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Eva checked to ensure all the instrument readings were acceptable. “Feeling better?”
She nodded, concentrating on taking shallow breaths as Eva fiddled with a machine and placed a button in her hand.
“Do you remember going into surgery?”
“She’s been unconscious since she arrived in the ambulance,” Josh explained. “I don’t know what she remembers.”
Charlie was irritated she couldn’t communicate. She tried to talk, and pointed to her mouth, again covered by the bulky mask.
The nurse removed the mask. “I can take this off for a few minutes, but we’ll need to leave it on most of the time.”
Charlie croaked out, “Something’s in my throat.”
“Yes,” Eva explained. “You’ve got a little tube down your throat—a nasogastric tube. But I can give get you some ice chips.”
Josh frowned. “I’m going to explain it all to her in a minute. I only needed you to get her out of pain. We’ll be okay now.”
“Okay. Let me just check her chest tube before I go.”
Eva pulled down the blanket and started to uncover Charlie’s chest. She panicked—the nurse was going to expose her in front of Josh. “No!” she squeaked.
“What’s wrong?” Eva asked. “Is something hurting?”
With the small amount of air she could gather, Charlie whispered, “Not in front of him.” She could feel her face heating up.
Eva chuckled. “But he’s a doctor. I promise, he’s seen breasts before.”
“Not mine.”
“But he’s your fiancé,” said Eva. “Haven’t you ever... uhmm...”
“What?” Her heart pounded in her chest, setting off a fresh round of pain.
“We’re waiting until after we’re married,” Josh said.
“You are?” Eva’s eyes were as round as her mouth.
“Nurse, would you mind if we checked the chest tube later? I need to explain some things to Charlie. There’s a lot she doesn’t remember.”
“Okay, Dr. Branson. I’ll come back in ten minutes. And if you need me before then, just call.” She smiled at Josh as she left the room. Was she batting her eyes at him?
Jo
sh moved to stand beside Charlie’s unbandaged arm, picking up her hand and cradling it between his.
“I’m sorry, Charlie. It was the only way they would let me stay with you. Brad told them we were engaged.”
She was so confused. Her voice cracked as she forced out the words, “What happened to me?”
“Do you remember we were all skiing together? And we were taking pictures of the jumps?”
She nodded. The memory was vivid. She could even see the jumps clearly in her mind.
“Do you remember Jace jumping?”
“Yes. He made it. Right?” Even the effort of whispering made her grimace with pain.
“Do you remember him falling down afterward, and you saw a snowboarder coming to take the jump? And he was going to hit Jace?”
