Penelope Cross woke up on the ground with a sharp pain in her left wrist and on her backside. The wind was knocked out of her and it took a moment for it to even register that she wasn't where she was supposed to be.
She had been in an operating room about to receive surgery for her nearly-ruptured appendix. So where was she now?
With great effort, she craned her neck around. It was dark out and there were streetlamps dotted here and there but she didn't recognize this place at all. It seemed to be an apartment complex.
How had she ended up here? Where was Roman? He had been with her right up until the moment she was taken into the OR, fretting the entire time.
Penelope couldn't get up. She had to call for help but it took great effort to wrestle her phone out of her pocket. She wasn't even supposed to be wearing pants with pockets right now; she had been in a hospital gown!
