AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Where?”
She pointed over to the sunroom just off the main living area of the house. I could see her IV pole and the nurse sitting in a chair close to the daybed.
When I walked over, she looked up, stood, and led me in the opposite direction.
“Siobhan had a rough night. I’ve just gotten her back to sleep.”
“What happened?”
“I gave her this so she could call me if needed.” The woman held up a small device.
“What is that?”
“It’s a caregiver’s pager, sir.”
“You said she had a rough night.”
“Yes. I came in, and she was complaining of a terrible headache. I gave her something for the pain and then stayed until after she fell asleep. It wasn’t long before she woke again, this time saying she’d had a nightmare. It wasn’t until the sun rose that she was able to settle herself enough to sleep.”
“Did she say anything about the nightmare?”
“Not specifically, but I do believe she was dreaming about the accident.”
“Let me see that thing.” I held my hand out, and she placed it in my palm.
“It’s just a simple pager, sir.”
I gave it back to her without apology. Years of working in the intelligence business had made me suspicious of what sometimes turned out to be the simplest things.
“I’d like to suggest you arrange for Ms. Gallagher to speak to someone, sir.”
“Someone as in a psychiatrist?”
The woman nodded.
I walked back into the main part of the house and sent a text to Hammer. Call when you get this.
The phone immediately rang. “Whadaya need?” he asked.
I told him about Siren’s night and what the nurse had suggested.
“Let me make some calls, and I’ll see what I can get set up.”
“I can do that myself, Hammer.”
“Sure you can,” were the last words I heard before he ended the call.
I went into my bedroom closet and grabbed a pair of jeans to put on in place of the sweatpants I was wearing. I finished getting dressed and went out to the barn, hoping to find Zeke Jennings, the man who managed the ranch, whether I was home or away.
“Hey, Smoke,” he said when I walked into his office. “I heard you were back. I would’ve come up to the house, but it was late when I got in last night.”
“Anything I need to know?”
He leaned back in his chair. “Same shit, different day.”
“How bad is it?”
“Best guess is we’re down sixteen calves.”
