Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76203 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76203 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
That was fair.
“Good plan,” I agreed.
“What should we order? Italian? Diner food? Chinese?”
“Yes,” I said.
I didn’t know what she would want.
But I wanted her to have all the choices the town might have to offer.
“And someone needs to tell Rook it’s all over,” I said.
“Coach is on his way there now,” Slash said. “It’s all handled. Go be with your girl.”
With that, I got to my feet, and moved back into Dr. Price’s office.
“Here,” he said, coming in from the back of the building, carrying two cups of coffee. “One for each of you. And this,” he said, pulling a blanket off of his shoulder to drape it over mine. “She’s gonna be here for a while. Might as well let her get comfortable.”
“Thanks, Doc,” I said, exhaling hard. “For everything,” I added. “Is there anything I will need to know when I can take her home?”
“Sometimes the Naloxone has after effects. Upset stomach, body aches, headache, dry nose. I wouldn’t worry about those. If she spikes a fever, has a big change in her blood pressure or pulse, I’d like you to bring her back. But that’s very unlikely. If she had anything, it would likely be the headache, a dry nose, that sort of thing.”
“Okay,” I agreed. “And her shoulder?” I asked, feeling my jaw tightening at the idea that the bastard had done anything else to her.
“Dislocated. She’ll be fine. I gave her a sling, but she’s probably not going to need to use it unless she keeps forgetting about it and trying to use that arm. I prescribe rest for that. And some ice for her head and knees.”
He said that on his way toward the phone that was ringing from the desk.
And I was left to feel my blood start to boil at the idea of her knees being bruised and something being wrong with her head.
Why?
Had he forced her onto them?
For what purpose?
I hadn’t even considered what else she might have endured before I got to her.
I wanted to press Price about it, but he had his serious face on as he asked someone on the phone how long the fever had been so high.
I guess I had to get my answers from Everleigh. And it looked like we had a while to talk.
Letting myself into her exam room, I found her sitting on the padded table that Dr. Price had angled up for her to make it more like a chair.
“Hey,” I said, giving her a small smile.
“Hey,” she said, attempting a smile, but it fell quickly.
“You alright?” I asked, approaching her, and handing her one of the coffees. I set mine down on the little rolling table thing, so my hands were free to spread the blanket over her legs and torso.
“I think I’m a little in shock,” she admitted. “And my head hurts.”
“Baby, what happened to your head?” I asked, glancing at it, and seeing the dried blood for the first time.
“He hit me to knock me out,” she said. “I woke up with a splitting migraine. I think the anxiety chased away the pain for a while. But now it’s back with a vengeance.”
“Dr. Price doesn’t think you have a concussion?” I asked.
“He said he’s not too worried, but that I can go and get a scan if I am.”
Maybe she should.
Though, I’d gotten a concussion or two in my life. And aside from headaches and some dizziness, they hadn’t been too serious.
“And your shoulder?” I asked, running a finger over the strap of her sling.
“He pulled me too hard,” she said. “Trying to get me out of the house and into the car.”
I nodded at that, then swallowed hard.
“And your knees?” I asked, hoping my voice came out more even than it sounded in my own ears.
“I fell on the corner of the porch steps. They really hurt,” she admitted.
And she wasn’t going to be able to take anything but acetaminophen for it. Which wasn’t going to do much.
I reached down, sliding her pants up her calves, exposing her knees, then leaning down to press a kiss to each of the quickly-forming bruises.
When I looked back up at her, her lower lip was wobbling.
“Hey,” I said, voice soft.
With one hand, I reached to take the coffee cup, placing it on the tray, as I reached behind her back to pull her closer.
“It’s okay. You’re okay now,” I assured her.
She needed to cry it out, though. So I stood there, holding her through it, murmuring assurances, running my hand up and down her back, just letting her purge it all.
“Okay,” she said, sniffling hard when it was done. “That just made the headache worse,” she admitted with a whimper.
“Lemme see if I can get you some acetaminophen,” I said, then came back a moment later to give her two with her coffee.