Page 47 of The Last Girl

But then, the whole thing may have been related to a dream.

Nah. Vera wasn’t buying that scenario. What she’d witnessed was a woman trying to protect herself and her unborn child.

Just something else Vera had to find the necessary evidence to prove.

20

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

1211 Medical Center Drive

Nashville, 11:15 a.m.

Someone was in her room again.

Not the woman from Fayetteville who worked for the sheriff. Not one of the usual nurses. Her nurses always started talking as soon as they entered the room. Maybe to assure a patient who couldn’t open her eyes to see who’d walked in. The doctor was usually with other people who were asking questions or receiving instructions. Why would anyone besides a nurse, a doctor, or someone from the sheriff’s office enter her room?

A chill crept through her veins.

It wasn’t the deputy on duty. He’d introduced himself when he came on shift. She remembered the sound of his boots as he entered her room.

Someone else had come into her room now. Their footfalls whisper soft ... their silence terrifying.

More of those soft footfalls told Alicia this person was walking around the bed. Fear bloomed in her chest.

She urged her eyes to open, but they refused to obey. She prayed a nurse would come in, but that probably wouldn’t happen either. It wasn’t time for another vitals check.

Why would anyone else come into her room? Could just anyone stop in? Why was the deputy here if not to keep that from happening? The beeps of the machine monitoring her heart rate grew faster.

What if it washer?

Alicia’s heart lunged into her throat.

Would she dare take this sort of risk? With a deputy right outside the door? Her heart dropped into her belly and started to pound frantically. What if the deputy had taken a break? What if ...

If it washer, Alicia prayed she wouldn’t poison her or harm her in some other way.

Oh God, what if she injected something into her IV? People did that in the movies.

No. Please don’t let her hurt my baby.

Please let the nurse come in.

Cold fingers touched Alicia’s arm.

Oh God. Oh God.

Alicia knew what that bitch had done. If she didn’t wake up, no one would ever know the truth.

Please, please don’t let this evil woman hurt me.

The fingers tightened. Alicia’s heart felt as if it suddenly stopped dead still.

“Now don’t you get upset on me, Mrs. Wilton,” a voice said. “I’m just here to take you for a new MRI. You just relax and enjoy the ride.”

Nothervoice. Relief so profound Alicia almost wept flooded her.Thank God. Thank God.It was a lab person or a technician.

Alicia calmed. She was okay for now. Her baby was safe.