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The doctor nodded calmly. “It’s linear,” she added, only to be interrupted by Beau who called from the back of the room, “That’s the good kind.” He lifted his phone, looking proud of himself. “I mean, if you’re going to get a fracture, a linear one is the type you want. It doesn’t crack the bone or usually result in brain damage.”
Dr. Sandaki smiled his way and pointed. “That is correct. Ava doesn’t require any kind of surgery or further treatment. I’d just like to keep her here overnight for observation. And then, in a couple of days, I expect she’ll be as good as new again.”
“Are you serious?” Lucy breathed in disbelief. “She’s going to be okay?”
“I feel confident that she’ll be just fine. Now… If Mom and Dad would like to go back and see her…” She glanced questioningly between me and Lucy. “I have a feeling she’d be more than happy to receive you.”
Lucy nodded and immediately stepped forward, drawing me with her before she glanced up at my face. “Vaughn?”
I drew in a deep breath and then nodded. “Yeah, uh, yes. Definitely. We’re ready to see her.”
40
LUCY OLIVIA
We were released from the hospital before noon the next day. I was completely exhausted but also felt too wired to sleep any time soon.
At some point in the night, Chloe had snuck into Ava’s room after she was discharged from her own check-up, and she came to see us.
“Oh, thank God,” I breathed, leaping at her and hugging her tight. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I let him take you.”
“No,” she sobbed, squeezing me back and burying her face in my hair. “I’m sorry I led him straight to your house. To Ava. God… I should’ve set her down. I should’ve—”
“Shh,” I instructed, petting her hair. “It’s okay. She’s going to be okay. You did nothing wrong. He’s the one who…”
Unable to say anything else about what had happened with that man, I pulled back to send her a tear-filled smile.
“You look like hell,” she told me, beginning to cry again.
I snorted. “Whatever. I have to look better than you do.” Her face was puffy and swollen with cuts all over it. One eye was so bloodshot it was hard for me to look at.
Her lips trembled, then she rasped, “I lost your earrings.”
She wasn’t wearing the same outfit she’d been in before either. Someone had given her some hospital scrubs to put on.
I was honestly too afraid to ask about that.
Shaking my head, I said, “I don’t even care. It’s better than losing you.”
She nodded and cried all over me, apologizing yet again for getting my daughter hurt, while I cried all over her, apologizing for getting her freaking kidnapped.
When I finally dared to ask what had happened after Dax had dragged her from my house, she just kind of shook her head, telling me she didn’t want to talk about it.
Her eyes were haunted, though, which wasn’t a good sign. Respecting her wishes, I bobbed my head and squeezed her hand. She squeezed back and we both started crying again.
Vaughn silently handed us a box of tissues. And when she was ready to leave, he walked her out to whoever in the family was waiting in the hall to take her home.
God, he was an amazing man. He’d been a quiet, supportive fount of strength the entire time, from the moment he’d skidded into my house and found me kneeling on the floor next to his unconscious niece until now.
He was always right there, providing me with whatever I needed.
This very moment, for example, he was following me into the house, carrying my purse, the empty carrier, and Ava’s diaper bag—which Beau and Bentley had brought to the hospital for us when they’d driven my car there—along with the sack the hospital had given us when they’d let us go.
He lugged it all to the couch while I paused and glanced at the closed door. It was a different door, new color, different window design, plus a small splash of white plaster had been patched over the wall where the doorknob had punched through the drywall.
Cradling Ava to my chest, I kissed the bandage covering her head and said, “Someone got me a new door.”
“Your uncle...Ten, I believe,” Vaughn answered. “He and your uncle Brent, Brad…”
