Hard Choices
      Chapter 13
 

Danny woke up in a dark room. This wasn’t right, it was never dark in the hospital … there should’ve been lights, noises, nurses bustling in to check his various vital functions.

The pain in his side was tremendous, throbbing. He tried to shift his weight using his left hand and found that his hands, both of them, were bound to the bed railings.

“What the hell?” Danny wondered aloud.

“Oh, good, you’re awake.”

Theresa. Danny struggled to rise from the bed, but was thwarted by pain and restrains.

“Where’s Michelle? Theresa, if you’ve hurt her, I swear I’ll –”

Theresa clicked on a lamp. She was seated by the bed, wearing a tight red dress and an angry expression. “You’ll what, Danny? I don’t think you’re in any position to be threatening me right now. Besides, Michelle’s fine, as far as I know. She really isn’t my concern. Or yours. This is just between you and me.”

Danny looked around the room. It was completely unfamiliar to him. There were no windows and one door, which appeared to be metal and was armed with several deadbolt locks.

“Where are we? What do you think you’re doing, Theresa?”

Theresa smiled. “I spending a little quality time with my fiancée. We have a lot to talk about, Danny, and now we have all the time in the world to do it.”

Michelle stared at the thick glass window in front of her. She’d never been on this side of the glass. Just being here, at the prison, made her feel sick to her stomach. It was much worse than visiting Drew at the Springfield PD holding cell the night before; this was the place where she’d lived her very darkest hours.

Or so it had seemed at the time. At least then, she’d known Danny was safe, even though she couldn’t be with him. Now she had no idea if he was dead or alive, or if she’d ever see him again.

The prisoner she’d been waiting to see was led to the chair opposite her. Michelle picked up the phone, and the prisoner did the same.

“Carmen, I need your help.”