In Her Eyes Sarah Alderson (e book free reading txt) 📖

chest is still rising and falling. She seems OK. But who was that man? And what did he want? I race back into the hall, just in time to see him disappearing through the fire exit at the end of the hall.

I run after him, reaching inside my bag for my phone, but before I can pull it out, the door to the relatives’ room further down the hallway flies open and Hannah and the deputy Sheriff who should have been on duty rush out. The nurse yells, directing the Sheriff’s attention to the fire escape doors, which are slamming shut behind the fleeing man. The deputy starts sprinting towards them, drawing his gun as he goes.

‘What is it? What happened?’ Hannah asks, racing over to me.

I ignore her and keep running down the corridor towards the fire escape, following the deputy. Hannah runs after me. ‘Stay with June,’ I shout at her over my shoulder.

I carry on, past the nurse, who is already on the phone calling for security, and push through the double doors. I lean over the stairwell, out of breath, and see the deputy three floors below, thundering down the stairs in pursuit, gaining on the man fast. They reach the bottom and I hear the screech of a metal fire door being flung open and the smash of it hitting a concrete wall and then they’re gone. Was it the journalist from the other day? Or someone else? What was he doing in June’s room?

‘Mom?’

A hand on my arm makes me jump. I turn and find Hannah standing in front of me. ‘What happened?’

I glance over her shoulder. ‘I told you not to leave June,’ I hiss, pushing past her, panic surging through me.

‘It’s OK. The doctors are in with her.’

Hannah tails me as I rush back to June’s room. The doctors are buzzing around her, checking the machines, calling out readings.

‘It’s fine, she’s fine,’ the nurse tells me, patting my arm. But even though she reassures me, I can’t drag my eyes off June. What was that man doing in her room? What would have happened if I hadn’t shown up?

There’s a tap on my shoulder. I wheel around and find Hannah standing there, eyes wide with shock.

‘What were you doing?’ I demand angrily. ‘Why wasn’t that police officer watching the door? What the hell were you and he doing—’

‘The machine ate my money.’

‘What?’

‘I was trying to buy a Coke and the machine ate my money and he heard me yelling and came in to find out what was happening. He was just trying to help me, that’s all.’

‘He shouldn’t have left her,’ I say, fury lighting me up.

Hannah’s eyes brim with tears. ‘I’m sorry.’

My anger leaches away at the sight of her tears. I drop my arms to my sides.

‘His name is Jonathan. He bought me lunch the other day because I had no cash,’ Hannah says, starting to cry. ‘My cards won’t work. And I didn’t want to ask you for money because I know you don’t have any and . . .’ She starts to sob loudly, big choking cries, and I open my arms and she falls into them. I hold her and stroke her hair, feeling more than a pang of guilt that a stranger has been taking care of my daughter because I’ve been too absorbed with other things. I’m a lousy mother. A familiar guilt drenches me like ice water. The same thing happened when June was in the hospital. Hannah and Gene became secondary to everything. If it hadn’t been for Laurie and Dave helping to take care of them and feed them, I’m not sure how we would have managed. They would probably have been taken into care.

‘I’m sorry,’ I mumble, kissing Hannah.

She hugs me back tightly. ‘I love you,’ she says.

‘I love you too.’

I haven’t thought about Hannah at all in all of this. When did I have time? There’s been too much else going on. But of course this is affecting her the same as it’s affecting me. Probably worse, in fact. Who has she got to turn to? To talk to? And what is she going to say when she finds out about the other charges – oh by the way, Hannah, they’re also charging your father with conspiracy to commit murder. I need to find a way to tell her and Gene soon, before the media finds out. I can’t have them hearing it on the news.

Loud voices pull us back out into the hallway. The deputy Sheriff is back, sweating and out of breath. He’s talking to the hospital’s head of security and another officer, and he’s shaking his head. Clearly, he didn’t catch the man. Damn it.

He looks my way then, his expression abashed. He ducks his head unhappily as the other deputy scowls and gestures angrily at the door. He’s getting bawled out.

‘Oh no,’ whispers Hannah, watching it happen. ‘This is my fault. I should say something.’

I glance at her. Her face is flushed and her shirt is undone so that her bra is showing. A thought occurs to me. Maybe it was the flustered look on her face when she ran out into the hallway, or something about her concerned expression as she watches the Sheriff get reprimanded now. I look at him more closely. He’s late twenties I would guess, and good-looking in a clean-cut way. I can see how Hannah might find him attractive, especially wearing his Sheriff’s uniform. I’ve seen him a few times with Nate. I wonder if Hannah’s been turning to him for comfort and think about tackling her about it as he’s far too old for her, but before I can say anything Nate arrives on the scene.

He’s obviously been apprised of the situation, as he strides into the ICU with a scowl on his face and makes a beeline straight for his deputy. He glances briefly our way and nods his head by way of greeting before leading the deputy away, further down