All of Nathaniel Monroe’s wounds had been treated, and he had been cleaned up. Having suddenly been moved from a dark basement into a bright, spacious hospital room, he was still having trouble adjusting.
He closed his eyes, a dull ache still throbbing in his head. After giving himself a moment to adapt, he heard the sound of the room’s door opening. When he opened his eyes, he saw a blond, blue-eyed man in a white lab coat walk in.
Seeing that he was awake, the man asked, "How are you feeling?"
Nathaniel furrowed his brow. "What are you guys trying to pull now?"
The doctor asked, "Do you know who you are?"
Nathaniel simply closed his eyes. He figured William Quinn was just trying to find a new way to torture him.
Seeing this, a knowing look flashed across the doctor’s eyes. He took out his phone and sent off a quick message.
Nathaniel raised his arm to test his physical condition. He realized that all of his injuries had been properly treated, and his fractured bones had been set and stabilized.
What on earth were they trying to do?
"Don’t be afraid, and don’t be nervous," the doctor said, stepping closer. "I’m just asking some very standard questions."
He pulled up a picture on his phone and held it in front of Nathaniel’s face. "Do you remember her?"
Nathaniel frowned at the screen. It was a photo of Iris Yates. Suddenly, the last scene he had witnessed before losing consciousness came rushing back to him. William Quinn had carried Iris away. To save Nathaniel’s life, she had agreed to stay by William’s side.
His gaze instantly turned sharp. "Where is she?!" he demanded harshly.
The doctor noted his reaction and nodded. "It seems you still remember."
He scribbled some notes on a clipboard, then swiped to another photo to show him. This time, it was a picture of Claire Monroe.
Impatience surfaced on Nathaniel’s face. "What the hell is your point?!"
The doctor jotted down a few more things before pulling up yet another photo and holding it up for him to see. This time, it was a picture of Walker Grant.
Nathaniel recognized all of them; he hadn’t forgotten anyone.
But this time, the doctor changed his line of questioning. "Do you remember when you last saw him?"
"None of your damn business!"
Despite his defensive outburst, Nathaniel’s mind subconsciously began to search for the answer. When exactly was the last time he had seen Walker? Why couldn’t he remember?
He racked his brain, but the effort only sent a sharp, agonizing stab of pain through his skull. He clutched his head with a groan.
Seeing this, the doctor smiled in satisfaction. He pulled up a chair, sat down, and continued, "Then how did you get here?"
Nathaniel was horrified to realize that he didn’t remember any of this at all! He only remembered that he was out looking for Iris, and the next thing he knew, he was inside William Quinn’s island manor. It was as if a massive chunk of his memory had simply vanished.
His chest tightened, and a wave of bewilderment and fear washed over him. What exactly had he forgotten?!
He shot a glare at the doctor. "Did you do something to me?"
The doctor held his hands up in surrender. "I didn’t do anything to you. A few days ago, you suffered a severe blow to the head. I was simply testing to see if you had suffered any memory loss. Obviously, you’ve forgotten a lot of things."
Nathaniel panted heavily, his face completely pale. Just then, the door to the hospital room opened again. He looked up to see William Quinn walk in.
Pure fury instantly contorted Nathaniel’s features. He lunged forward, desperate to tackle William, but his injuries were far too severe. He couldn’t even manage to pull himself up from the bed.