3

When I regain consciousness, it felt like someone was pounding on my head with a hammer. I groaned, the pain was unbearable. I opened my eyes, but I had to close them, the light was too bright. When my eyes finally adjusted to the light, I looked around the room.

Everything was white and my first thought was, am I dead, am I in heaven? Because the last thing I remembered was coming out of the store and someone pushed me not so gently and as a result, I hit my head. Now I'm waking up in an all-white room.

I lift my hand to the back of my head, to find that it was bandaged. If I'm in heaven I don't think I would have a bandage on my head. When I looked down I realize that I was wearing a hospital gown.

So I'm not dead, someone must have brought me to the hospital when I lost consciousness. It took a while, but I remembered that it was my anniversary. Forgetting why I was here and for how long, I started fretting that I'm going to be late for our anniversary. I need to go. I should be with Josh celebrating our anniversary. But I'm in the hospital, did they inform him that I was in the hospital, if they did why isn't he here?

Probably I'm overthinking, I might not have been in here long. Now that I'm awake, there's no use for me to stay here.

Anxious to get out of here, I forgot about my injury and I started looking around the room for my belongings. My bag and clothes were placed in a chair in a corner of the room.

Throwing the sheet to the side, I slide out of the bed and padded my way towards it. I opened it to see that everything was still inside. I changed out of the hospital gown and into the clothes I was wearing. I was about to call Josh when someone walked into the room. A nurse was standing at the door.

"I see that you're finally awake. I'll let Doc know that you're awake and I'll be back in a minute." The nurse turned to leave, but I stop her before she could open the door.

"Wait." The nurse turned to face me again.

"Yes, how may I help."

"You don't have to get the doctor, I'm totally fine. Just bring me the release papers," I told her, because it was already late and I didn't want to stay any longer, Josh might be worried.

"The doctor still needs to run some tests to ensure that everything is okay, you hit your head pretty hard, and you suffered a concussion so it is important that these tests are done. Are you okay with this Ms," She explains, but all I wanted to do was go home. I don't want to spend my anniversary in the hospital.

Instead, I nod my head and sat down on the bed, not because I wanted to but because it was best for me. In this case, the doctors and nurses know what's best.

She left the room smiling happily that I have complied. I bet they don't have patients that agree with them often.

I sat there and waited for the doctor to show up. I don't know how much time had passed, since the nurse came in here and left to go get the doctor, but it felt like an eternity.

I am sure it's not long, but waiting here in this quiet room makes me anxious to go home. Out of all the days in the week, it had to be on this day something bad happened to me, and to add more pain to my injury I'm in the hospital. Can this evening get any worse than it is?

I was thinking about my shitty luck when the doctor knocked on the door. I tell him to come in.

"Hello, it's nice to see that you're awake Ms..." I fill in my name for him." Robinson, it's good to see that you're awake. Let's run some tests and then you are free to go." He said.

"So what happened?" I asked when he was finished with all his tests.

"The person who brought you in said that you were pushed by someone dressed in a black hoodie jacket, as soon as you fell to the ground, the person sprinted from the scene," He explained, writing on his clipboard.

"So whoever pushed me got away?" I asked.

"The person was conflicted, it was either chase after the culprit or check if you were okay. You already know his choice," He answered.

"How long was I out?" I asked, after what he said sunk in.

"Four hours."

"Four hours? It was just a little bump on the head how could I be out that long?" I asked confused.

He looked at me as if he was saying if it was just a little bump you wouldn't be in the hospital, but he responded by saying: "You suffered a concussion, Miss Robinson."

When he said that my hand unconsciously went to the bandage on the back of my head. "Of course. Can I go now?" I asked getting off of the bed.

"As soon as I finish you are free to go," he said. When he was finished with his examination he cleared me and I was given my release form. "You must take it easy for a couple of days," he warned, then left.

I unlock my phone, called Josh to come pick me up but it went to voicemail. After a couple more tries I gave up since the calls were going to voicemail.

I tried calling Tia, but her phone was turned off so I had to call an Uber, luckily one was nearby, and I only had to wait for about 8 minutes. I didn't think much when I got into the Uber.

I only started to worry when I still couldn't reach his phone. I started to ask questions that I know I wasn't going to get answers to anytime soon.

I checked the time on my phone. He should be home by now, but if he's home what could he be doing that he can't answer his phone.

But I don't think that's the cause maybe there was an emergency at work and he couldn't get to call me because he's busy. I remember when there was a case like this when I couldn't reach his cellphone.

He was on night duty when something cropped up at work and he couldn't get to call me to inform, and for the whole night I was in a worried state.

When he got home early in the morning, I started bombarding him with questions before he could get into the house. I was happy to see him standing in front of me in one piece, knowing how dangerous his job could be. I asked him if he was okay, if he was injured, what happened, and before he could get a word out, I asked him again if he was okay, if he suffered any injury.

I remember, that he had to grab me by the hand, hugged me to his body, whispered to me that he is okay and I need to calm down.

When he realized that I wasn't frantic anymore he explained to me what happened on his shift and why he couldn't get to call me. I throw myself on him, hugging the life out of him, I was afraid to let him go.

I still worry for him when he leaves in the morning for work. The only time I am not worried is when he is at home with me and off duty.

The driver stopped in front of my house, bringing me back to the present. I paid him, turned around to come face to face with a dark house. Josh might still be at work.

If I wasn't worried before, I am worried now. If he isn't home by now then that means he's probably in danger, just like every other day of his life.

I am not only worried, I am scared. Anyone passing by must be wondering why I am standing outside of my house like a creep, but I don't think they will understand how it feels to come home to a dark and lonely house. I hate coming home to a dark house. Josh always turns on the light when he is home before me and if I'm home before him I turn on the lights.

Without the lights on all possible thoughts clouded my head. The house looked so creepy and scary with all the windows dark. I started thinking of what ifs.

What if there is a robber inside my house?

What if there is a killer hiding and lurking?

What if there are ghosts hiding somewhere inside?

Before I could think of anymore what ifs to scare myself, I took a step towards the house. If I had continued thinking, I would be standing outside the house forever.

The latch unlocking in the door was so loud in the silent house. I was still reluctant to go inside, but I turned the doorknob and pushed the door opened. The inside was dark and scary. I waited. When no one or possibly a ghost jumped out to kill me, I walked inside.