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Chapter Twenty-Nine
After spending most of the night in the ER, Gideon brought Plum home to the rectory. There was nowhere else for her to go and truthfully, he would’ve fought anyone who offered her a place to sleep. He couldn’t stand the idea of her being out of his sight. It didn’t matter that they weren’t together, she was still his to protect and his to care for. Luckily, she didn’t argue when he said she’d be coming home with him.
He settled her into the guest bedroom, propping her up on a few pillows to make it easier to breathe while she slept and nestling her casted ankle into a pile of blankets and pillows to hopefully keep her from turning over and causing herself more pain.
She had a bunch of contusions and abrasions, a broken ankle, and he’d been right about the cut on her shoulder—it was a deep laceration that had required stitches. They’d also given her oxygen and checked her airways.
The doc at the ER had answered all their questions and sent them home with a bunch of instructions but Gideon called Eric nonetheless. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the doctor at the hospital—she’d been patient and kind and clearly knew what she was doing—it was just that he knew hearing everything for a second or third time and from someone he knew as well as he knew Eric would makehimfeel better, soothehisfrayed nerves.
Plum choked down one of the painkillers she’d been sent home with and was out like a light a minute after he’d tucked her in. Poor thing was exhausted.
Gideon took a quick shower to get the grime off his skin, the smoke and soot out of his hair. He’d bathe Plum tomorrow and change the sheets, see if there were clothes in the items she’d rescued that she could wear after they’d been washed. If not, she could manage in his things for a day or two until someone could bring clothes by or he could order some things online.
By the time he was heading downstairs in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt with a towel around his neck, Eric was in the sitting room, thumbing through a copy of the Book of Common Prayer.
Gideon had left the door unlocked so he wouldn’t have to worry about leaving the good doctor out in the cold if it took a while to get Plum to sleep, and it was a relief to see his friend.
“How’s she doing?” Eric asked, his brows creasing in concern.
“She’s asleep now, but she was really upset. She lost almost everything and she just…she doesn’t look like herself. Can I get you anything? Beer? Water? Tea?”
“No, I’m good, thanks. You should sit down though, you’ve had a night. Plum saw Doctor Thomas, right?”
Gideon collapsed into a chair, and the soreness and exhaustion hit him. He’d go over everything with Eric and then get some much needed shut-eye himself.
“Yes.”
“Sloane is a very good doctor, very thorough. She knows her stuff. Plum was in excellent hands, I promise.”
That was the impression Gideon had had as well, but it was good to receive confirmation from an expert. They went over all of Plum’s injuries and the instructions they’d received for her meds and changing bandages and such. Eric answered some questions Gideon had forgotten to ask in the chaos of the ER, and reassured him that Plum would be fine.
“Anything else you need before I head out and let you get some sleep?” asked Eric.
“They wrote her a scrip at the ER but she’s having trouble swallowing because her throat hurts. Anything else you can recommend?”
Eric nodded and ducked into his bag. Not many doctors made house calls anymore and Gideon was grateful for his friend who would. And who not only had a great bedside manner with littles but who was also empathetic to how frazzled their caregivers could be when their littles were sick or injured. The guy exuded warmth and compassion, in addition to being a really good physician.
Eric plucked a large prescription bottle from the leather bag which he handed over to Gideon.
“These are pain killer suppositories. Give her two every four to six hours as she needs them. Don’t wake her up to administer them if she’s sleeping peacefully. Sleep does more for healing a body than anything else so unless it’s critical, leave her be.”
“Thanks. Any last words of wisdom?”
“Keep an eye on her breathing, get her to rest as much as you can. She should be clear of carbon monoxide poisoning but if she’s getting headaches, nausea, or acting confused, get her back to the ER right away. She needs to drink plenty of water. If she wants something warm, nettle tea or green tea are good choices.”
Eric rose, and Gideon followed suit, walking his friend to the door. He’d lock up and then try to get in a couple hours sleep before Plum woke. He wanted to be there for her when she did.
* * *
Something smelled like burning.
It wasn’t the most unusual smell—especially when she was training someone new in the kitchen of Caffeinatrix or they had a barista who hadn’t learned the right settings for the panini press or the toaster. But this wasn’t the acrid aroma of burnt toast or singed pastries. No, it was deeper, somehow. Darker.
When Plum opened her eyes to the cream walls and cornflower blue linens of the guest bedroom at the rectory, she remembered.Shesmelled like burning because her life had caught fire somehow and it was gone.
Tears brimmed at her lashes, but before she could start crying over everything she’d lost, there was a soft voice.
“Plum, darling? Are you awake?”
