Page 5 of Stone Coast (Tyson Wild Thriller)

T he nurse stepped into the room and approached the bed with a smile. “Dr. Russell says we can take your tube out. How’s that sound?”

“That sounds great.”

"This is going to be uncomfortable for a moment, and you’re probably gonna hate me. But then I’m gonna be your favorite person once this is out. Are you ready?"

I nodded.

She carefully started tugging on the nasogastric tube. It felt like someone was pulling my brain out of my skull through my nose.

It was not pleasant, and when it came out, it was a lovely, snotty mess.

I coughed and hacked up phlegmy stuff. Nancy gave me a tissue, and I cleared the pipes .

The headache came on quick—a vice clamping down, my temples pounding. A sharp, stabbing sensation through my skull.

My head filled with a sudden flash of imagery.

I couldn't make sense of it. Maybe part of my brain was trying to download or reboot.

Then, I saw a glimpse of an older gentleman walking the hospital hallway.

The random movie clip in my brain lasted a few moments, then faded away.

The headache lingered for another minute, then dissipated.

It hit like a brain freeze from sucking down a slushie too fast.

“Are you okay?” Grayson asked with concern.

“Yeah, just a weird sensation.”

A moment later, the same older gentleman entered the room, wearing a nice three-piece dark gray suit with wide pinstripes. He had stark white hair, a white goatee, and narrow brown eyes. He looked distinguished and impeccably dressed and groomed. With a warm smile, he said, “Look at you!"

My face crinkled with confusion, but I was getting used to that.

"I thought I’d stop by to check on you, and here you are, awake. I'm so relieved." He moved beside the bed and took my hand.

My blank reaction wasn't what he was expecting.

Nancy said, “She's a bit… disoriented. I'm sure her memory will come back in no time."

He put the pieces together. “Ah, you don't recognize me? "

I shook my head. I wasn’t about to go into detail regarding my premonition.

“And here I was thinking you just didn’t like your boss.”

Grayson said, “Savannah, this is Ross Jenkins. He’s been stopping by on a regular basis.”

“So, you remember nothing about the incident?" Ross asked.

I shook my head.

“I’m sure it will all come back in time.”

“I hope so,” I said.

"You work for me at the firm."

"Firm?"

“Synovectis Solutions."

"Sorry, doesn't ring a bell."

He frowned. "You're my best sales associate. I need you back." He paused, then muttered, "If this whole thing is just a ruse to get more sick leave, it's not going to work."

A slight chuckle escaped my lips.

"That's a start. I'll take that." Ross smiled. "I'm just kidding. You take as long as you need. Come back when you're ready. We’ll be there for you. If you need anything in the meantime, just let me know."

"What do I sell?"

"Cybersecurity. Business is good. The other girls were fighting like cats and dogs to take over your territory and clients.

I told them that the minute you're back, all of your accounts will be reverted back to you.

No matter what they've got going on. Stacy is handling your territory now.

Your clients are in good hands. Come back when you're ready. "

"Thank you. I appreciate that.”

"Well, I didn't come here to talk to you about work. I'm just so glad you're on the mend." He squeezed my hand again. "Is there anything you need? Can I get you anything?"

I shook my head.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"Waking up in this room."

He lifted an astonished brow. "Really?"

I nodded.

“You don't remember anything before that? High school? Childhood?”

I shook my head.

"College?"

I shook my head again.

"Salesperson of the year?"

"Nope."

“Fascinating." It just kind of slipped out of his mouth. He sounded truly intrigued. "You know, your brain is like a hard drive. The data is never lost. Not until it's overwritten. Your operating system just doesn't know how to find the files. ”

"Maybe we can run a disk utility and clean up the file structure," I joked.

"I think you're on the right track. A little time to reboot, and you will be as good as new." He flashed that charming smile again. "Well, I should be going. I’ll stop by again in a few days to check on you." He squeezed my hand again, acknowledged Grayson and Olivia, then left the room.

“You have a lot of people that care about you," Nancy said. "With that kind of support, you’re going to do just fine."

Nancy left and returned with a bowl of chicken broth minutes later. I spooned it into my mouth, taking cautious swallows at first. My stomach rumbled and gurgled, but seemed to agree with it.

I finished the small cup in no time.

Grayson had turned on the television and switched it to a 24-hour news channel. "Might be good for you to see what’s going on in the outside world. Who knows? Could jog a few memories."

I turned the volume down with the remote. I wasn't interested.

"Listen, I gotta run," Olivia said. "Hot date.” she winked. "I'll tell you all about it. I'm so glad you're back!” She gave me a hug and air kisses. "If you need anything, just call. I'll be back to check on you tomorrow."

"I don't have a phone."

"Oh," Grayson said, remembering. He pulled the device from his pocket and handed it to me. "I guess you need this back now. I kept it with me in case someone called. "

"Did anybody call?"

"A bunch of spammy telemarketers. Somebody from your bank. Don't worry, I've been paying all your bills."

"Thank you." I glanced at the phone, but it didn't look familiar.

It recognized me, however.

The security screen cleared from facial recognition. It was the most bizarre sensation. Even my phone knew who I was.

I looked at the wallpaper and the apps, then launched the photos app and started scrolling through the images. It was like muscle memory. I didn’t even have to think about it. Maybe that was the key. Let it all go and stop trying so hard to remember.

There were plenty of pictures of a pretty redhead with Grayson, looking like a couple in love. Then it dawned on me… THAT was me.

I switched to the camera app, flipped it to selfie mode, and looked at myself.

I didn't look near as cute as the girl in the picture with Grayson. Of course, I’d been out of commission for a week and had a bandage around my head.

I’d lost weight. My face was sunken, and I had circles under my eyes.

I was pale from the lack of sunlight. But the resemblance was there, and I felt reasonably certain of the possibility of once again achieving cute status.

I continued scrolling through the photos. There were plenty of pictures of me and Olivia having a good time at the bars. Pictures of pretty sunsets and teal waves .

"I think this is a good idea,” Grayson said. “Look through your old photos. Something's bound to spark a memory. Go through your phone's contact list. See if you recognize any names. The more people you can talk to from your past, the better."

Olivia left, and Grayson took a seat in a chair that reclined and pulled out to a sleeper.

"Have you really been staying here the whole time?"

He shrugged. "When I can."

"Don't you have a life?"

He laughed. "My life has been thoroughly upended without you. But yes, I have a job, I have patients, I have rounds. But I've been able to pop in a lot, and I stay here when I can."

"You’ve been sleeping in that chair, waiting for me to wake up?"

He nodded.

"I must be the shit because that's dedication."

He laughed. "You kind of are. Not to stroke your ego."

"I don't have an ego. I'm a blank slate, remember?"

He smiled. "It's good to have you back. And look at the bright side. How many guys get to meet the woman of their dreams twice in one lifetime? We’ll get to start over and build our relationship.

But this time, I'll have an advantage. I'll know all of your likes and dislikes, all of your little quirks and nuances, all of your annoying little habits. "

I arched a sassy eyebrow. "Annoying? "

"In an adorable way."

I smirked. "Adorable is satisfactory. I approve of the term."

"Ego already."

Okay, maybe he was a little charming. I was willing to see where this would go.

"What if I've changed?"

Momentary panic tensed his face.

"It's possible,” I said. “I could be a totally different person. You might not even like me anymore."

"I doubt that."

"You never know. My brain could have completely rewired. I might have different tastes, different personalities, different goals and ambitions."

I was just playing devil’s advocate, but I think this line of speculation made him uncomfortable.

"How different could you be?"

I shrugged. "Haven't you ever met identical twins that are totally opposite in personality?”

"Oh, so you're the evil twin of your former self?”

I smirked. "I could be."

He chuckled and shook his head. "I guess that's a risk I'm willing to take."

There was a long moment as we stared at each other.

"You don't have to stay here anymore,” I said. “Why don’t you go home and get a good night’s sleep? I'm sure you could use it.”

He couldn't really disagree, but he tried. "I don't mind. I’m used to catching cat naps here and there when I can. It's been a hectic time.”

"Go home. I'm fine. Who knows? When you come back tomorrow, I could be my old self again."

He smiled. "Wouldn't that be nice?"

I finally convinced him to go home for the evening. I think I wanted a little time to myself to sort things out. Get in touch with me . See if I could find myself.

He gave me a kiss on the cheek and said goodbye. He smelled good.

After Grayson left, I looked through my photos again, but nothing sparked. There was something odd about it. It was like looking through someone else's life. I didn't recognize that girl in the photo any more than I recognized my friends.

I scrolled through my contact list. Name after name of people I didn't remember. Some contacts had descriptors with them. Tom Handyman. Jim Plummer. Terrance AC Guy.

I found Ross Jenkins’s contact among the list.

As I kept scrolling through the alphabet, one name stood out. I stared at it for a long time as a faint ember flickered in the deep recesses of my brain.

Tyson Wild.