Devastate Me novel Chapter 11

"Understood. What's your name, sir?" One of the officers approached.

"Colt Henshaw. I live next door." He slowly stood and backed away so the officer could get to Ophelia.

"Rick!" the officer shouted, looking her over. "Check to see where that ambulance is. Now."

"On it," the other officer shouted back.

"Can you tell me what happened?" the officer asked Colt.

Colt had just finished relaying the events when the EMTs arrived. They knelt by Ophelia and checked her over, then loaded her onto a stretcher and strapped her down.

"I need to go with them." He started to leave, but the officer held him back with a hand.

"We need to take a statement first."

Colt looked to the man, his hands clenching. "You can do it at the hospital. She's my girlfriend-I'm going to follow the ambulance as soon as I can get my neighbor to take my dog to the emergency vet."

The officer's eyes narrowed. "Girlfriend? You said she was your neighbor."

"She's both." He whistled to Noah, who heeled by his side as they followed the paramedics. While the EMTs prepared to put Ophelia inside the ambulance, Colt knelt and checked out Noah's injury which didn't seem that deep.

"You okay, boy?" He murmured as he gently examined the injury. Noah simply panted softly, but he didn't seem to be in a great deal of pain. Colt hated to have to choose between taking his dog to the vet and going with Ophelia, but Noah seemed in better shape.

"Colt! What happened?" Miranda ran up to him as she spotted him and Noah. He briefly told her what happened and she agreed to take Noah to the nearby emergency vet and call him as soon as the vet looked the dog over.

"Is she going to be okay?" Colt asked the paramedics as they loaded Ophelia into the ambulance. The two paramedics flashed him pitying looks.

"She's stable, but we won't know for sure until we get her to the ER." The siren started up, and Colt rushed to his truck to follow them to the hospital.

Colt had only one look at Ophelia's bruised and battered body on the gurney, and a pain far greater than any he'd ever experienced tore at his insides like a raging beast. He could lose her, when he'd finally been brave enough to open his heart.

Ophelia came awake in bits and pieces, drifting in and out like waves on the shore, pulling her closer to the surface. When she was finally able to open her eyes, the room was dark and hospital machines beeped softly. She didn't try to move. Something inside her knew she would hurt worse if she did. Her dry lips were cracked, and she struggled to swallow.

A figure lounged in a chair near the bed. His face was silhouetted by the moonlight coming in from the window.

"Colt..." Her hoarse voice sounded like she'd swallowed gravel and it hurt to speak. Colt stirred awake and glanced at her. His eyes widened.

"Ophelia." That single utterance, so full of hope and worry, dug into her heart.