Amber nodded a questioning look in her eyes.
"How do you know my name?" Kristin looked steadily at the lady, unsure who she was.
"You don't remember me," Amber replied. Kristin shook her head although the young nurse wasn't really asking a question.
"How about I get the doctor and when he is finished observing you, we can talk," Amber said.
Kristin nodded and then winced. Each movement caused her head to throb. She waited as the nurse left the room to get the doctor. She tried to think but there seemed to be a black wall in her mind. She couldn't remember her name, how old she was, or if she was married.
Another nurse came in and took Kristin's vitals. Kristin understood exactly what she was doing as if she had done it herself many times. Could she be a nurse also? How did she end up where she was?
Amber came back into the room with the doctor and he reexamined the patient. "How are you feeling today," he asked Kristin.
Amber had already informed him she might have some memory loss and he immediately concurred. He had worked alongside Kristin often, and she looked as if she had never seen him before.
"I have a major headache and I can't remember why I'm here," she answered.
"Mmmm hummm," he answered in that way doctors always did when they want you to know they're listening, but they are really busy doing something else like listening to your heart. Again, she wasn't sure why she knew that. Just as she wasn't sure how she knew what he was doing as he checked her eyes and head.
"So, tell me what you do remember." Doctor Peters continued to listen to Kristin's heart and check her over thoroughly while he waited for an answer.
Kristin tried to think, but it just made her head hurt more.
"Nothing. When I try to remember my name or age or what I do, I just see a black wall in my head. Something I can't get past," Kristin replied.
The doctor nodded his head. "I want to keep her at least one more day for observation, and then I will release her into your care until she regains her memory."
"Yes, Doctor," she replied. "I will inform Matt. Thank you."
The doctor left the room and the two ladies were left alone with each other. Kristin studied the young expectant mother. She wore her long blond hair pulled back off her face and her brilliant green eyes seemed to change with her emotions. Kristin could see the concern in her face.
"You seem to know who I am," Kristin said. "Are you my sister or something?"
Amber smiled. She decided to give Kristin as many details as she dared to help her regain her memory.
"Your name is Kristin Young. You are a doctor in the pediatrics field and you have a small practice not far from here. You have hospital privileges here and often meet your patients for the very first time right here," Amber said.
Kristin smiled. "When they are born," she guessed.
"Yes," Amber replied. "My husband Derek and I came to see you about two or three weeks ago in hopes that you would be our pediatrician."
"Did I agree," Kristin asked.
"You did," Amber said with a smile.
Kristin couldn't help smiling back. She liked Amber and wanted to be her friend. She desperately needed a friend right now. It was a scary world when you remember nothing. But somehow she did know some things.
"What else can you tell me," Kristin asked.
"You are thirty-three years of age, you fought hard to gain respect in your field, and you are a wonderful doctor," Amber told her.
"How do you know that," Kristin asked.
"That I won't tell you. In a few days, I will let you see for yourself. I'm going to take some time off work. I will go with you for the first few days back to work. Not remembering your employees may put a strain on you and them that your patients will pick up on. I will try to be a buffer," Amber told her.
"Really, you would do that," Kristin asked.
"Yes, you have a great staff that adores you, but it may make you uncomfortable. Besides, my brother-in-law won't want you out of his sight for awhile. I may be able to convince him to let me stay with you instead."
"Thanks, uh...," Kristin hesitated.
"Amber," the nurse told her.
"Thanks, Amber. I would appreciate that. Tell me though, why would your brother-in-law not want me out of his sight. I don't understand."
"Kristin, you were attacked by a vicious maniac. He worked you over pretty good. Matt works for the FBI and if I know him, he'll want to become your personal bodyguard until they track down the man that did this," Amber replied.
Kristin hung her head. "I don't remember anything."
"It's okay. You don't have to. It will all come back to you when you're ready. But for your own protection, Matt will insist on one of us being with you. I hope you will consider staying with my husband and me when the doctor releases you."
"I would like that. Thanks," Kristin replied. Amber turned down the lights and let Kristin lay back down. She could see the conversation had drained her. She sat another hour and Matt came in and relieved her. She told him what the doctor said and about her conversation with Kristin.
"You're going to take time off," Matt asked. "But you have maternity leave coming up."
"I know but this is important and the other nurses will understand. Kristin and I have been able to bond and she will probably try to take care of me because of the baby. It's in her nature and she won't feel like she is being a burden because she is contributing," Amber responded.
"Thanks, Amber." Matt leaned down and gave his sister-in-law a big smacking kiss on the cheek. She laughed and playfully swatted at him.
"I have to get home now and feed my husband. I'm sure by now he is turning my pantry upside down."
"Call him. I told him where you were and he said something about cooking for you for a change."
Amber rolled her eyes. "I better get home quick."
Matt laughed as Amber left Kristin's room. He settled down into the chair vacated by Amber and fell asleep. It had been a long day and he was tired.
The next morning Kristin opened her eyes to sunlight streaming into her hospital room. Her head was still pounding but she wanted to get out of bed. She started to sit up when she heard a slight snore. Looking around, Kristin was stunned to see a man sitting in her hospital room.
Since he was asleep, she took her time studying the man. He looked to be too tall for the chair he was folded up in. Kristin wondered if he would wake up stiff. The man had a head full of jet black hair that you just wanted to run your hands through to see if it was as soft as it looked. She wondered what color his eyes were. She also wondered why she wasn't scared of him. He was a stranger in her hospital room.
Kristin glanced around the room. Light blue wallpaper covered the walls. There was a television in the corner controlled by the remote attached to her bed. She didn't want to disturb the stranger so she didn't turn it on. Instead, she laid her head back against her pillow and tried to remember how she had gotten here.
The more she thought about it, the harder it made her head hurt. Finally giving up, Kristin drifted back to sleep.
A few minutes later, Amber came in to check on Kristin. She had already stopped by human resources to put in her vacation time and make them aware of the details. Everyone in the hospital adored and respected Kristin so it was agreed that Amber would take the time off to help the young doctor recover.
Carrying two plates of pancakes and bacon, she walked into the room and stopped. Both her brother-in-law and Kristin were still asleep. She walked over to Matt and gently shook his shoulder.
Matt slowly opened his eyes and saw his sister-in-law standing over him. He quickly sat up then regretted that action when he felt a catch in his neck. Amber was grinning at him. Matt frowned at her.
He stood up, stretched, and looked around.
"I smell bacon," he announced.
Amber handed him a plate and a syrup bottle and Matt gri
nned.
"Ahhh, you're the best, Amber," Matt stated.
"I try". As Matt began eating, Amber walked over to Kristin. She felt her forehead for any sign of fever and then checked the pulse in her wrist. When she finished Kristin was looking at her.
"How's the patient," Amber asked.
"Head's still throbbing. "How's the baby?"
"Very active," Amber answered. She handed Kristin the other plate of pancakes and reached over to take the bottle of syrup from Matt.
"You finished with this," Amber asked.
"Sure," Matt replied looking up from his breakfast. As he did, Matt locked eyes with the prettiest brown eyes he had ever seen. He nearly choked on his pancakes.
Amber, missing the look that passed between the two, was busy pouring syrup on Kristin's pancakes.
"I told Matt you would be staying at my house, Amber said.
Kristin pulled her eyes away from the bluest eyes she had ever seen and looked at Amber. "Matt," she asked.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you had been introduced," Amber apologized. She introduced the two and Matt stood up and shook Kristin's hand. When he touched her fingers, Kristin felt a spark, like a shot of electricity, travel through her fingers and straight to her belly. She lowered eyes to the bed and wondered if he had felt the same thing.
Matt was having a hard time concentrating on what Amber was telling him. The beautiful lady in front of him was wreaking havoc on his thought process. Despite the black eye and stitches, he could see the loveliness of her eyes and face. She was gorgeous. And a perfect match to TGT's victims.
Amber stopped talking and simply stared at the two in front of her. She had been trying to introduce them and give them a little bit of information about each other since they would all be spending a lot of time together, but they seemed to be in their own world. Matt was staring as if his life depended on it, and Kristin was blushing prettily. Amber smiled. Maybe, just maybe, the FBI agent had found his match.
A confirmed bachelor, Matt always swore he would never marry. Amber had not even seen him date since she had met Matt. But she recognized the signs when someone's world had just been rocked.
Just then, the doctor walked into the room, jarring everyone back to the realities of everyday life.
"Let's check on the patient. How are you feeling today, Doctor Young," he asked.
"My head is still throbbing, but other than that, I should be fine."
"Everything looks good. Vitals are good, lab work was good. You will have to stay off your feet for about a week and let them heal. I'll send you home in a wheelchair. I want to see you back Friday to let me check them over. If they are healing, we will test you walking on them."
"What's wrong with my feet," Kristin asked in dismay.
The doctor looked up startled. Looking at Amber he asked, "She doesn't know?"
"Know what," Kristin asked.
"Kristin, I will explain in a few minutes. Let the doctor finish and we will talk some more. You were so tired last night, I didn't go over all your injuries," Amber said.
Kristin nodded her head and the doctor continued. "I've written a prescription for pain for when your feet and head start hurting too much. For now, you are free to go when the nurse brings the discharge papers."
Kristin thanked the doctor and watched him thoughtfully as he left the room.
"I should know him, shouldn't I," she asked.
"Yes, you have worked with Doctor Peters several times," Amber said.
Kristin let her head drop into her hands. It hurt to try to remember.
"Tell me." Amber looked at Matt. He nodded and sat back to listen.
"Kristin, there is a serial killer in Georgia. The media has called him The Georgia Terror. My husband and my brother-in-law simply call him TGT. He kidnaps girls from the ages of twenty to twenty-four and tortures them. He starts by slicing up their feet. We believe this is so the girls cannot run."
Kristin saw a flash of something in her mind. A knife coming at her, then suddenly, it was gone. It was if the curtain had lifted for a split second then closed again.
Amber was studying Kristin's face as she told her what had happened to her. She saw the quick sign of recognition that faded back away. She continued on.
"He also carves a heart into the right ankle of his victims. Then he progresses up the body. He takes days doing this. Letting the girl bleed, then heal, then bleed some more."
"He likes to hear them scream," Kristin said rigidly.
Matt's head snapped up. "What did you say," he asked.
Amber shook her head. She could tell Kristin was not up for an interrogation right now. Matt understood what Amber was saying and leaned back in his chair and listened some more. He would remember to question Kristin about it later.
"It looks like he started on your feet but somehow you got away from him. You are the only victim we know of that this maniac has not killed. Your knees were cut up and bleeding as well as the palm of your hands so we assume you must have crawled for a long way before you were able to tie up your feet enough to stand. My brother-in-law found you walking down the road. You ran from him when he stopped to help you, then you fainted when he picked you up. He brought you here."
Kristin looked at Matt. The two stared at each other for a minute then Kristin looked at her hands. They didn't require bandages but they were scrapped up pretty raw. She wanted to see her feet but was afraid to look. She would wait until she had some privacy to access the damage.
Matt watched her looking at her hands and his heart went out to her. She looked so young and vulnerable lying in a hospital bed. He wanted to pick her up, place her in his lap and sooth away all her hurts. Instead, he looked at Amber and walked out of the room. He figured they needed some privacy.
Kristin continued to study her hands. "I don't understand. You said I was thirty-three. If this guy is kidnapping girls in their early twenties, why would he take me," Kristin asked.
Amber smiled. "I said earlier you had to fight hard to gain respect in your field," she reminded Kristin.
Kristin nodded remembering that statement but not thinking much about it at the time.
"While you are a great doctor and all of your patients and their parents adore you, you look as if you should be a model. You also look like you should still be in college."
Kristin looked at Amber questioningly.
"You are very beautiful, Kristin, and you look like you are about twenty instead of closer to thirty," Amber explained.
"That's why I had to fight so hard throughout my career," Kristin said.
"Yes", Amber replied although she thought Kristin was having more of a memory than asking a question. "Now, let's get you dressed and we can talk some more later when you have rested."
Amber and Kristin were close to the same size so Amber had brought some clothes for Kristin to wear. She was able to help Kristin dress and brought her a wheelchair to use until her feet healed. Amber got her discharged and loaded into her car with Matt's help and the three of them traveled to Amber's house.
Thankful for the downstairs guest room, Amber showed Kristin where she would be staying then left the room to give her some privacy. Matt and Derek were discussing the case so Amber went to her kitchen to start lunch. She expected Matt would be eating with them even more than usual now that Kristin was in the house.
Kristin took the time to look around. Amber's house was tastefully decorated in chocolate browns and reds. The bedroom made Kristin feel warm and cozy. The walls were painted a deep brown and the curtains and bedspread were a rich red. There were accent pillows on the bed in chocolate colors and a red lamp on the bedside table. On one wall there was a large picture of a bright red flower. She liked Amber's taste and wondered how her own home looked.
Kristin decided not to dwell on that depressing thought and continued to explore her surroundings. There was a door off to one side that she discovered
led to a bathroom. Kristin found the same deep brown and chocolate colors in here but mixed with aqua blue instead of the red. She thought it was very pretty and decided when she did find out what her home looked like she would ask Amber to help her decorate it.
Wheeling herself back into the bedroom, Kristin studied the bed. She had no idea how she was suppose to get into it without help. She was feeling sleepy from the pain medication and wanted to lie down. Almost as if she had conjured him up, Matt suddenly appeared in the door way.
"Would you like to get in bed," he asked in a really deep voice with a slow Texas drawl.
Ohh the thoughts going through her head at that question. Would she like to get in bed? With him? Yes, yes, yes.
Kristin blinked. Where did that thought come from?
"I would like to lie down," she responded quietly.
"Here, let me help you." Matt walked across the floor and scooped her into his arms as if she weighed next to nothing. He pulled the covers back on the bed and laid her down carefully. She had not yet looked at the damage to her feet but as he laid her on the bed she could feel the pain in them.
Matt pulled up the covers and tucked her in like a small child. Funny, she didn't feel like a child with the way he was staring at her. Kristin decided the pain medication was making her goofy. She thanked Matt and rolled over to sleep.
Matt sighed and walked out of the room. He was hoping he might get some information out of Kristin but when he came into her room she looked exhausted. He decided to give her some time to rest. There would be time enough later to question the raven haired beauty.
♥ Chapter 6 ♥
Back at his office Monday morning, Matt found out the identity of the latest victim found in the ditch in Henry County. Twenty-two year old Lindsey Harris was last seen leaving a convenience store close to her mother's house in Murray County. Like the others, Lindsey had long black hair and dark brown eyes. Matt rubbed his hand across his face.
He needed some answers. He needed to talk with Kristin. Amber had practically thrown him out of the house last night when he told her he would be questioning Kristin when she woke. Amber said she needed her rest and under no circumstances was he to bother her until Amber said it was alright. Matt agreed simply because he had seen the exhaustion in Kristin's eyes. But he would talk with her sometime today, he promised himself.