Buyout. Buyout! Zoë’s eyes flew open, the word still echoing in her ears. Blue eyes were peering into her face. For several seconds she stared into those eyes with zero recognition. She had no idea where she was or what was happening. The eyes moved back so Zoë could focus on the face, which broke into a smile of relief. It was Jill Sutton. “Oh, thank god. She’s coming out of it. Are you okay, honey? You gave us quite a scare.” Zoë lay on her stomach, her head cradled in her arms. She lifted her head to see Jill sitting beside her. Something touched Zoë’s back and she twisted around to see a man holding a tube of something in one hand. He had a stethoscope around his neck, which looked incongruous against his black leather vest. Zoë shifted her gaze back to Jill in confusion. “What? Who?” “It’s okay, honey.” Jill patted her soothingly. “Michael is a medical doctor. He’s just making sure you’re all right.” Zoë wrinkled her forehead as she tried to concentrate through a fog of confusion.
