Broken Bear Read Online Free Page A

agreement.
    “Very well,” he said. “Come with me.”
    The women entered along with Dr. Wilson. As they did, Daniella saw that a nurse stood to the side of the man’s bed. A bandage covered his head while a handful of tubes connected him to an array of equipment.
    Drawn shades made stranger’s room seem more ominous.
    The only sounds audible were the tedious beeps of the vital sign monitoring equipment. When she’d first become acquainted with those noises, she took solace in them. She once believed, in a naïve way, that the machines and tubes could perform miracles. But now, the mere sight of them filled her with dread. Daniella was aware that if nature wanted to extinguish life, it would.
    Dr. Wilson turned towards the women.
    In a soft voice he said, “He’s sedated at the moment but all the same, it’s best to keep the environment as restful as possible.”
    Daniella nodded and leaned in towards the doctor.
    “How long do you think he will be unconscious?” she asked.
    “That’s hard to say.” He replied. “As I mentioned earlier, his recovery so far has been nothing short of remarkable but even so, it could be hours or perhaps, days. Excuse me for a moment.”
    Dr. Wilson walked over to where the nurse stood. They began to have a discussion that was out of earshot for Daniella and Tricia. As they looked on, Tricia leaned in towards Daniella and said, “Pretty incredible that he lived, isn’t it?”
    “Yeah,” Daniella replied. “That’s especially true considering the severity of the accident.”
    “This reminds me so much of Benjamin, it’s eerie.” Tricia said.
    Daniella turned towards her to see that Tricia looked at her.
    “Oh God, I’m sorry,” she whispered. “It just slipped out.”
    Daniella shook her head.
    “It’s okay,” she replied. “Just keep that stuff to yourself, please.”
    Tricia nodded and said, “How long do you want to stay?”
    Daniella shrugged at the question while her eyes remained fixated on him.
    “I know we should go,” she replied. “But, I’d like to be here when he wakes up.”
    “Daniella,” Tricia said. “You heard what Dr. Wilson said. That could take days. Why don’t you go home and get rest?”
    “I dunno…” she replied.
    As the women spoke, there was a sudden movement and sound from the patient. He began to moan. It was low at first but as the seconds passed, the noise grew louder.
    Dr. Wilson motioned for the nurse to make certain that all of the monitoring equipment was secure while he moved close to the man to stabilize him. While they did, the man’s head started to move in a slow roll from one side to the other.
    “No, no, no…” he chanted.
    They reached down towards him and as they did, the man shouted, “Wyatt! Wyatt !!!”
    “Nurse!” Dr. Wilson exclaimed. “Secure that right arm!”
    “I’m trying,” she replied. “He’s too strong!”
    The doctor turned towards Daniella and Tricia.
    “Ladies, please!” he shouted. “We need your help!”
    Both women hurried to either side of the bed.
    “Grab his legs!” Dr. Wilson shouted at them. “Nurse, please watch that right arm!”
    “Wyatt! Wyatt! Wyatt!!” the man shouted as he flailed.
    The four of them struggled to get his limbs under control for five or ten seconds when all of sudden, he stopped and his body went limp.
    They looked at one another and back towards him when his eyes flipped open. Wordless, the stranger’s gaze moved amongst them all. He began with the nurse, moved to Dr. Wilson, next to Tricia and last, to Daniella.
    Dr. Wilson interrupted him.
    He held a small flashlight to the man’s pupils and said, “Sir, please. Try to relax. Don’t try to sit up. It’s important that you stay as still as possible. Nod if you understand.”
    The man nodded his head in agreement.
    “My head…” he moaned.
    Dr. Wilson continued, “Yes… You’ve sustained a severe concussion, some cracked ribs and a bruised hip. If the police report of the accident is