Starr Destined (Starr Series) (17 page)

I glanced over at Jamie.

“I’m fine, just go to Sera,” he urged me, and now that I knew my brother was basically fine, I didn't hesitate, glad to finally be allowed to see Sera.

“Do we know what she was actually drugged with yet? Was it some sort of date rape drug?”  I asked, as I hurried along the corridor after the nurse.

“We don't know for certain, but if I had to guess, I’d say it was most likely a heavy dose of GHB - we’ve treated quite a few girls who’ve been doped with that recently.  We’ve taken a blood sample for testing, and the police are already on the case, but your girlfriend is in no fit state to be interviewed yet.  Just wait here - the doctor wants a quick word with you before you go in.”

I waited by the door as a short, dark haired guy, no white coat or anything to denote he was a do
ctor, apart from the stethoscope around his neck, came out of the room.  He only looked about fifteen to me, but I guessed I just had to trust he knew what he was doing, even though he looked even younger than Jamie.

“I’m Doctor Woodham, and I’m responsible for Seraphina’s care while she’s in CDU.  I take it you’re the boyfriend, Liam?”

“Yes, that’s right.  How is she?”

“Better than she was, thankfully.  I think the fact that apparently she was only drinking orange juice at the club has helped her condition a lot.  Alcohol combined with whatever she’s been given would have made her symptoms even more severe than they were.  That, and the fact that she got to us pretty quickly mean I’m confident she should make a full recovery, although it will probably take several days for her to feel completely back to her usual self  - physically anyway.  You can go in and see her now.  Just talk quietly to her, and hopefully she’ll register that you’re here and that’ll help her to feel calmer.  Just remember that she’s disorientated and scared and confused, as well as probably being less inhibited than usual - all common side effects of the type of drug we suspect she’s been given, so don't be shocked by how she might act or things she might say.  She won’t remember any of this tomorrow, which she’ll probably find upsetting, although she may experience some flashbacks.  Victims like her often find the loss of memory the worst thing, because it means they have no idea what could have been done to them in those missing hours.  From what I understand, your brother intervened before the abductor got very far with her, so hopefully she’ll find that rea
ssuring,” he explained, as he ushered me into the room.

I took a deep breath when I saw Sera.  She looked so vulnerable and small and helpless, dressed in a hospital gown as she lay on the bed, with a monitor clipped to her finger, leads stuck to her chest, and a drip in her arm.  Then she started fighting the nurse who was trying to check her temperature.

“Geroff me,” she slurred.  “Fuck off.  Don’t touch me...  Liam…  I only want Liam…”

“Seraphina, I need you to calm down and listen to me,” the nurse was saying.  “You’re in hospital and you’re safe, but we need to check you to make sure you get better.”

The rotund, grey haired and middle-aged nurse glanced up at me as I approached the bed, and smiled as she made space for me next to Sera.  Maura O’Hara, her nametag stated.  Well, at least Maura seemed more experienced, which gave me a little more confidence than the boy doctor did.

“Hey Angel, it’s okay, I’m here.”  I took hold of Sera’s hand and gently brushed her hair from her face.  I kept my voice calm and quiet, but inside I felt this raging fury that someone had done this to her.

“Liam?  Is that really you?”  Her beautiful green eyes seemed glazed as she frowned and tried to focus on me.

“Sure it’s me.  I’ve come to take care of you.”  I squeezed her hand.  “Just try to rest until you feel better.”

“Liam!  It is you.  My Liam.”  Sera sat up and flung her arms round my neck, clinging tightly to me.  I sat on the edge of the bed and carefully wrapped her up in my arms, mindful of the wires and the drip, gently rocking her and murmuring reassuringly in her ear.

“It’s alright, my sweet girl.  I’ve got you.  You’re safe.  I’m here.  I’m going to look after you,” I kept telling her over and over.

“It was him.  It was him.  It was him,” Sera sobbed, so I knew she must have recognised who’d tried to abduct her, and that could mean only one person.  How or why Scott Franklin had been at the same club as Sera, I had no idea, but it had to have been him.

“Sshh now.  He’s gone.  He can't get to you.  I’ll take care of you.  I promise you’ll be safe,” I quietly murmured.  Gradually the sobbing subsided as Sera started relaxing in my arms.  Maura the nurse, who’d been watching from the side as she filled in some forms, smiled and gave me a thumbs up.

“That’s great, keep it up,”
she mouthed at me.

“Mmm, this is nice.  You feel nice.  You always feel nice,” Sera mumbled as she snuggled against my chest.

“You feel nice too, Angel.”  I stroked her silky hair - even though I didn't really like it being so straight instead of her usual wild curls, it still felt lovely to touch. 

“I love you, Liam.  Really, I do.  Lots.  I love, love, love you,” she sighed drowsily.

“I love you too, Sera.”  I smiled, amused by her uninhibited declaration.

“You’re soooo sssexy, you know that?”  Sera slurred, as she lifted her head and grinned at me, and then started sliding her hands round to fondle my backside.  “You have such a great sssexy bum,” she giggled.

Nurse Maura looked over again and I saw her chuckling to herself.  No doubt she’d seen and heard far worse over the years.

“Well, that’s good to know,” I said, as I moved Sera’s hands away, only for her to start fumbling with the zip of my jeans.

“I want you, Leeaamm.  My big sssexy loverrr boy,” she giggled.  “I wanna fuck with you.”

“Not right now, Sera.  When you’re feeling better.”  Christ, her hands were all over me, and I had a job getting hold of her arms to gently restrain her.

“Wasamatter? You don't wanna fuck with me?  You don’t want me?”  Sera wailed, as she started crying again.

“Hush now, of course I want you, but you’re not well at the moment.  Just try to relax and get some rest.”  I tried hugging her again, but she started fighting against me.

“You’re not Liam.  Gerroff me.”

“It is me, Angel.  It’s Liam.  Just calm down, sweetheart.”

“I feel sick.  I’m gonna be sick,” she suddenly groaned, as the nurse grabbed a grey cardboard sick bowl and shoved it at me just in time for Sera to start puking her guts into it.

“Isn’t there an antidote you can give her?  Something, anything, to help her?”  I pleaded as I rubbed her back, while we waited for the heaving waves of sickness to pass.  She’d got nothing left to bring up, but her stomach kept trying anyway.

“Sorry, no there isn’t.  It’s just a case of waiting for the drug to pass out of her system.  She’ll be over the worst of it by the morning, and then she’ll just be left with a terrible hangover.  But she’s lucky.  At least she’s somewhere safe and secure while she’s suffering the full effects of the drug.  It could have been a whole lot worse for her, as I’m sure you’re only too aware.”

“Yes, and believe me, I intend to make sure whoever spiked her drink pays for doing this to her,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Well, the police are involved and will want to interview Seraphina as soon as she’s well enough.  We’ve kept all her clothes for evidence, and then there’s the blood and urine samples, so hopefully that’ll all help to secure a conviction.”

I just smiled at the nurse.  I would be speaking to my lawyer just as soon as I could so that every l
egal avenue was explored to ensure justice would be served.  However, I fully intended to come up with a contingency plan, just in case any vagaries of the system meant that the fucker who’d done this to my girl somehow managed to evade legal punishment.

Scott Franklin ought to be a very scared man right at this moment.

Jamie was allowed in for five minutes to see how Sera was before he left.  I felt bad that I wasn’t ta
king him home, but he understood that I had to stay by Sera’s side.

“Liam, believe it or not, I’m a big boy now, and I can manage without you.  Sera needs you here,” he said, as he looked at her while she slept.  

“Yeah, she’s been having a pretty rough time of it.  But you really saved the day, and I’m so proud of you.  Thank you for what you did for her.”

I gave my brother a hug, and clapped him on the back, much to his surprise I think.

“Argh,” he winced. 

I held him at arm’s length to see what the matter was.

“Bruised ribs,” he explained as he folded his arms protectively around his chest.

“You never said anything about that.  Are you sure they’re only bruised?”

“Yeah, don't worry, it’s all been checked out.  No big deal,” he assured me.

“Well, you make sure you go home and rest up.  I’ll call you later, to see how you are,” I frowned, just hoping he was telling me the whole story. 

“Okay, just tell Sera… just tell her I hope she feels better soon,” he glanced over at her as she stirred and mumbled incoherently.  “The police have interviewed me, and I told them everything I could.  They’ve also spoken to Toby and Abbey.  She had the presence of mind to go back and grab Sera’s glass - for evidence, you know?  So that should help to build a strong case.  At least they’ve got the fucker in custody.  I really hope they lock him up and throw away the key,” he said vehemently, clenching his fists at his side.

“You and me both, Jamie.  That was quick thinking on Abbey’s part.  Despite her ditzy appearance, she’s one smart cookie, isn’t she?  So, are you getting a taxi home?”

“Nah, the police said they’ll drop me back as they were going that way.  They dropped a hint that they already had some suspicions about dodgy goings on at that club, so I'm guessing maybe Sera isn’t the first victim connected to that place.  I got the impression they’re pretty chuffed that maybe this time they’ll have enough evidence to secure a conviction.”

A uniformed police officer wearing the obligatory Kevlar stab vest, loaded up with all the tools of his trade, appeared in the doorway.  He had cropped silver grey hair and a rather weary manner, along with big bags under his eyes.  I guessed that’s what working as a Met officer on a Saturday night did to you.

“We’d obviously like to speak to Miss Jones, but I’m told she’s not well enough to be interviewed yet,” he said, as he glanced over at her.  I saw his jaw tense, as he took in her totally defenceless state.  “We can come back in the morning before she’s discharged, or call on her at home.  But the sooner we speak to her the better, while things are still fresh in her mind, although chances are she’s not going to remember much,” he stated.

I considered what would be best for Sera.  Would it be best to get re-living her shocking experience over and done with before taking her home, or would it be less harrowing for her in more familiar surroundings?  I decided I didn't want to risk having to hang around the hospital any longer than necessary in the morning waiting for the police.

“I’ll be taking Sera home with me, so I’ll give you my contact details,” I told the police officer, as he got his notebook out.  He raised his eyebrows as I gave him my Butler’s Wharf penthouse address, and I saw the cogs in his brain turning as he mentally re-categorised me from just an average scruffy guy in jeans, to someone probably a lot more affluent than he first appeared.

“In that case it’ll be one of the team of detectives who’ll make contact, as we’ll be handing ever
ything over to them at the end of our shift.”  He snapped his notebook shut, and then turned his attention to Jamie.  “Come on then, let’s get you home.  And I hope the young lady makes a speedy recovery,” he nodded at me, as he glanced at Sera one final time before leaving. 

“Where am I?  What’s going on?”  Sera winced as she tried to sit up in bed.  “Shit, my head feels like it’s about to crack open.”  She fell back onto her pillows and flung her arm over her eyes.

“You’re okay, but you’re in hospital.  Do you remember anything about last night?”  I probed, as I gently squeezed her hand.  It had just gone eight o’clock on Sunday morning.  I felt pretty rough myself through worry and lack of sleep, but I knew it was nothing compared to how she must be feeling.

“Hospital?  Why?  Last night I was at the club… oh crap, I didn't tell you I was going there, did I?” she grimaced.

“So you remember going to the club? Anything else?”  I resisted asking why she’d sneaked out to the club without me for now - that could wait until later.

“Umm, I had a drink with Jamie, but then…  I’m not sure what happened after that.  It’s all a bit of a blur to be honest.  What happened?  Why am I in hospital, and why do I feel like death?”

“Your drink was spiked while you were at the club, Angel.  Luckily, Jamie took care of you and got you here to hospital.”  I kept the explanation simple for now, not wanting to freak her out by telling her how serious things had been.  I was glad I'd put the police off questioning her until later, as they would just have confused her even more right now.

“My drink was spiked?  But how… why…  I don't understand.”  She was obviously totally confused and bewildered, as she let her arm flop down to turn her gaze on me, searching my face for answers.