A machine beeped.

Beep.

...And there it went again.

I woke up and honestly thought a blind person had given me a haircut with a dull axe.

What the hell?

Not wanting to open my eyes, I swallowed whilst listening to the beeps every few seconds.

Whispers snagged my attention. "Max, she just moved."

Connor? Connor and Max were here?

Beeb.

Opening my eyes. A clear pair of worried blues met mine. "Riley, I'm here... we're both here. Me and Max."

I squinted. "Please don't shout." My voice seemed small, yet still so loud.

He squeezed my hand, and his was so hot compared to mine. "Where I am—what happened?"

Connor shifted back a little as my eyes travelled across the white ceiling with fluorescent lighting.

Beeb.

"You're in hospital, Riley," said Connor, shaking head in shame. "And you have to believe me when I say I'm so sorry I didn't come looking for you sooner." He pressed his lips together and frowned.

"Hospital?" Surely I was still dreaming. "Why?"

"Riley..." he paused. "We found—" His Adam's apple bobbed. "We found your purse on the ground and then we searched everywhere and found you up by the trees."

Max came into view. "How you feeling, Riley?"

My lungs inflated with a slow breath. "Like I've been wrestling hogs." I tried to sit up, only for hands to stop me.

"No Princess. Stay. You might have a concussion."

Concussion? "What—did I fall?" I tried to piece together my fractured memory.

"No, Princess."

"Was I hit by a car or something?"

"I'm so sorry, Riley."

Max took hold of his hand.

"Will you quit apologising and tell me what the hell happened? And why do I feel numb?"

It was true; I wasn't exactly in pain, but still I hurt all over and my tender insides churned as wooziness had my stomach rising and falling with strange cramping.

"That will be the drugs they give you. Painkillers—they said when they wear off you might not feel so good."

Okay, that made sense. "So, are either of you fixin' on tellin' me what happened?"

"You remember nothing?" asked Max.

"I remember being in the restroom and then I needed some fresh air....and."

"And—?"

"I think Clay was outside with me." A flash of his smirk came and went as I blinked. "But I can't be too sure."

Max and Connor looked between themselves. "Shit, Max! Go find a doctor or a nurse. Let them know she's awake." He looked at me apologetically. "Sorry Princess."

"What did I say about being sorry?" He smiled and shrugged. "Connor Jackson—my lying here in this bed isn't your fault."

"Can I do anything to make you feel better—get y'all anything?"

"Well, my throat's as dry as those wells near Critter Creek."

He nodded, letting go of my hand and bringing the glass to my dry lips. He held my head up a little. "Thank you."

"I see you're awake, Miss Lockwood." Connor placed my glass down and moved away as a doctor and Max came into the room.

Max came around the bed and held my hand.

I turned to look up at the doctor. "Hello, Miss Lockwood. My name is Doctor Masters."

"Please, call me Riley."

She nodded, and I noticed her kind brown eyes. Eyes that you could trust, as my nana would say.

She spoke to Connor and then Max as she retrieved the stethoscope from around her neck. "Gentleman if you could wait outside, I would like to speak with my patient."

Connor pressed a kiss to my forehead, and Max squeezed my hand. "We'll be right outside," adding, "holler if you need anything, Princess."

"Connor, did you let my Nana know I'm here? I don't want her worrying."

"I wasn't sure if you wanted me to wake her. We got here pretty late."

Oh, yeah. "O-okay. You're probably right."

"Did you want me to call her now?"

I lifted my head, looking out toward the window. The first shards of sunlight were rising through the trees. "No, no. It can wait." Shifting my attention back to the doctor who had moved my gown and placed the small drum over to my chest.

I lay there silently whilst she ran over her checks, thinking it was better to wait until she'd done.

"If you could look up and to the left for me Riley." She shone a small bright handheld light in my eyes and I forced my head back into the pillow as a flash from last night returned. I panicked.

"Stop! Please." My hand flew up, trying to shield my eyes.

"Hey, hey, it's okay Riley. I wont hurt you."

Panic sent a spasm of shudders racing up my spine. "I remember a light. A bright light. Someone was shining it into my eyes so I couldn't see them."

She placed her hand on my shoulder. "Shhhh, it's okay. You're safe here," squeezing reassuringly. She put the small light back into her pocket. "I can try again later."

I nodded.

"Do you remember what happened, Riley?"

Trying to slow my breathing, I closed my eyes to see if anything might come back to me.

The bitch scratched me. That was Clay Hendersons voice. ... I swallowed. "I think someone was trying to hurt me."

Dr Master's eyes filled with questions; my words triggered something. "Yes, Riley. Your injuries were sustained in an assault."

I pressed my hand to the side of my head. It throbbed. "I think they hit me in the head." Oh. My. God. A thought I didn't want to entertain slammed into me. "Did they—" Rape me.

She must have read my mind, as my heart pounded against my chest. "There were no signs of a sexual assault, Riley."

Phew. My eyes closed briefly. That was something, right?

"Riley. There's—" She stopped, and I heard the hesitation in her voice.

"What are you not telling me, doctor?"

"It's routine when a person comes in unconscious to run blood tests."

Okay. "Am I alright, doctor?"

"Your HCG levels were high. She walked to the end of my bed and picked up my medical chart. "Do you know what that means, Riley?"

HCG What? I didn't have the foggiest. "No doctor, should I?"

"Your HCG levels rise to these numbers shortly after conception."

"Conception?" Was she trying to tell me—

"Yes, Riley, it's my assessment that you were pregnant."

My hand instinctively shifted over my tummy. "Pregnant...A baby?" A smile teased my lips.

Dr Masters inhaled slowly, her brow creasing. "I'm sorry Riley."

What was she sorry about?

I wouldn't deny that her words shocked me, but the thrill of excitement and happiness pulling on my heart erased all my feelings of pain in a flash. I'd been dreaming about babies since I could remember. "You don't have to be sorry, Dr Chambers."

Her eyes fell before lifting back to mine. Something wasn't right. "There's something you're not telling me."

She stood straighter, as if emotionally cutting herself off from the words. "The assault caused maternal trauma, and the amount of blood loss showed a placental abruption and uterine rupture."

She checked I was following. Which, to be honest, I wasn't. "No disrespect, doctor, but can you please just give it to me in plain English?"

"The foetus didn't survive, Riley."

The foetus... my baby, the one I hadn't even known about, was gone? I'd lost it? And I was sure I heard a crack inside my chest.

Dr Masters continued speaking to me, but I didn't hear a word she said.

"Riley?" She touched my arm and I flinched. "Did you hear me?"

I shook my head.

"I said we had to contact the sheriff's office. It's standard hospital procedure. They're gonna want to talk to you."

My heart shifted and I couldn't catch my breath. A tiny life had been growing inside me. Tears stung my eyes. "Are you sure they're gone?" My lips trembled. "Can you check? You might be wrong."

My other hand moved to rest on top of the other, now both sat on my stomach. "I didn't know."

She nodded. "Most women who aren't trying for a baby wouldn't have known either Riley and the HCG levels suggest you were most likely around three to four weeks along."

"I didn't know." I repeated. "Are you sure?" Tears silently fell.

"I performed an ultrasound. I'm sorry Riley."

"Can we run the test again? Please." I had to see for myself.

Her hesitation was replaced with absolute understanding. Nodding, she scribbled down notes on my chart.

"Riley, your friends asked us to hold off contacting your family, but if you want me to call anyone... your mother perhaps?"

She said the word mother as if it was a dirty word. But the last person I wanted here was my mama.

She continued. "I'd also like you to speak to someone. Someone who deals with loss."

I slowly shook my head, sniffing. "No, I'm not on good speaking terms with my family." Apart from my nana.

"Right, well, I'm happy enough for the deputy to come through and talk to you. If you feel up to it?"

No point in delaying it. "Yeah, I'll see him now."

She made some more notes on my chart and then looked up. "And then I will perform the ultrasound." She smiled, but it never touched her eyes.

I heard someone clear their throat. Dr Chambers came into the room... Chris. Adam's best friend.

"Riley?" Footsteps moved nearer. "What the—?" His mouth slammed closed, then opened and shut again.

"You know Riley, Dr Chambers?" She seemed surprised.

"Yes," he said nothing more, leaning toward Dr Masters, scanning through my chart.

I knew exactly what he saw.

Shit.

My heart jumped into my throat.

"You can't tell Adam, Chris. Please." The last thing I wanted was for Adam to hear about the baby."

"Riley—" His eyes softened. "It—"

I cut him off. "No." He didn't need to know. But how could I avoid him? "Is he here today?" My heart kicked up a beat as I told myself to calm down. This was a big hospital and surely he wouldn't find out—but then again, his best friend was standing looking at me like I'd gone crazy. I swiped my tears aside.

"This doesn't concern Adam. And I would ask you to respect my privacy." My voice was timid but assertive at the same time.

"He's gone up to his cabin with Danny."

The room went quiet as my lungs deflated.

Dr Masters broke the uncomfortable silence. "Okay." She looked between us. "As soon as you're done with the deputy, the nurse will bleep me."

"Thank you, doctor."

Chris threw me a sorrowful smile and followed Dr Masters out. I could hear them whispering, no doubt about me.

Hours later, I'd been interviewed, prodded, and poked some more and finally Dr Masters had performed the ultrasound.

It showed nothing.

She hadn't been wrong—I'd lost the baby. Or foetus, as they kept telling me.

I felt empty. I was empty. Whatever life had been growing inside me was gone. And even with the physical pain, I still felt numb.

Trying to keep a brave face, I'd finally convinced Connor and Max to head home. They both looked exhausted.

Done crying, every time I closed my eyes, flashes of images and distinct familiar smells overwhelmed me. But I was determined to figure out what happened last night and who had done this to me. And more importantly—why? Why Me?

I'd done no one any wrong. I'd always tried to be nice to everyone I met. And until last night, I'd hardly spoken two words to Clay Henderson.

I told deputy Fraser what I could recall, and I'd mentioned Clay's name. His beady eyes had nearly popped from his head when I mentioned the sheriff's son. I also told him I was sure I'd scratched my attacker.

The deputy told me it was routine for the hospital to take samples from under my nails and my clothes had been packaged up and everything sent off for testing and if the person who'd done this was in some fancy police database, then that might give them a lead.

Now exhausted both physically and mentally, the nurse came in and checked my stats. I looked at her name tag. "Nurse Callister."

"Yes, Miss Lockwood?"

"I don't suppose there's any chance I could have some more painkillers?" My head was pounding, and my body now ached something rotten.

She checked my chart. "They're not due for another few hours, but I'll ask the doctor." She gave a sympathetic smile.

I heard footsteps out in the corridor as Nurse Callister's head swung toward the door. I tried to peep around her, but I couldn't see. Inhaling, I didn't need to see who was there. The sickly smell of my mama's signature perfume filled my nose.

Urgh. Who had told her I was here?

Her heels clacked on the tiled floor as she came closer, standing at the foot of my bed. "May I have a private moment with my daughter, Nurse Callister?" her words were as sweet as honey as she threw in a smile for good measure.

Nurse Callister didn't hang around.

Her eyes shifted to look over me, humming a sigh. "You look fine to me."

"Mama," I responded flatly, and it did not surprise me to see irritation in her stone cold blue eyes. "Who told you I was here?"

"Child, nothing goes on inside these here walls that I don't know about."

My heart sank

"And this is what you do for a little attention? To take the focus off your sister?" She tutted. "Shame on you Riley Jo."

What? "Are you saying I asked for this?" My jaw dropped. "For someone to hurt me?"

"I already spoke with the deputy; he tells me you can't remember." Her perfectly manicured hand waved over me. "And I can't believe you're accusing poor Clay Henderson of having a hand in whatever happened to you." She huffed. "I told him you lied about Cooper for attention and no doubt this will be all lies too."

Fighting tears, I swallowed hard. Was nothing in this godforsaken town private? Well, I didn't have to sit and listen to this.

"Please leave."

Her eyes narrowed as her lips formed a thin line. "Oh, don't worry child, I'll be leaving soon enough." She walked around the bed, her voice dipping, and I could have sworn the temperature dropped. "A little birdie told me you were pregnant." Her eyes shone with disdain. But still I refused to speak.

Sadly, this didn't deter her as she leaned over, pushing my hair away from my face as her cold finger slipped under my chin, tilting it up. One might think she actually cared. But I knew better. I swatted her hand away. "I asked you to leave."

"God has a way of fixing our mistakes, Riley Jo."

My heart stuttered to a stop as I sucked in a shocked breath. Over the years my mama had said some cruel things. Things no child should hear. But those words hurt more than all of them put together.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Mama, are you saying losing my baby was God's way of fixing my mistake—for getting pregnant?"

"Mercy Jane Lockwood. You better walk your behind right out of this room."

Through my haze of tears, I heard my Nana's voice.

My mama stood straighter, flicking her long blonde hair from her shoulder. "I'll be waiting to hear as soon as you're discharged from my hospital that you've caught the first bus out, heading back to the cesspit you call a home and causing no more trouble here in Lockwood?"

She didn't wait for a reply as she turned and flounced out of the room, barely sparing my nana a glance.

My nana hurried to my side, pulling me into her arms in a matter of seconds. "Oh, sweet child. Let it out."

She held me, rocking me whilst unrelenting emotions slammed into me as if a trigger had been pulled.

"I know it hurts, child."

I doubted anyone would understand just how much it hurt.