Ryan started talking again, “We doubled the amount of sedation we thought she would need, and she still woke up a little early. It doesn't affect her like anyone I’ve come across. It is fascinating. We applied the same concept to her pain killers. That is why she woke up screaming the first day. It is almost like her body simply absorbs the drugs. The wound is healing at the right pace, and as long as she rests, and we keep the pain killers on for the next three or four days she should be fine.”
Brandon clapped Ryan on the back, “Thank you doctor.”
Ryan nodded, “Of course.”
Brandon left the two of them.
“She is still in pain,” Jordan said after Brandon walked away.
Ryan nodded, “I have her on mild painkillers currently. If she refuses additional help, I won’t give her more.”
“She is being stubborn.”
“Maybe she feels like this is the one thing she has control over?
Jordan hadn’t considered that. He had to respect her decisions, even if he didn’t agree.
“I’ll go in and see her, she likes me,” Ryan said.
“I’d like you too if you removed a bullet from me.”
“Being a doctor has some advantages.”
Jordan watched from outside the room while Ryan walked in.
∆∆∆
“Kennedy?” she heard someone say. She turned and saw that Ryan had come back.
“Hey,” Kennedy said, wiping away her tears.
“Let me get you some tissues.” Ryan walked over to the cabinet and grabbed a box out.
“Thank you,” she said, blowing her nose. This caused her shoulder to ache. She cringed again.
“You know, taking drugs doesn’t show weakness,” Ryan said, taking a seat next to her.
“Drugs keep you from being yourself,” she countered.
“Sometimes, it allows you to be yourself too. Instead of focusing on the pain, you can focus on your life. You are going through a lot right now.”
“This feels so unbelievable.”
Ryan nodded.
“Every time Jordan answers a question, it just creates a new one,” Kennedy stated.
“I see,” Ryan said.
“That man kidnapped me!” Kennedy said.
“I suppose that is true.”
“Then he broke up with my boyfriend, talked to my mom! I didn’t even know that was possible. To top it off, I’ve been shot and can’t even leave this bed.”
“We could make it a bit homier in here for you,” Ryan said, as he glanced around the room. I suppose it is pretty dreary in here.
Kennedy cringed again, “Ok, I’ll take some drugs please.”
“I’ll set up a stronger base line. If I may ask, have you ever had surgery before?”
“Just my wisdom teeth removal.”
Ryan pushed on, “Did anything unusual happen?”
“Um...no,” Kennedy said suspiciously.
“I’ve been fascinated on how your body has responded to the sedation and pain killers.”
“In what way?” Kennedy asked, interested.
Ryan then proceeded to discuss his findings with her. Kennedy enjoyed Ryan’s enthusiasm. He kept talking about all the dosages he had given her and how she responded. The distraction was nice. In the end Kennedy didn’t have any answers for Ryan’s inquisitive mind. She explained how she didn’t take Tylenol or Advil because they never seemed to work, but that hardly satisfied him. He kept asking her all these questions, and she happily answered.
The drugs had helped her relax, and their conversation turned into other things. Talking to Ryan was easy, and he acted like he wanted to be there.
Right now, she just needed to accept her fate until she was well enough to escape. Maybe along the way she could figure out some information to pass to the good guys. Or maybe she would discover these were the good guys after all.
∆∆∆
Over an hour passed before Kennedy went back to sleep. Ryan then got up and met Jordan in the hall.
“Oh, she hates you,” Ryan laughed.
“Lucky me. How is she?”
“She finally relented to more drugs. I decided to put her on a higher dosage until tomorrow.”
“How long will she be in and out like this?”
“It takes time for the full sedation to wear off. But she has been a surprise every step of the way.
“Thanks Ryan.”
“No problem. Be careful with her,” Ryan cautioned again.
∆∆∆
This time, Kennedy slept through the night.
Opening her eyes, she remembered everything all over again. Why couldn’t she just escape into her dreams?
“How do you feel?” Jordan asked. He was sitting by her bed again.
“Not you again,” Kennedy said, rolling her eyes.
“Oh, come on, let me do something for you. How about some breakfast?” Jordan offered.
“I am hungry,” Kennedy relented, not wanting to fight him.
“Tell me what you want, I can get you anything.”
“A Denny’s grand slam,” she challenged.
“You got it,” Jordan said standing up and walking to the door.
“Wait,” Kennedy said as Jordan reached the door.
“What?” Jordan asked, turning back.
“Will you call Ryan?”
“Sure, I will call him on my way over,” Jordan said walking back towards the door.
A few minutes later Ryan walked in.
“Alright Kennedy, what can I do for you this morning?” Ryan asked reading the monitors.
“I can’t move my right arm,” she said.
“That is not good,” Ryan said, picking up her arm.
Kennedy held in the pain from her shoulder as Ryan checked her arm.
“Sorry,” he said, setting her arm back down.
“How bad is it?”
“I think the drugs somehow settled in your right arm. Let's get you on your other side and see if that helps. Also, I’ll lower the dosage.”
“That doesn’t sound bad,” Kennedy said, as she moved over onto her left side.
“No, hopefully an easy fix.”
“Next time just push this button,” Ryan said pointing to the button located to the right of the bed.
“Right,” Kennedy said, “Thank you.”
“Mind if I check your shoulder while I’m here?”
Kennedy shook her head.
Jordan walked back in carrying a plate full of pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, toast and orange juice.
“I wasn’t sure if you liked bacon or sausage,” Jordan said.
“Both are great.”
“Maybe take it easy,” Ryan suggested.
Ryan finished his checkup and the redressing of Kennedy’s wound.
Kennedy started to feel her fingers again and she lifted her hand.
“Are you doing fine now?” Ryan asked before leaving.
“Yes,” Kennedy said, grabbing some bacon.
“Thanks Ryan,” Jordan said as Ryan walked out.
“I’ll check back in a little,” Ryan said, closing the door.
“This is very good,” Kennedy complimented as she downed half the plate.
“Do you want some more?”
“No, I think I am full. Now what am I going to do?”
“Whatever you want to do,” Jordan said, leaning back in the chair and putting his hands behind his head.
“I would like to leave.”
“Ok, except that,” Jordan corrected himself. “Why don't you give us a chance? We are simply trying to help you.”
“How do I know that it wasn't one of your bullets that hit me?” Kennedy asked coldly.
Jordan hadn't even thought of that. “I guess you don't.”
“You are going to be here the whole time?”
“Except for when I go to sleep at night, but don’t worry I have a team watching you from that camera at night,” Jordan said pointing to a camera i
n the corner. “So, what can I get for you?”
“I can have whatever I want?”
“Mostly,” Jordan said confidently.
Kennedy considered her options for a while, “Okay, I’ll take the TV you offered, some books, and maybe some chick flicks. How about some snacks?”
“No problem, what can I get you for right now?” Jordan said, reaching for his phone to make the call.
“Chick flick,” Kennedy said. This could be a vacation if she had the right mindset. It was all temporary she kept telling herself.
“Any one in particular?” Jordan asked.
“You might want to get a dozen or more.”
“Right away,” Jordan said, pressing a button and speaking a couple words.
He slammed his phone shut and put it back in his pocket. “Give it twenty minutes.”
“Thank you,” Kennedy said truthfully.
“Glad to know we are on better terms.”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
Although Kennedy didn’t like being forced to stay in an undisclosed location or shot. At least she wasn’t alone. But maybe alone was better than with a kidnapper. Jordan described their intentions, but what happened back at school left a bad taste in her mouth.
Just like Jordan had promised, the giant 50’ TV and two dozen chick flicks arrived within twenty minutes. Kennedy picked the first one off the stack and got started.
∆∆∆
“Strong Bones reported in,” a man said walking into Dustin’s office.
“Excellent,” Dustin said, getting up. “How is our inside man doing?”
“Very well, the woman is being treated and is healing well. Have you told Taylor about the gunshot?”
Dustin looked down at the written report the man handed him, “No, he would storm the complex himself if he knew. What else can you tell me?”
“So far they haven’t pushed anything, but Strong Bones doesn’t know how long that is going to last.”
“Have Strong Bones postpone anything he can.”
The man responded, “Of course.”
Dustin considered this, “How is she adjusting?”
“Considering the situation, very well. I fear that she might get close to one of the men assigned to work with her.”
“Right,” Dustin said, continuing to read the report. “They are exploiting her emotions to their benefit.”
“Exactly,” the man said worried.
“Where does that leave us?”
“We have a team putting together some plans. You know, it might be good to leave her in there.”
Dustin put down the report, “What do you mean?”
“The longer we wait, the more intel she’ll acquire from the company.”
“That would be nice, but our main objective is her safety. Plus, we already have Strong Bones. When will she be safe to transport?” Dustin asked.
“Strong Bones claims that it could be three weeks.”
“Not good, I did not plan on leaving her in that long.” Dustin exclaimed frustrated by the situation.
“Yes, that is where we are struggling too.”
“Who is going in?”
“Who else?” the man replied knowing Dustin would know the answer.
“Taylor?”
“Right,” the man said.
“Great,” Dustin said. “Don’t we have any other options?”
“Yes, but this is his mission, and the most experienced.”
Dustin knew Taylor very well. Being so involved often gave Taylor emotional attachment to the case, but he also had strong ethics. Which meant that having a woman in enemy territory was unacceptable. On the other hand, Dustin’s style was more laid back; he also analyzed situations before jumping in.
“I suppose you are right,” Dustin relented. “Do not tell Taylor anything. He can come to me and I will tell him what I want him to know.”
“Do you think withholding information is wise?”
“If you knew Taylor like I did, you would agree.”
“Right sir,” the man said, not pushing the issue. “Anything else I can do for you?”
“This report is great. Let me know if there are any developments with Strong Bones.”
“Of course,” the man said, leaving Dustin to his own thoughts.
“Oh boy,” Dustin said before returning to the report.
∆∆∆
Chapter 4
D 00100
Over the next week, each day passed by like clockwork. Kennedy would wake up around 8 a.m. welcomed by Ryan. He would redress her bandages, make some notes on a clipboard, and say some cheery remarks before leaving. Jordan would walk in with breakfast, and then Kennedy would read a novel until lunch. The afternoon then consisted of another checkup from Ryan, chick flicks, Kennedy’s art attempt with paint by numbers, and some small talk. Since Jordan couldn’t really discuss most of his personal life, they talked a lot about Kennedy’s. Finally, there would be dinner, dessert, a final checkup from Ryan and a game or another movie.
Ryan said that Kennedy was healing quickly, but Kennedy was still in pain, and continued to rely on drugs. She felt frustrated, despite Ryan reassurances that this was all normal. She used her arm sparingly, but it mostly hung in the sling.
Kennedy hadn’t forgotten about her friends, family, school, or Cole. Every time she asked questions, Jordan turned her down and claimed it was a security issue. Instead, she tried to suppress all her emotions and focus on trying to get better. The faster she got better, the faster she could get back to her old life. She didn’t view Jordan as her enemy anymore. He clearly cared about her. But she didn’t know if he cared for her as a person, or for his job. All this time together had been fine, but she still held a lot back. She didn’t trust him.
∆∆∆
Jordan had been enjoying this time. What could be a better job than entertaining a beautiful woman? He was surprised at how easily they had connected. At least, after she stopped hating him. In all his life he had never met someone where everything was so easy. In fact, he had even shocked himself with how much he found himself thinking about her and caring for her. It didn’t bother him one bit that he was going to be stuck with Kennedy, not one bit.
Over the week he had uncovered many of her qualities. She was an early bird and appreciated straightforwardness and promptness. Her favorite food was cheesecake with truffles, and she liked to go swimming. Growing up in California she spent most of her childhood with friends on the beach. She also loved animals, and had a dog named Oreo. Currently she studied psychology and was in her second year at college.
One afternoon while playing a game, Kennedy asked a question.
“Jordan, when you said there is something different about me, what did that mean?”
“I can answer that!” Brandon said walking into the room.
Jordan could tell Kennedy didn’t like Brandon. If he was being honest, Jordan didn’t care for him either. Most of the time, he was cold hearted and only cared about results. Never did he ask how Kennedy felt. He was an old military man who tormented everyone and compared everything to his war service. Sometimes Brandon even said mean jokes at her expense.
“There are several things wrong with you,” Brandon continued. “We just need to figure it out so that we can move on. How long have you sat here and done nothing on our medical expenses?”
“I don’t know,” Kennedy said humbly.
“Jordan a word?” Brandon said, focusing back to Jordan.
“Right away sir,” Jordan said standing and walking out the door.
“What is taking so long?” Brandon asked as soon as the door was closed.
“A gunshot wound takes a long time to heal.”
“Ha, you don’t even know what that feels like do you?”
“No sir,” Jordan said.
“Well I do, I went back to war in a week. Do you hear me son? I need results and soon. What can you do for me?”
“I don’t think there is anything I can d
o sir,” Jordan said, his tone raising. “I can’t speed up her healing and you are screwing up my mission.”
“Hardly, I’m adding fuel,” Brandon said jokingly.
“I see,” Jordan said, keeping his voice down.
“Keep it simple man and just go for it. Keep me updated, I need results.”
“Good advice, anything else sir?”
Brandon paused, “No nothing else, just know that I will be watching you.”
“Of course, sir,” Jordan said as Brandon walked away back to his office.
Taking a couple breaths to calm down, Jordan then walked back into Kennedy’s room.
“Sorry about that,” Jordan said while walking back into the room.
“Don’t worry about it,” she replied, but Jordan knew Brandon had offended her. He was trying to create and foster a positive relationship; Brandon was not helping that cause.
“I think something happened in the military he isn’t telling us,” Jordan said, trying to cut the tension.
“That could explain his attitude,” Kennedy considered.
“But getting back to your original question, no, we are not referring to a default that you have, but the opposite. Kennedy, what if there is something different about you that makes you special? It might be something unique. Maybe even supernatural?”
Kennedy looked confused. “You think that I am some kind of superhero?”
Jordan was having a difficult time explaining this and could see Kennedy was uncomfortable.
“Think of it more like an enhanced ability, like speed reading, or acute eyesight. It might not change the world but benefit an organization.”
“Well I would love to help you, but I can assure you that there is nothing different or special about me. I am twenty years old and know myself pretty well by now.”
“This may be true, but have you ever considered that your normal might not be normal to everyone else? What if you had something special all along, but assumed that everyone else did too? This is where your ability might be. It could be something that you do every day, but never realized.”
∆∆∆
This boggled Kennedy’s mind. Could it be true that something she did like walking, reading, or swimming had a relation to a special ability? Kennedy began to relive her life in seconds. Of course, she was never going to be able to identify the ability, if it was something like Jordan had been describing. She was eager to figure out if this was all true.
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