Free Wild Desert Princess by Debbie Deering Page B

habits.
    Throughout the afternoon and evening Chia slept fitfully. Dr. Khan left late and gave detailed instructions for the evening staff. If there was any change in Chia’s condition, he wanted to be called.
    Chia woke in the middle of the night. She needed to use the bathroom and refused to call the nurse to help her use that dratted bedpan. She slowly eased from the bed and walked into the bathroom. She was not as weak as she feared. Once she had tended to her needs, she moved to the door. The two guards moved to prevent her from leaving and Chia stopped in alarm.
    “Why are you here?”
    “Prince Jahan’s order,” the largest one rumbled. “Please go back inside, Princess.”
    “You mean I’m a prisoner?” Rage glittered in her green eyes.
    “Prince Jahan can explain it to you, Princess,” he insisted and gently, but firmly pushed her back inside her room.
    “Prince Jahan will never be able to explain this,” she grumbled and went back to her bed. She was furious. She absolutely refused to become so agitated that she would become incapacitated and need another sedative. She regulated her breathing until her muscles relaxed and then she knew no more until the doctor woke her up at six in the morning.
    Surprisingly, she had rested well and felt much like her old self. “Good morning Dr. Khan. How long have I been a prisoner?”
    Dr. Khan refused to lie to her. She needed someone she could trust to tell her the truth. “Jahan posted them after you were first brought here. One of the opposition placed a note on your pillow. He did it for your protection.”
    “Perhaps, but he did not tell me. He just made the decision without consulting with me.” She was so tired of being treated like a brainless twit.
    “He is a prince. He will protect what he considers his.” Dr. Khan shrugged his shoulders.
    “I don’t suppose I am well enough to be released?” She asked hopefully.
    “Actually, if you could find someplace you could go where you could rest and not have all the stress dumped on you, you could go today. Do you have someplace like that, Chia?”
    “My parents gave me my own apartment here in the city when I started to fight for some independence. I’ve only used it a couple of times. It would be perfect if they would leave me alone.”
    “I will speak with them later. Just don’t answer your door or phone for a few days. Now the first thing is to get you past your guards.”
    “How?”
    “You just leave it to me.” Dr. Khan called for the nurse to bring a wheel chair. Once she was in the room, he explained the plan. They’d wheel her out and tell the guards were taking her for some tests and once out of sight, the nurse would find her some scrubs. Then Dr. Khan would take her to his car and drive her to her apartment.
    Normally, Dr. Khan would be against her leaving. He sensed her despair and knew it would do her more good to be completely away from Jahan and her parents for a couple of days.
    Chia held her breath as they left the room. The guards demanded to know where they were going. Dr. Khan drew himself up, his face frozen in hard lines of disapproval as he answered with short clipped words. “We’re going for tests. Never question me again or I will have you put out of this hospital. I don’t care who your master is. Do I make myself clear?”
    The obvious leader bowed slightly, a sign of respect. “Of course, doctor. Forgive the impertinence.”
    Dr. Khan pushed Chia down the long hallway, calm on the outside, a nervous wreck on the inside. His career might well be over once Jahan found out how he had helped Chia run from him again. Frankly, he didn’t care. His main concern was his patient’s welfare and Chia was near the end of her ability to cope with them all.
    Once out of sight, he slipped into a storage closet and left the nurse to help Chia change. They’d only be able to stall the guards for so long before they became suspicious and called Jahan. Khan figured he would put