Chapter 32
Chapter 32
Intense pain overwhelmed Clara. Her mind felt groggy as the waves of unbearable pain assailed her. She wanted to drift off but also wake up. Finally, she forced herself to open her eyes.
Above her was a white ceiling with two rows of bright LED lights. She lay there momentarily, not knowing where she was. Was she dead?
Suddenly, Clara recalled being kicked off the cliff. Terror surged within her. The feeling of being swallowed by darkness, the despair, and the fall came rushing back. She broke into a cold sweat, waking up
at once.
Walter had sent someone to kill her.
Breath rushed out of her. Clara held her hand to her chest and struggled to breathe. Gradually recovering from her fear, she sat up.
It smelled of disinfectant. She wasn’t dead. Clara looked around. She was in a hospital. Someone had saved her. Who?
Sadness washed over her. Walter would be disappointed. Her eyes stung, but she held back the tears. It wasn’t worth crying for him.
Just then, a nurse entered. She exclaimed, “You’re awake! I’ll get the doctor.”
A young doctor entered shortly, visibly relieved. “You finally woke up. I was considering doing another head CT. How are you feeling? Any dizziness or nausea?” the doctor inquired.
Clara replied, “No. I’m fine. How long was I out for?”
The doctor answered, “A day.”
Clara looked outside. It was pitch black again. She had thought only a few hours had passed.
“Miss, may I ask for your name? Sorry. We couldn’t find any identification or a phone on you,” the young doctor asked.
“My last name is Neal.” Clara didn’t give her full name. The thug had taken her phone.
“Miss Neal, do you need us to notify your family?” the doctor asked again.
“No, thank you.” Clara’s eyes were sad. “I have no family.”
The doctor was taken aback and changed the topic. “You’re lucky. You fell from the cliff but got caught on a tree branch. A passerby saved you. Otherwise, you’d have died. You only have some minor external injuries. They’re treated and should be fine. We were concerned about a severe concussion and didn’t know when you’d wake or if there was any brain damage. Since you’re awake, you should be fine. Before you leave, we’ll do another head CT.” © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
Clara nodded. “Who saved me? Is he still here? I would like to thank him.”
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4:13 PM G
“Sure. I’ll go call him. Hold on,” the doctor said.
The doctor returned shortly. “I’m sorry. He just left. The nurse at the front desk said he got an urgent call just when he heard you woke up. Don’t worry. He has already paid your medical expenses.”
+5)
Clara quickly got out of bed. If he just left, maybe she could catch up with him.