Chapter 12

Saint Paul, MN

Seven days after the accident, 7:33pm

James laid on his hotel bed and mindlessly flipped through the TV channels. He wasn't even paying attention to the TV. He was lost deep in his own thoughts about the girl he had saved. Well, at least he hoped he saved. He didn't stick around long enough to find out. Sticking around would mean answering questions he didn't want to answer. Even if he could give them false information about himself, they'd still get a better look at his face. It was already dangerous enough to go into the hospital with her. He just hoped they wouldn't be able to give a good description of him if the police were to be involved.

He sighed and rolled off the bed and casually paced the room. His restlessness was getting worse and all he could think about was the accident. It had been a whole week since the incident, but for some reason it was still fresh in his mind like it had been just yesterday. He had watched the whole thing. She flew through the air like she was nothing. Just a plastic bag in the wind. The weirdest thing about it was just the fact that he had talked to her earlier. He wasn't normally a social person, but there was something about her that he couldn't put his finger on. It was like he was drawn to her. He felt as though he had something in common with this girl, but the fact that he didn't even know her name made it impossible. Who was she? Had she survived the accident? He had to know.

He threw his coat and boots back on and went back outside. The wind was colder and stronger than before, sending the falling snow flying into his face, stinging like pebbles. He ducked further into his coat and headed back to the hospital. On his way, he passed by the crash site and shook his head. The blood has been cleaned up and there was no broken glass or anything. People bustled the area with their shopping bags, hurrying to get out of the wind. It was like the accident had never happened. If James hadn't been there himself, he wouldn't have even guessed anything happened there.

When he arrived at the hospital, he hesitated at the doors. He didn't want to go back in to see her. They would recognize him as soon he went in there. He didn't want them knowing who he was. Even if the nurses didn't recognize his name, just he mere mention of it would endanger him of exposure. He didn't want the wrong people finding him, and if his name was spoken out loud, they would catch him. He never knew how they did it, but they always did.

James took a deep breath and entered through the automatic doors and, once again, heads turned up in the lobby. The nurse at the front desk instantly recognized him and stepped out from behind her desk. He walked over to meet her.

"Hi," he said. "The girl I brought in about a week ago..."

"She's fine," the nurse said, scanning his face. "They rushed her into surgery the same day you brought her in."

"Can I see her?"

She shook her head. "Not until you give me your name and how you know her."

James sighed and nodded. He figured it would come to that. "Jason Steeler." He quickly explained how he had paid for her coffee and that was the only time he'd seen her, except when he had carried her to the hospital.

The nurse scribble everything her said down on her clipboard. Once finished, she tucked her pen back into her pocket and looked at him.

"She's in room 613, fourth floor," she said as she walked back to her desk and began entering the info into the computer. "But don't upset her!" She called as James walked out of the lobby. "She's still slow thinking!"

James took the elevator to the fourth floor and counted the room numbers up to 613. The door was open part way and he could hear the beeping of machines coming from the inside of the room. He knocked softly on the door and entered the room slowly. The girl was awake dressed in a hospital gown. She looked sleepy, but was flipping through TV channels and made a face at a skin cleansing commercial.

"What," James said, "you're not against clear skin are you?"

The girl turned her head slowly in his direction and he could see the wheels turning in her head on who he was. "You don't know me," he said, deciding not to make her think to hard. "I was just the guy who—"

"Paid for my coffee," she finished his sentence like it should've been obvious to her and was kicking herself for not remembering.

They stared at each other in silence. James scanned her bruised body. Her head was wrapped in white. She had her arm in a sling and had multiple bandages on her face and arms. Eventually, James broke the silence.

"How's your, uh..." He pointed to the spot on his own head where she was injured.

She shrugged and glanced at the dog food commercial playing softly on the TV. "It doesn't hurt so much now." She laughed to herself. "But then again, I think I'm on one too many pain killers, to be honest."

He smiled. "Are you supposed to watch TV with a head injury?"

She studied his face, ignoring his question. Curiosity caused her eyebrows to turn inward. "What's your name?"

"Jason." James didn't even hesitate. He wanted to tell her his real name, but that wouldn't exactly work since he already told the nurse at the front desk that it was Jason. "You?" He asked.

"Natalia," she said with a small smile.

James smiled and nodded. "Well Natalia, I'm glad you're okay. Feel better." He turned to leave but she stopped him.

"Wait."

He turned around and made gentle eye contact with her green eyes.

"Will I see you again?" She scanned his face hopefully.

He could see the weariness on her face. She was exhausted. Partially from the drugs, but also from the trauma. He felt bad for her, but he smiled and left the room.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxX

Natalia sighed when he left. She knew what that meant. She wouldn't see him. What was he doing here in the first place? And how did he even know she was here? He paid for her coffee. Did he see the accident? Why did he care enough to check to make sure she was okay?

The doctor walked in carrying a clipboard in her right hand. "Well Ms. Romanova, you gave us quite the scare there."

Natalia chuckled a little, even though she wasn't amused. She glanced at the door then back at the doctor. "Dr. Knowles? Who was that guy who came in here?" She gave a brief description when the doctor asked for it.

"His name is Jason Steeler."

Natalia rolled her eyes and nodded. "I know that. I mean, why was he here?"

The doctor tapped her nose with the end of her pen and blinked at Natalia. "You don't know?"

She shook her head. "No."

"That man saved your life. After you got hit with the van, he scooped you up in his arms and ran you across town on foot to the hospital." The doctor looked behind her to where Jason had disappeared. "I'm going to be honest with you; if it wasn't for him, I can almost guarantee you wouldn't be here right now."

Natalia's eyebrows furrowed and she looked at the door again. She wasn't sure why, but Jason's actions surprised her. First he pays for her coffee, then he saves her life. There was something about that man. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

She cooperated as the doctor checked her vitals and ran a few vision tests. After scribbling the results down on the clipboard, Dr. Knowles responded to an emergency call from the other room. From the sound of it, it was a woman who was giving birth.

Natalia stared out the window at the city below. She scanned the streets secretly hoping to spot Jason leaving the hospital, but all she could see was the people below; hurrying to escape the cold and the snow that was rapidly falling into the streets.