19 Aftercare
1005 Words
Kristi was pushed out of the operating room on a hospital bed, and when Ray saw her thin, pale cheeks, he realized how stupid his recent thoughts towards her had been. Furthermore, he could not fathom how things had gotten so bad for her in so short of time.
When Keaton saw the concerned expression on Ray's face, he patted him on the shoulder and said, "She made it. Be glad of that, but take better care of her. She may not make it next time."
Now that Kristi was out of danger, she was transferred to the general ward, and Ray was left alone at the door of the operating room. And it wasn't until Marco arrived that Ray was able to calm his emotions and regain his usual indifferent attitude. Ray looked at Marco and asked, "Is the matter clear?"
Marco nodded and said, "The security footage has been viewed. Miss Alicia deliberately made trouble, forcing Miss Zuniga to drink against her will."
When Ray heard Alicia's name, his eyes narrowed slightly, and that made Marco tremble. "Alicia!" he grumbled. "It's that woman again!"
"I heard that Mr. Bradford went to talk to Alicia," Marco said, "but she wouldn't admit to what she had done!"
"Well, perhaps you can succeed where he failed," Ray replied. "You go talk to Alicia. Try to get her to admit to what she did, but be careful not to kill her."
Marco smiled and said, "Okay."
***
Kristi slept through the night and woke up early the next morning. When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the white ceiling above her. Then, when she turned her head, she saw Ray. He was standing by the window, and he was wearing a black suit. "Ray," she said, "What happened? Why am I here?"
When Ray heard her voice, he turned quickly and rushed to her bedside without answering any of her questions. "You're awake!" he exclaimed. "Thank God! You had me worried!"
Kristi flinched. What is going on here? – she wondered. Her head hurt, and it suddenly felt aa if she, like Alice, had fallen down a rabbit hole and landed in an alternate universe where, instead of being a demon, Ray was a gentleman with good intentions.
Ray frowned when he saw Kristi's reaction to him. Why would she want to hide from me? – he wondered. Before he could question her, though, the door to the room was pushed open from the outside, and a nurse came in with two paper bags in her hands. She looked at Ray and said, "Mr. Black, here is the breakfast you ordered."
Ray took the food, thanked the nurse, and she left as quickly as she'd come. He placed the food in front of Kristi, and when she didn't eat right away, he scowled and said, "What are you waiting for? Do you want me to feed you?"
Kristi was at a loss for words. Did he buy this breakfast for me? – she wondered.
Although Kristi suffered from hypoglycemia and her stomach had suffered from extensive bleeding the previous night, and she'd been in surgery for two hours, her body was much better now, and she was starving.
Kristi looked down at the bowl of soup in front of her. She didn't want to take Ray's charity, but she had no choice. Unfortunately, though, when she tried to eat, she spilled the food and burned her hands. I'm too weak even to hold a spoon – she realized.
When Ray saw how helpless Kristi was, his brow furrowed. "Is it because you are used to be served, that you can't even eat by yourself?" he asked scornfully.
Kristi clenched the spoon angrily. She was about to try again, but Ray took the spoon away from her. He filled it with soup, blew on it twice, and brought it to her mouth. "Open up," he commanded.
Kristi wanted to say that she could do it herself, but when she opened her mouth to speak, he poured the soup down her throat. Kristi swallowed, sighed, and said, "Thank you." And with his help, she ate all the soup.
"Have you thought about what comes next?" Ray wondered. "I mean, after you're released from the hospital?"
Kristi hesitated for a moment, and then she said, "I want to go back to the club."
Ray frowned and said, "You must have a real death wish." He laughed suddenly, and his laughter sent chills down Kristi's spine. "Your life is worthless. The Diamond Club is my place, though, so if you die there, I would be held responsible!"
This was not the first time that Ray had said this kind of thing to Kristi, so his selfish, uncaring sentiment did not overly move her. She bit her lip stubbornly and said, "I know my own body. Thank you for bringing me to the hospital last night. I'm fine, though, and I want to go back to work."
"What are you going back to?" Ray growled. "Are you that anxious to spread your legs for strangers? Kristina, take a look in the mirror. Even if you went back to work, who would want you?"
Kristi sighed. She was determined to go back to work, regardless of what Ray said. She took a deep breath, and she was about to argue her case when Ray leaned over and kissed her.
Kristi's eyes widened, and she looked at Ray incredulously. "What was that?" she gasped, and she suddenly felt very disoriented. Why would he kiss me? – she wondered – He doesn't even like me! And before she could even process her thoughts, let alone respond to them, he kissed her again.
To Ray, Kristi was like forbidden fruit, and the less she wanted him, the more he wanted her.
Kristi's lips were chapped, which made this kiss unpleasant, but she couldn't pull away. The tip of his tongue pushed past her teeth, and he held the back of her head with his left hand. Then, just as Ray began to reach for her left breast with his free hand, the door was pushed open again – and Keaton walked in.
- Writer
