Chapter 2：The Hospital

When Dawn opened her eyes next, after what seemed like an eternity, she wriggled her toes. She was lying on a hospital bed and her right leg was bandaged. She squeezed her eyes open and shut twice, her vision clearing. When the haze cleared, she recalled her harrowing experience.

Her breathing accelerated. Who was that? Who was that?

Her reverie broke when she heard someone. She looked ahead and found that the TV was on. The anchor was reporting on a sports channel. "After Dawn Wyatt's mysterious disappearance, following her first national win, Bree Higgins has emerged as her successor for the trophy of Irish Open Championships."

Dawn stared incredulously at the monitor as she watched Bree in the background hitting a drive, looking as serious as hell. She gaped and her fingers touched her parted lips. "How can this be?" she said in a hoarse voice.

"Dawn!" her ten-year old brother Cole squealed when he heard her. "You are awake." He switched off the TV immediately, not wanting her to hear the news. He sprang up from the chair that was right next to her bed. Cole looked ruffled and very tired. There were dark circles under his eyes. But upon seeing his sister conscious and talking, he couldn't contain his excitement. At first he hugged her tightly. His face was beaming with joy. In her confused state, Dawn couldn't even hug him back. Cole wasn't the type who would be so overwhelmed by her state. It was the first time she was seeing him so worked up, so emotionally riled.

Where is father?

"Thank you, Cole," Dawn patted him. There were tubes running out of her left arm and the right leg, which was bitten. She shuddered, remembering the creature.

"I will call the doctor now," he said after he removed himself.

"Wait, where is father?" she asked. "Call father. I have to tell him something very important to him."

Cole pursed his lips as a grave expression emerged on it. It looked as if he was trying to hide something. He lowered his eyes. "I will call the doctor first," he said in a choked voice and darted out of the room.

Not able to understand his sudden change of thoughts, Dawn picked the remote from the table and switched on the TV. This time, there was scarier news. "The assassination of Luke Wyatt, the oil baron of the country, has raised many questions about the security of the nation's prominent businessmen. Just a week back, his daughter disappeared after a practice match in the Wyatt's Golf Course, and his son's whereabouts are nowhere to be found. Everything reeks of a conspiracy and foul play. His children are missing, and his company stocks have plummeted. Moreover, today, the family has announced a reward of five million dollars to anyone who could find the siblings."

Dawn's body convulsed when she heard of her father's murder. She threw her blanket aside and staggered up from the bed. "Cole!" she screamed. She tried to step down but her vision was becoming blurry again. Her body's temperature was rising at a fast pace.

Cole opened the door with a bang, and ran to her followed by a nurse and a doctor. The nurse held her shoulders to make her lie down again.

Dawn extended her hand to Cole, who caught it. "Don't go anywhere. Stay here," she whispered feebly. Thinking quickly, Cole took the remote from her hand and switched off the TV.

"Please calm down." The nurse tried to soothe her.

The doctor gave her a shot, and within two minutes, she lost consciousness. The nurse decreased the room's temperature further down after the doctor left. She instructed Cole, "Your sister is going to be fine in an hour. It is already dark outside. You should have your dinner too. Just make sure that she doesn't walk around much once she wakes up."

Cole nodded innocently, and the nurse left.

For the past one week, ever since the beast had bitten Dawn, Cole had been holed up in this hospital room with his sister. His father, Luke, had brought her to this hospital, which was owned by his company. This was a very special unit. Only Luke and his children had access to it. No outsiders even knew that it existed. On the day, Dawn was attacked, she was discovered by a janitor moments after she was attacked. The janitor had opened the door. hearing the shouts of help, and found her unconscious. Luke had personally come to the course abandoning a meeting. He had taken her to the hospital. The next day, he had packed Cole's clothes and brought him to the hospital.

He had instructed Cole, "Whatever happens, don't leave your sister's side. She is very ill, and I might not be able to visit you again." Then, Luke took out a gold chain with a key-like pendant from his neck and made Cole wear it. "Keep this with you. This is a key to our bank locker."

"Why are you talking like this father?" asked the ten-year old. His father wasn't sounding right. There was something heavy in the air.

Luke smiled. He stroked Cole's head and said, "Keep your sister safe. She might not be able to play golf for a long time."

"What? Why?" Cole jumped.

Luke blew out a long breath. "I need to leave. Just stay safe. Don't get out of this room, and don't leave your sister."

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Cole's eyes became teary. He held Dawn's hand and curled up beside her, his place of sleeping during the entire past week. When he woke up next, he looked up to check on his sister and found her staring at him. Her swollen eyes were red like embers.

"Tell me everything Cole," she said quietly.

Cole hugged her across her waist and a sob ripped through him—a sob that he had suppressed for a long time. "Daddy was killed. I don't know who did it, but he was killed at point blank range—that is what the TV people told. He asked me to stay hidden here until you recovered." He showed her the gold chain and then narrated the rest of the incident.

When he finished, the nurse appeared again with the doctor.

"Time for your next shot," the nurse exclaimed excitedly.

Dawn looked at her. Why would she need a jab, when things were clear right now? Then, her gaze shifted to the doctor who peeked through his thick glasses at her as if she was a lab animal. She became skeptical of their motives.

Was she being over-drugged?

Suddenly, the realization hit her. There was no reason or logic behind keeping her unconscious for a week. But were they being paid for the job to keep her drugged? She sat up even though it was a real effort and her muscles ached. Her injured leg felt good.

It was pretty dark outside. Dim moonlight filtered through the gauzy curtains of the window.

"I want to get discharged," Dawn blurted out.