — keeping off the medication so he could drive sooner , or ensuring that he stayed on top of it long enough to heal enough to be able to drive in the first place. For the first time, Chad was grateful that they ’ d talked him out of the manual transmission. With his throbbing , bandaged hand, he would never have been able to operate a gearshift.
    A nurse entered the room. “ So, we ’ re awake. Time for some pain medication? ”
    “ I can ’ t decide which is better — less so it’s out of my system sooner or more so that I don ’ t get overwhelmed .”
    “ Use the PCA. You can wait until you think it ’ ll override you , but if your body has to fight pain and fight infection, it ’ ll take you longer to heal .”
    With the next level of pain, Chad pushed the button. Twice. The clock said two-thirty. In seven hours , his parents would arrive , and by then, perhaps he ’ d feel better. He had to get sleep to heal. The phone next to his bed taunted him. She ’ d answer , even at this time of night , and though Willow wouldn ’ t worry, she would be confused.
    He slowly awoke to the sounds of whispering and the feeling of losing all blood flow to his arm. “ He ’ s been sleeping since I got on shift, ” a masculine voice whispered. “ The chart says he ’ s checking himself out after his next surgery even if it is AMA .”
    “ AMA? ” The voice belonged to his mother.
    “ Against medical advice .”
    “ Probably has something to do with why he didn ’ t want us to call Willow, Marianne .”
    A few minutes later, the sound of retreating footsteps and the continued whispers of his parents jarred him back to consciousness. “ Is he worried about her safety , do you think? ”
    Pop ’ s voice sounded strained as he tried to reassure his mom. “ It ’ s possible. Maybe he doesn ’ t want to lead someone out there , but I ’ d think it ’ d be less safe with her out there alone .”
    “ She has a gun , and she did take down the last person who tried to hurt her… ”
    Chad fought to speak, his eyes still unwilling to open. “ She ’ ll want to come in if she knows. Coming in is a sure way to stress her out. She isn ’ t handling this trial very well. I tried to get her to come and stay at the hotel — make it fun, you know? She didn ’ t want to have anything to do with it .”
    “You’re awake.”
    “Barely,” he admitted.
    Marianne kissed his temple and murmured, “ But when you don ’ t call —”
    “ Mom, she ’ ll just think my battery died or something. She ’ ll wonder, but she won ’ t really worry. I could be wrong , but I don ’ t think so. And Dad ’ s right, we need to keep her out of town. If that shot was a trap to lure her into town by someone who doesn ’ t know where we live, I don ’ t want to risk it .”
    Marianne ’ s eyes widened. “ Do you really think that ’ s even possible? ”
    “ Why aim for my heart instead of my head? I don ’ t understand it unless he just wanted to take me out of testifying for now or if it was all bait .”
    “ Maybe it wasn ’ t either of those. Maybe it was a warning to others who are on the witness list .”
    Christopher ’ s point was something Chad hadn ’ t considered. “ It ’ s possible. I really don ’ t know. I don ’ t want her out there alone , but I think I trust her more to take care of herself out there than I trust her ability to do it in town .”
    “ So you ’ re going to go home tomorrow regardless of how you feel? ”
    “ After the surgery, once the anesthesia and meds are out of my system —”
    “ But what about getting well! ” Marianne ’ s