Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 49589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 248(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 248(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
I couldn’t help but smile. Nadine had been a ray of sunshine from the first day I saw her in my OR waiting room. We didn’t interact, though I tried to acknowledge her when I saw her. She had been handing out snacks and taking family to their loved ones as they came out of recovery. It seemed like she had a natural ability to empathize with those around her. On more than one occasion, I saw her help calm someone down when no one else could. Administration had been angry with her for stepping in. She was underage and a student, but she’d been there at the time and had already made a connection with the woman. I didn’t see her after that, and I’d wondered on more than one occasion if she’d been moved to another department because of that incident or if she was simply finished with her class.
“Of course I remember you.” I tried to drop my “Pain” persona and adopt some kind of gruff, long forgotten version of the “Dr. Raven” she might remember. “You were one of the few Healthcare Explorers to come through my area who I thought might make a career in medicine someday.”
She seemed startled before she gave me a smile filled with wonder. Her eyes widened and she looked down at the floor. Taking a breath, she met my gaze again. This time, she looked more settled. Apparently, she hadn’t thought I’d notice her. Truth was, it was impossible not to notice her.
Nadine Brentner, the teenager, had been beautiful, but like a porcelain doll you were afraid to touch for fear of breaking her. I appreciated her outer beauty then, but it was her inner beauty that caused me to remember her. I don’t think there was ever a time I saw her without a smile.
“I hope I live up to your expectations then.” She smiled as she pulled a computer in front of her and began typing. “Give me just a moment,” she mumbled as she continued to peck on the keyboard. “Stupid thing locked me out again.” She gave me a sheepish grin. “I took too long and it thought I’d left.” She was muttering under her breath now and it was almost too cute for words. Mainly because I could remember her doing much the same thing a few times back when I’d had a life and an identity. Only thing she’d improved upon was that now, she seemed to need to stick the tip of her tongue out while she concentrated.
She sat across the small table from me. I was shackled at the ankles and wrists and secured to a bar bolted in the middle of the steel table. This might be medical, but I wasn’t sick or injured and the guards didn’t know me. No one was taking any chances. New face, new place.
As she continued her login, I glanced around the room. The big guard who brought me here was gone, but there were two other guards. One of them cleared his throat and frowned in our direction.
Nadine glanced at him before she looked up at me again. This time, her smile was still polite but not as welcoming. I noticed she seemed nervous now when she hadn’t before. I made a mental note and waited until Nadine was deep into her questioning about my medical history and such before I snuck a glance at the guard. There were no names on their ID badges, but I’d find out who he was and what beef he had with Nadine. And why the fuck she was scared of him.
As Nadine continued her questioning, I answered on automatic pilot, my mind elsewhere. Mainly I focused on everything and everyone in the room. No one in here was of any particular interest other than the one guard. Even shackled, I was easily the most dangerous man in the room.
The only thing that surprised me about this whole situation was little Nadine. My stomach had actually tied itself in knots. I was never nervous. The shackles around my wrists felt heavier, more constricting than usual. Some of it was because the guards here always made sure to take every precaution with a new inmate. The rest was because I was likely giving off predator vibes to their inner prey. I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. Shame I thought I’d rid myself of burned hot in my chest, but I forced my chin up. I wasn’t the man I had been, but I was still a man. I’d made my choices. Now I had to live with the consequences. That was the way the world worked. But my experiences also changed me in fundamental ways.
There was a softness to Nadine’s demeanor that seemed out of place in this harsh environment. It was as if the prison hadn’t had a chance to jade her yet.