thing. The only way out was to keep going. She blinked again and then clambered to her feet. Shivers crawled up her spine, and she wrapped her arms around her middle. Warily peering into the gloom for any more of Mother Nature's ambushes, she doggedly put one foot in front of the other.
Hours of cold, lonely progress later, she stumbled out of the smothering thicket of trees and onto a highway. The long ribbon of asphalt loomed black and empty. On a guess, she turned right and kept trudging, praying she was headed toward a town.
Her plodding steps in tandem with her pounding head, she trudged along the gravel shoulder. She'd quit humming hours before. Her pinched, empty stomach grumbled in the silence. The pale morning sun peeked over the horizon, weaving golden strands through pink-and-lavender clouds. Another round of shivers rattled through her and she hunched over, too forlorn to appreciate the beauty. The unexpected rumble of an engine behind her sent her spirits soaring. She whirled and waved, but the car sped past. Sharp disappointment speared through her. Her despair deepened when she saw the taillights of a green sedan. Why had she expected a gray Jag?
The miles dragged by in an icy-cold blur before she finally spotted a weigh station with an Oregon State Patrol car parked in the turnaround. Her knees weak with relief, she staggered toward the welcome sight.
A tall, square-jawed trooper jumped out and helped her to the car. "Sit down, ma'am." He opened the back door. Shaking, she sank onto the seat. He squatted down. "What happened?"
"I'm Tessa Beaumont. I was … kidnapped yesterday during a bank robbery in Riverside."
The officer studied her forehead. "Did the perpetrator assault you?"
Tessa drew a ragged breath. "No. Please take me home."
"You were in the woods all night?"
At her nod, he rose and walked away. The car bounced as the trunk popped open. In seconds, he returned with a foil blanket. "There's a small hospital in Forreston, ten minutes away."
"No hospital. If you can't take me home, please call a cab."
The cop patted her hand. "After the doctor checks you out." He climbed into the front seat. The engine rumbled and flashing blue lights reflected off the car's hood. She huddled into the blanket, her teeth chattering.
Before long, he hustled her into the hospital. Ignoring her objections, a burly nurse stripped off Tessa's damp suit and underwear and strong-armed her into a hospital gown. Draped in a white blanket, she perched on the exam table, her uncontrollable trembling making the paper covering crackle.
The door swung open, giving her a whiff of the sharp, medicinal smell from the hall. A tall doctor with salt-and-pepper hair strode into the room. He wheeled a stool to the exam table and sat down. "I'm Dr. Maxwell." His kind hazel gaze studied her. "I understand you've been through quite an ordeal. Would you like to tell me about it?"
"I'm cold, that's all. I'm going home." She tried to climb off the table, but her wobbly limbs refused to obey.
"Not the best idea, Miss Beaumont. You've sustained a head injury. You're weak and shaky because you're suffering from hypothermia." The doctor probed at the knot on her head, flashed a bright light in her eyes and asked questions about double vision and nausea. "The laceration on your forehead isn't serious, but you do have a concussion. We'll take a CAT scan and keep you overnight for observation." He glanced at his clipboard. "The nurse said your clothes were disheveled and torn. Did your abductor sexually assault you?"
Tessa jerked upright, a gasp bursting out of her. "No!"
Doctor Maxwell's bushy brows pinched in a concerned frown. "Don't be afraid to tell me the truth, Miss Beaumont. There's nothing to be ashamed of, and your life could be at stake. There are diseases—"
Dizziness washed over her and the room whirled. "He didn't even hint at anything like that! My suit got ruined when I ran through the woods."
"You're in shock." He patted her hand. "Completely understandable considering the circumstances. Will you consent to a thorough exam and lab tests?"
"You're not hearing what I'm saying. There's no need." She ordered her weak, trembling body to climb down, but couldn't summon the strength. "He listened to me better than this."
"You've suffered a blow to the head combined with a traumatic event. But don't you worry about a thing; we'll take good care of you. I'll send the nurse in with an IV." The doctor again patted her hand.