Nightmare - Secret Identities Book 1

Chapter 28

Virgil's POV

I sat up suddenly, bedsheets shifting around me. My entire body hurt. My eyes darted around to find myself in a hospital room, machines hooked up to me. One beeped loudly in time with my accelerated heart rate.

A soft hand encased my own shaking one. I looked to my right to find Roman. "You're okay," he said in a gentle voice. "An ambulance brought you here and you were admitted to the emergency room."

My body seemed to refuse to relax. "Where's Jay? Did-Did they get the people who...?" Holy crap. Breathe before you faint.

"He's here, too. I can give you the room number once a doctor clears you to be up and about." Roman rested his hand against my right shoulder in an attempt to lay me back down.

I batted his hand away. "I don't need a doctor; I don't need to lie down." I looked him dead in the eye. "Did they catch Isaac or not?"

He looked to the side. "No..."

I cursed. Of course they didn't. "Maybe if you hadn't punched me..."

He squeezed my hand. "I'm sorry, but we'll figure it out." He sighed like he was about to give bad news. "The police are here to talk to you, and... the principal wants you to call him when you're feeling better."

Now I fell back, my hands rubbing my eyes. "Fuck." I sighed, then turned my head toward Roman. "Hey."

"Hey."

"Are we gonna talk about how fucking messed up all of this is?" I asked, silently hoping the answer was no.

He looked toward the door, then back at me before looking away again. "Eventually. Right now, I just want to make sure you're okay."

He stood and I squeezed his hand tighter without even realizing it.

He smiled and kissed my forehead. "I'm gonna go look for your doctor and call Patton and Logan."

"Okay..." When he slipped out the door, it felt wrong to be alone again, like any minute someone horrible would walk into the room.

The door swung open, hitting the wall, and, suddenly, I was pulled into a hug. "Oh, my baby," a sweet voice whispered in my ear. The person's arms dug into the wounds on my back.

I hissed. "Mom."

She pulled back, still holding my face. "I'm so sorry. How are you, sweetie?" She rubbed her thumb over a bruise on my cheekbone likely left by Roman.

I took her hands and placed them in my lap. "I'm fine."

"I highly doubt that. I haven't talked to your doctor, but I heard from your lovely friend all that you went through. It's so horrible. I'm sorry I wasn't here; I drove all night as soon as I got the call. Where's your doctor?"

"Mom," I groaned, "I only just woke up. I don't know what's happening. Roman went to get-"

"Who's Roman?"

My brows furrowed. "Isn't he the one that called you?"

She shook her head. "No. His name started with a P. Patt-Pattrick?"

I corrected, "Patton." I put my head in my hands. "I can't believe he called you."

"Virgil Randal Pearce, I am your mother! When you get kidnapped, I'm gonna come to see you!" Tears pricked her eyes.

Her pain radiated in my mind, a reminder that my powers were back and as erratic as ever. "Have you... Have you talked to Janus?"

She looked at her hands. "No. He was being questioned by the police when I stopped by. They wouldn't let me in." She wasn't saying how much she missed him.