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Fortunately, I had no internal bleeding. Quinn happened to be the doctor on duty. He numbed my shoulder before he stitched the gash. He gave me some painkillers even though I wanted to argue the point. Helen had said, “You're going to be hurting like hell tonight when you get home, so take them.”
When I was all ready to go, he smiled down at me. “Let me guess, you took a red-eye flight back to Anchorage, didn't sleep, probably didn't eat, and decided it was just the time to drive back.”
I glared at him. “Maybe.”
“You'll be able to keep your driver’s license, but we need to adjust that medication.”
“Are you sure I fainted? I could’ve just fallen asleep,” I insisted.
“You fainted. I read the reports. Your heartbeat was still erratic when the EMTs arrived.”
I sighed. “Fine. I will succumb to your recommendations.”
He chuckled. “Good. You ready for some visitors? You can have two at a time.”
“How much longer am I going to be here?” I wanted out. Now.
“I'd like you to stay at least another two hours for observation.”
“It's late, though. Can I just go home?”
“You can, but that would be against medical advice.”
“Fine,” I muttered.
“Give it a few minutes, and we'll send the visitors back.”
I wasn't sure who was even here waiting. I figured Diego would be here. More than anything, I wanted to see Grant. I felt silly and foolish. I'd been in such a rush to get to him that I almost killed myself in the process. I thought about my sister's observations about my stubbornness. I pressed my lips together and let out a big sigh.
No matter what Grant said or how he felt, I wanted to tell him how I felt. Even though it terrified me.
There was a light knock on the door before Helen peered in. “You get one visitor first, VIP.”
She swung the door open and winked just before Grant walked in, and my heart went crazy. He stopped a few feet inside the door. I heard a soft whisper of air as it closed behind him. My heart felt unsteady again, and I heard the monitor beeping. I prayed no one would come in to check on me. It was bad enough that I was about to fall apart in front of Grant. I didn’t need an audience.
His eyes held mine from across the room. In several long strides, he reached the side of my bed. I hadn't even noticed that my hands were cold until he curled one of his over my hand, and the warmth of his touch was a contrast to the icy cold.
“Harley, you're freezing,” he said.
Before I could even open my mouth to say anything, the door opened again, and Helen was back. “I thought for a minute there you might be running a marathon,” she said lightly as she approached.
“I'm just nervous,” I croaked. I was mortified when I felt hot tears spill down my cheeks.
“She's freezing,” Grant said.
Helen nodded. “I have just the thing.” She spun around quickly, going through another doorway in my room and reappearing with a blanket. “Here's a heated one.”
I nodded as I sniffled. She laid it over me, and the radiant warmth was an instant relief. “Oh, that feels good.” I smeared my free hand over my nose.
Helen, clearly taking pity on me, tugged several tissues out of the box on the small tray beside my bed and handed them to me. She looked over at Grant. “It's normal for people to feel emotional after an accident. It's discombobulating.”
Grant nodded. “Thank you.”
She left the room quickly. Grant released my hand, and I felt bereft, but he adjusted the blanket, tucking it more snugly around me. “You need to get warm. What happened?” he asked.
My throat ached with emotion, and my thoughts were a jumble, but one point of clarity rose through the cacophony. “I love you,” I said hoarsely.
He was quiet for just long enough that my heartbeat started to speed up again. This time in anxiety and fear that I'd made a mistake in telling him how I felt. Not that I believed anyone deserved to have someone return their feelings, but no one wanted to be rejected. Especially not me.
