Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 50402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 252(@200wpm)___ 202(@250wpm)___ 168(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 252(@200wpm)___ 202(@250wpm)___ 168(@300wpm)
“All the tests point to a serious concussion, Ms. Jenkins.”
“Call me Ivy,” she requested, closing her eyes to block out the light as she attempted to pull her thoughts together to listen closely.
“You’re going to have to give her all this in writing, Doc. She’s a bit scrambled,” Steele recommended.
“Definitely. I’ll send her home with thorough directions,” the physician agreed before continuing. “All your symptoms should resolve over time, but I can’t tell you what that timetable will be. Your brain is going to heal itself, but on its own schedule. Are you safe at home?”
“She’s coming to stay with me,” Steele answered for Ivy.
“Perfect. I’d like to do an exam to make sure you’re okay to go home. If I don’t see any extreme reactions, I’ll get you out of here today. You’ll rest better away from the hospital.”
Ivy nodded again and made herself sick. “I’ve got to stop doing that,” she mumbled.
“Does moving your head make you nauseous?” the doctor asked, making a note.
“Badly.”
“Unfortunately, that’s a normal reaction,” he explained before looking at Steele. “Could you set her on the edge of the bed?”
When Steele followed his instructions, Ivy squeezed the bear to her chest and grabbed a handful of his vest before he could move away. Steele shrugged out of his vest and laid it on the bed. “I won’t leave without this.”
Pulling it onto her lap, Ivy felt the heat from his body covering her bare thighs. With it in place, she followed the doctor’s directions to touch his fingers and her nose in a series of tasks. When he asked her to stand, Ivy carefully placed her bear and the cut on the far side of the bed, away from Steele’s grasp. Ivy didn’t need to worry. He was right at her side, ready to catch her as she wobbled.
“Okay. You can sit back down. If you can have someone with you for the next forty-eight hours, even when you sleep, I’ll okay your release from the hospital. No work for a week and then part-time for the week after that. You need to rest and relax. Is that doable?” the doctor asked, carefully watching Ivy and Steele.
“Got it, Doc. She’ll be with me.”
“I want to see you in two weeks—earlier, if you have any additional symptoms,” he warned.
“I’ll make sure she gets in to see you,” Steele confirmed.
“It will take several hours to get everything organized for your release. Order breakfast and lunch. Rest while you’re waiting,” the physician recommended. “I know the police have been wanting to talk to you. I’ll lift the ban on them interviewing you. Hopefully, they’ll find whoever put you in this situation.”
When the doctor left to update her chart and sign the release forms, Ivy tugged his vest over her lap to trace the large patch on the back. “You don’t have to stay with me,” she told him, looking at the frayed material. “I’ll be fine.”
Reluctantly, she lifted the heavy material to return it to him. “Thanks for saving me.”
“I’m sorry you needed saving, Little girl.” He shrugged into his cut before surprising her as he lifted her from her perch on the edge of the bed and sat down in the comfy recliner nearby with her in his lap. “Go to sleep. I’m not going anywhere.”
Tangling her hand back into the material, she clung to the heavy vest. Exhausted, Ivy rested her head on his broad chest and tumbled into oblivion. Reassured by his closeness, the chatter in her brain quieted.
CHAPTER
THREE
“Ready for a shower?” a young woman asked, appearing an hour later with towels and supplies.
“A shower sounds amazing.” Ivy pushed herself up from the snuggly position on Steele’s chest. Her hand had clamped back onto his vest for reassurance in her sleep.
“You’re going to have to let go of me, Little girl, to go get clean.”
“You can help her with her shower if you’d like,” the nurse’s aide chirped helpfully. “We just need to make sure someone is with her in case she gets dizzy. I’d suggest you do the same thing at home for a while as well.”
“Will you stay?” Ivy asked and immediately apologized. “I know it’s awful of me to ask.”
“I’m here. Want me to stand outside the door?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“You got it. Come on.” Steele stood and walked her slowly to the bathroom where the nurse’s aide took over. He crossed his arms over his chest and stood with his back to the bathroom, blocking anyone from going in.
Her quiet, “Can we leave the door open a bit?” went straight to his heart. Ivy wanted to see him to make sure he was there. To reassure her, he started talking.
“Would you like to know about the people you’ll see at the compound?” he asked.
“Yes. Are there a lot? I don’t know if I’ll remember people’s names.”