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EIGHTEEN
“What happened?” Tori demanded as Sunny climbed out of the ambulance after Laura. She’d either fallen asleep or lost consciousness about halfway into town. Neither of the attending EMT’s seemed panicked by her closed eyes, so he tried to keep his cool.
“Fire in the barn. I think she got trampled by a horse. Definitely kicked in the right knee.”
Tori’s face hardened as they rushed into a bay in the emergency room. “Let’s get some blood work done, start an IV for fluids, and get imaging of the right lower extremity for now. How long has she been out?”
“About fifteen minutes, but vitals are stable.”
“Smoke inhalation?” she demanded of Sunny.
“Maybe, but she was on the floor when we got to the barn, so hopefully it’s not too bad.”
Tori nodded. “Alright, that’s enough to get started. Come find me when you have the results.”
Tori walked out dragging Sunny with her. “I know she isn’t your fiancée, so what is she?”
That was an excellent question. One Sunny hadn’t really had time to contemplate yet. Their scene together shouldn’t have changed anything, but it felt like it had. The idea of her being hurt made something twist painfully inside him. He knew it was ridiculous to even think about something more. Sunny knew deep down he wasn’t a marriage and family man. Finding out he had a new brother just confirmed his belief that he wasn’t father material.
Still, the urge to claim her as his own if only to protect her was strong. Tori watched him expectantly.
“We’re co-workers with benefits.”
Tori pursed her lips before nodding. “So she doesn’t mean anything to you?”
“Fuck, Tor, I don’t know.”
“Well, someone named Harper is listed as her next of kin, not you. Any idea where I can find her?”
“Yeah, she’s at the ranch.”
“Well, why don’t you call someone to bring her down here so she can make decisions for Laura and you can go home.”
Sunny wanted to dispute it, but he couldn’t. Laura hadn’t been awake to designate him to make decisions and hospitals had protocols to follow. Pulling his phone from his pocket he made a call.
“How’s Laura?” Tech answered.
“They’re running tests, but they want Harper here because she’s listed as next of kin.”
“Shit, yeah, ok. I’ll bring her over.”
Why wouldn’t she just drive herself? Whatever. Not his business. “Alright, we’re still in the emergency room. Call me when she’s here.”
Sunny went back into the bay and sat off to the side trying to stay out of the way. He listened to the nurses talk as they ran lines and took blood. There was a flurry of activity for about fifteen minutes with people in and out faster than he could keep track of.
Then they were all gone, and he was left alone with a sleeping Laura. Or unconscious Laura? No one had bothered to tell him one way or the other. Leaning forward he squeezed her hand in his. Her fingers twitched, and she sighed at the contact.
Sunny couldn’t help but smile.
Things stayed quiet for several long minutes, then a middle-aged man in scrubs wheeled a machine into the room.
“Just running a quick scan to make sure everything is alright with the little one before we send for x-rays. Won’t take long.”
Sunny ignored him, focusing on Laura. It took him too long to notice that the doctor had pushed her hospital gown up and tucked the blanket low on her hips. The man picked up a bottle and squeezed some goo on her stomach before pulling a metal tipped wand from the machine and running it over Laura’s abdomen.
His eyes locked on the screen of the gadget. The technician didn’t say a word, but an image appeared, and he hummed in approval. He watched it for several minutes, moving the gadget around until he was satisfied with what he was seeing, but Sunny couldn’t tear his eyes away.
The man was doing an ultrasound. He’d never seen one done in person, but enough fellow soldiers had received the pictures in the mail for him to know what it was.
