Spying a chair in the corner of the room, she lifted it and placed it next to the bed. Sitting down, she was not sure what to say and fumbled with her hands, feeling awkward as the doctor stood in the doorway.
“How often does my husband visit?” Ella asked out of curiosity.
“At least once a day. He checks to see if there is any change and speaks with him for a short while before he leaves.”
Sighing, her curiosity increased as she wondered what Marcus could possibly say to this stranger. Perhaps he was simply fulfilling his role of leader of Orion, wanting this man to wake up to interrogate him about the Morrigan. Whatever his reasons, something drove him to visit, and she knew she played a part in those reasons.
“Most family members feel unsure what to do when they first visit their loved one.”
Hearing his words, she sat up straight and tensed her shoulders. “He’s not family, nor a loved one,” she said abruptly, fed up with the doctor’s insinuations. The man didn’t know the first thing about her or her so-called brother. Blood didn’t make them family, and she wondered whether visiting was a good idea.
“Dear me, this isn’t going well at all. I do apologize. Marcus said he was your brother, and seeing your twin I assumed the rest, forgive me.”
Twin. Impossible.
Ella shook her head , she had been led to believe her brother was older, not her twin. Closing her eyes as the information swirled around. That still did not make him family. But Doctor Stevenson had no idea of that. She offered a tentative smile, trying to ease the cloying awkwardness in the room.
“We’ve been through a lot these last few months, and I’m not myself right now. I’m not usually so snarky. I’m sorry.”
The doctor nodded. “Grief and stress will do that to a person. My door is always open should you want to come and talk.”
Ella frowned, unsure now whether Marcus had confided in the man about her miscarriage or whether he was referring to Elizabeth and Steel. There had been too much death. Either way, he was right. She was grieving, even if she couldn’t quite express that.
“I’ll give you some privacy. Just tell him about your day…that’s what most people do.”
Returning her attention to Issac, she couldn’t help but be drawn to the similarities between them, noting the slim nose and wide mouth. His eyes were closed, but she imagined them blue like hers and with his short-cropped hair, the resemblance to herself was striking. Whereas she was slim, he was broad. His muscles were lean and taut. Lying prone as he was, she guessed him to be around the same height as Marcus. Sitting forward in the chair, paying close attention that she didn’t touch him, she picked at the white sheet, and started.
“You won’t know who I am, but my name is Ella.” She tilted her head to the side, watching as the doctor left her alone. The machine beeped and she returned to watch her brother. No response, no change on the machines at all. Satisfied she was alone, she introduced herself.
“Hm, like I said, I’m Ella. I used to be Ella Masters, but now that I’m married, my name is Ella Drayton. I’ve been led to believe you’re my brother, which is odd as I never knew I had one. My parents were Melissa and Jack Masters.” As Ella remembered her parents, what struck her was how exceptionally ordinary they were. She swiped her damp cheeks and closed her eyes briefly, thinking back over her loving childhood until the monitor beeped at a quicker pace. Opening her eyes, she stared ahead at the pale man still asleep. Nothing had changed. She glanced at the heart monitor, which beeped along at ninety-five beats. As she continued, his heart rate galloped to over a hundred beats. Her voice affected him. The minute she stopped speaking, his heart rate slowed to a normal rate. Excited she held some influence over him, she rushed ahead.
“You better wake up. I need to understand who you are. Wake up, Issac. I need the truth.”
Unable to stop herself, Ella grabbed his shoulders, instantly feeling the burn of electricity shoot through her veins, shocking her. But she gripped him tighter, pushing away the onslaught of pain, and shook him by the shoulders. The machine went crazy, setting off the alarms.
“Wake up, damn you. We need answers and I know you have them.”
Footsteps pattered around her. “Mrs. Drayton, what are you doing?”
Ignoring the doctor, she dug her nails in Issac’s shoulders, trying to reach him. To wake him up, as if her touch would be able to do that. “Wake up…I know you can hear me.”
“Ella, stop it. You’re killing him. Is that what you want?”
The doctor placed his hand on her wrist, and she slid her focus to the machines, watching the heart rate accelerate. His heart wouldn’t be able to carry on at this pace; she let go, releasing him. Jumping out of the chair, she crossed her arms to stop the burning in her fingertips.
“This man is working with a woman who has no regard for life whatsoever. The Morrigan kills anyone who stands in her way. She toys with them. He doesn’t deserve your pity. We need to discover what he knows,” she shouted.
The doctor replaced several of the leads that had become dislodged and tidied the sheet, checking the machine. He stepped back and altered the saline infusion, walking closer to her with a stern look on his face and pointing his finger at her.
“Don’t ever behave that way again, young lady. He’s my patient and if I believe you’re putting him in danger, I’ll have you removed. Be
