‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
115
It was long after dark by the time Nate was convinced to take his leave. He reassured Taylor that he wouldn’t be far away, opting to sleep in the truck for the night. Taylor was making a difficult trip to the bathroom with help from a nurse to keep the IV out of the way when on his return trip he felt someone touch his arm.
“Taylor?”
He flinched as the name left her lips, turning to see a slight Mexican girl in a nurse’s uniform. He was aware that Nate had checked him in under a false name, though he couldn’t quite remember what it was.
“Oh my gosh,” she covered her mouth with her hand, “I’ve been a fan since- What are you doing in Mexico?”
Taylor quickly hushed her, pulling her aside. He didn’t trust Nate not to at least try and sneak back in at some point in the night.
“What happened to you?” the nurse frowned, “are you okay?”
“I need you to leave,” Taylor said to her seriously.
“Oh,” she looked taken aback, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend-“
“No, you don’t understand,” Taylor insisted, “I need you to leave the hospital, and not come back. For at least a few days. He can’t know that you’re here.”
“Who?” she began to look frightened as Taylor kept an eye out.
He froze as he saw shadows moving in the distance.
“I need you to tell them where I am. Can you do that?” he ignored her questions.
“You’re scaring me,” she admitted, putting a hand to her chest for emphasis.
“I know, and I’m sorry,” Taylor gave her an apologetic look, “but please, you’re the only chance I’ve got. And if he finds out you know who I am, he could kill everyone in this hospital.”
The girl looked at him wide eyed, and he instantly regretted his decision to confide in her. He just didn’t see what other choice he had – she’d recognised him after all.
“Please, I need you to go,” he reiterated.
“Who am I supposed to tell?” she looked confused.
“Anyone,” Taylor shook his head, “my brothers will find you.”
His head shot up as he heard footsteps in the hall.
“Go! Run!” he exclaimed in a hushed whisper, before turning to head back to his bed.
The girl watched him for a moment, before slipping back into the hallway. He heard her pass the other footsteps without incident and sighed thankfully. When he heard them arrive at the doorway he looked up to see one of the doctors passing by.
He shakily ran his fingers through his hair as he returned to the bed, carefully setting the IV line aside so that he could get in. At least he didn’t feel so sick anymore. If someone came for him he was confident he’d now be able to move.
He’d barely closed his eyes in an effort to get back to sleep when he felt someone’s presence nearby. When he opened his eyes he jumped when he saw Nate standing over him.
“What are you doing here?” he caught his breath.
“I got worried,” Nate admitted, before Taylor noticed something in his hands.
Cable ties.
“Nate I’m not going anywhere,” he tried to reassure him, “I just need recovery time.”
“I don’t know if I should take your word for it,” Nate fidgeted nervously.
“Taylor?”
He flinched as the name left her lips, turning to see a slight Mexican girl in a nurse’s uniform. He was aware that Nate had checked him in under a false name, though he couldn’t quite remember what it was.
“Oh my gosh,” she covered her mouth with her hand, “I’ve been a fan since- What are you doing in Mexico?”
Taylor quickly hushed her, pulling her aside. He didn’t trust Nate not to at least try and sneak back in at some point in the night.
“What happened to you?” the nurse frowned, “are you okay?”
“I need you to leave,” Taylor said to her seriously.
“Oh,” she looked taken aback, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend-“
“No, you don’t understand,” Taylor insisted, “I need you to leave the hospital, and not come back. For at least a few days. He can’t know that you’re here.”
“Who?” she began to look frightened as Taylor kept an eye out.
He froze as he saw shadows moving in the distance.
“I need you to tell them where I am. Can you do that?” he ignored her questions.
“You’re scaring me,” she admitted, putting a hand to her chest for emphasis.
“I know, and I’m sorry,” Taylor gave her an apologetic look, “but please, you’re the only chance I’ve got. And if he finds out you know who I am, he could kill everyone in this hospital.”
The girl looked at him wide eyed, and he instantly regretted his decision to confide in her. He just didn’t see what other choice he had – she’d recognised him after all.
“Please, I need you to go,” he reiterated.
“Who am I supposed to tell?” she looked confused.
“Anyone,” Taylor shook his head, “my brothers will find you.”
His head shot up as he heard footsteps in the hall.
“Go! Run!” he exclaimed in a hushed whisper, before turning to head back to his bed.
The girl watched him for a moment, before slipping back into the hallway. He heard her pass the other footsteps without incident and sighed thankfully. When he heard them arrive at the doorway he looked up to see one of the doctors passing by.
He shakily ran his fingers through his hair as he returned to the bed, carefully setting the IV line aside so that he could get in. At least he didn’t feel so sick anymore. If someone came for him he was confident he’d now be able to move.
He’d barely closed his eyes in an effort to get back to sleep when he felt someone’s presence nearby. When he opened his eyes he jumped when he saw Nate standing over him.
“What are you doing here?” he caught his breath.
“I got worried,” Nate admitted, before Taylor noticed something in his hands.
Cable ties.
“Nate I’m not going anywhere,” he tried to reassure him, “I just need recovery time.”
“I don’t know if I should take your word for it,” Nate fidgeted nervously.