SUBSTANCE
The haluciginic dreams suddenly stopped and I gradually woke up to the sound of machines beeping in my ears and the smell of antiseptic in my nose. Soon after that, I became aware of my head pounding as if it were ready to explode.
I blinked several times as my eyes adjusted to the bright lights above me. My mouth was dry, and the taste of bile lingered in my throat. I tried to move, but my body remained heavy and unresponsive. I could barely turn my head to see where I was.
I waited a moment before attempting to move my stiff neck. My gaze traveled around the room, which was painted a warm beige. That was as far as the warmth extended.
The rest of the room was sterile and impersonal like an unoccupied laboratory in a scary movie waiting for the next experiment to begin.
That was until I spotted the flowers. Lots and lots of flowers.
Who died?
I was in a hospital room, that much I could tell. Weirdly, I couldn't remember how I had gotten here. My body felt like it had been hit by a truck, and all the memories of my life before were foggy, almost non-existent. I guessed an event like that would warrant a trip to the hospital.
I caught movement in the corner of my eye and I realized I wasn't alone in the room.
My eyes took in the gorgeous man watching me with wonder in his eyes as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. His usually stoic face was alight with emotions I knew were only reserved for me.
I swallowed as he advanced toward the bed. His black hair fell forward on his forehead, a couple of strands dangling in front of his right eye. He moved with a sense of purpose, his eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my heart race.
"Dante?" I mumbled, my voice hoarse.
"Carla, cariño. Gracias a Dios estás despierta. You scared the fuck out of me."
My heart warmed at the endearment and the cursing. Despite the grogginess, I managed to smile at Dante. Although it felt like I was gone for a long time, he hadn't changed. He had somehow managed to look hotter than I remembered, a dark scruff now covering his lower face, accentuating his kissable pink lips.
He leaned in and kissed my forehead before kissing my lips, gently, almost as if I was a fragile little chick.
I didn't notice the nurse in the room until she appeared next to Dante with a clipboard in her hand. She scribbled something down before unceremoniously shoving Dante to the side until she was standing right next to me.
"Mr. Caneos, please take a step back while I evaluate your wife's condition," she said sternly.
"Don't give me that bullshit, Gladis. I sat by this bed for days waiting for her to wake up. Where were you?" He moved forward again, but Gladis squared her shoulders, totally blocking him from my view.
"Busy doing my job. Your wife isn't the only patient in this hospital just because you threatened to shoot the doctors and their next of kin if she didn't wake up."
"Gladis, fuck, I need to talk to my wife." His eyes softened as he talked. "I need to touch her while she's awake."
Gladis didn't budge. "Well, she's not going anywhere soon. Not on my watch, anyway. And based on your behavior, I doubt you'll let the poor woman get any sleep. You can talk and touch her after I'm done with this checkup."
I bent my head and looked past nurse Gladis's round frame to Dante's annoyed face. "You threatened the doctors?"
"And the security," he said without shame. "I needed them to know how important you are to me."
"Well, if she's so important, why won't you let me do my job?" Gladis snapped.
"Fine, do your job, Gladis, and I'm going to stand here and watch you do it." He maneuvered himself around the bed and came to stand on my opposite side. "Stop watching me like that and get on with your checkup. Believe me, my aunt will hear all about this."
"I don't work for your aunt anymore."
"But you should. She has a private practice and she pays incredibly well. She needs a right hand."
"I'm sure she does. It would take a lot of money for me to 'see and don't see' the things your father and uncle are into. You know, your mom never wanted that life for you." Her otherwise warm voice carried a bucketful of disapproval.
"And she got her wish."
Gladis's expression told me that she wasn't convinced.
"He's telling the truth," I said, my voice hoarse, ignoring the itchiness in my throat.
"How are you feeling, dear?" she asks, her all-knowing eyes scanning my face.
"My head hurts."
"That's to be expected. You suffered from poisoning. We had to pump your stomach to get rid of the alcohol."
The words hit me like a ton of bricks. Alcohol poisoning. That sounded bad.
"We also tested for other substances because the story of three glasses of mimosa didn't add up with your symptoms. You suffered two seizures and fell into a coma after arriving here."
"I was in a coma? How long?"
"Four days," Dante said. "Felt like a fucking year."
He took my hand and squeezed it. His fingers were warm and full of life. I was so happy to be alive. I couldn't imagine a world where touching, looking, and talking to my husband wasn't possible.
"And this happened because of the alcohol poisoning?"
Nurse Gladis nodded. "Unfortunately, yes."
"I don't remember drinking much at all."
"Do you remember anything from last week?"
I hesitated for a moment, unsure if what I remembered were real or just dreams. "My mother, was she here?"
Dante frowned. "No, baby. I tried calling her number from your phone but she didn't pick up."
I licked my dry lips and nodded as I tried to hide my hurt. I looked up at the nurse. "Did you find anything when you tested for other substances?"
"Yes. We found a small amount of another poison in your system. One that's not lethal in small doses, but it can still be dangerous, especially with alcohol involved."
My heart skipped a beat. Poison? Someone had tried to poison me? Was it one of my friends? All of them? Or someone else entirely? My heart started racing as I thought of the possibility that someone had drugged me.
The nurse must have seen the panic in my eyes because she reached out to touch my hand reassuringly.
"My friends," I said, my voice trembling. "I had lunch with them at my house. We were all drinking. Are they okay?"
Gladis and Dante exchanged a look I couldn't read.
"What is it?"
The nurse smiled but her eyes remained guarded. "Don't worry, your friends are fine. We'll get to the bottom of this. We just need you to rest for a bit and let us do our job. The police will be back shortly to question you."
Rest. That was the last thing on my mind. I couldn't rest until I found out who did this to me. Who tried to kill me? And why? What did the police know?
"Do they know something? Suspect someone?"
Dante looked down at me, his eyes colder than an iceberg. "Not any more than I told them the last time they were here."
Nurse Gladis typed a few things on her tablet. "I recommend you stay the night. The doctor will come by tomorrow morning to check on you. I don't see any reason why you wouldn't be able to go home tomorrow."
Home, yes. I wanted that. I wanted a moment alone with Dante. By the firm set of his jaw and the fire flashing behind his normally cold eyes, I knew he was worried and pissed about my condition.
As promised, a police officer arrived to question me. He introduced himself as Detective Manuel Herrera. Lean and tall, he seemed friendly enough. He nodded thoughtfully and took notes as I spoke.
He asked me the same things over and over again, trying to piece together what happened. I was grateful for his diligence, but I couldn't remember seeing anyone dropping something in my drink. I remembered laughter, and then a tense moment where Eduardo came up in conversation. I remembered the soup, and how delicious it was. And then, darkness.
He glanced at Dante before staring at me.
"Did you notice any unusual substance or taste in your drink?"
"No."
"What about in the soup?"
"Also no, I told you the soup was delicious."
"Your husband told me he prepared the soup alone. You passed out while eating it. Do you think that was a coincidence?"
"Excuse me?"
"Does your husband have any reason to want you dead, Mrs. Caneos?"
Dante shifted next to me, his muscles tense, the muscles in his jaw undulating when he regarded the police officer with hard, steely eyes. The subtle shift in power dynamic was difficult to ignore.
Nonetheless, the man ignored him, but I could tell that he felt threatened. I could only assume he knew about Dante and his relationship with the Galician clan.
"You're going to have to answer the question Mrs. Caneos."
"It's a ridiculous question, Mr. Herrera."
"Not as ridiculous as you may think. As a rule, women are most likely to use poison to get rid of a loved one, but men are not an exemption to the rule."
"I don't care about your rule. Leave my husband out of this."
"Your husband is a part of this investigation and I'm just doing my job. What about your friends? Have you had disputes with any of them lately?"
"No."
"Despite what you think, someone in that room tried to kill you. I would suggest you take a closer look at your friends." He folded his notepad and shoved it in his pocket. "Keep a close watch on your surroundings and always listen to your instincts. Trust your gut when it comes to potential threats or danger. If something feels off or suspicious, don't hesitate to take necessary precautions and protect yourself, even if it means distancing yourself from those closest to you."
The thought of him accusing my friends made me sick to my stomach. I had known them for years, and we'd been through so much together. But now, I couldn't shake the feeling that one or all of them had betrayed me and had tried to kill me.
The officer left and I didn't give any more thought about what he'd said about Dante.
Exhaustion seeped into my bones and I sank down on the pillow and closed my eyes. I sighed heavily before rolling to my side. A firm hand touched my shoulder just as a silent tear slipped from my eye and over the bridge of my nose.
"Get some rest, cariño. I'll watch over you tonight. You're safe here. The officer is just doing his job. I'm not taking his accusation seriously and neither should you. I would kill everyone in this world before I harmed one hair on your curly head."
I must have drifted off to sleep because, at one point in the middle of the night, I was jolted awake by some scuffling noises outside the room. All the lights were off, even in the hallway. Suddenly, there was a loud bang, followed by whispers that I couldn't make out.
Clutching the sheets, I sat up in bed. There was a moment of eerie silence before the door burst open and a man wandered in. With my heart pounding, I strained to see his face in the darkness.
A high pitch screech left my sore throat as I watched him get closer. My fear intensified, and my breath shortened and then quickened with every second that passed. Something was very wrong, and I couldn't shake off the overwhelming sense of foreboding that washed over me.
~|~
I hope you had a lovely easter.
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