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“Seriously?” Rachel’s frown deepened. “A wheelchair would’ve sufficed. Or I could’ve walked myself in. I’m not a pansy-ass female who can’t take care of herself.”
He settled her on the gurney and stepped back while the orderly moved the side rails up into position.
She glared. “Not liking this. The rails make me feel like a child in a playpen.”
“A cute child,” Griff said.
“Hospital rules,” the orderly said. “When we’re moving, the rails go up.”
“It’s okay,” Griff said, a smile tugging at his mouth at her stubbornness. “Let the doc check you out. If he gives the all-clear, I’ll spring you from this joint, and we’ll be on our way to our mutual destination.” He winked. “For now, play nice before they inject you with a sedative.”
“They wouldn’t do that.” Rachel half-sat up, giving the orderly a narrow-eyed glare. “Would they?”
The orderly grinned. “I can’t say. I’m not the doctor. Now, ma’am, if you’ll just lie back, we’ll get you into an examination room.”
Griff was happy to see Rachel showing a little more pluck. He walked on the other side of the gurney until they reached the door marked Authorized Entry Only.
The orderly slid his ID over a card reader, and the door opened. He paused. “Sir, are you a relative?”
“No, but I did pull her from the vehicle.”
His grin fading, the orderly shook his head and pushed the gurney through the door. “I’m sorry, sir. You’ll have to wait in the lobby.”
Griff started to follow, but the orderly stood in his way.
“He’s not a relativeyet,” Rachel blurted from behind the man in white scrubs. “Does fiancé count?”
The orderly’s frown flipped back to his easy grin. “Yes, of course. If he’s your fiancé, he can go back with you.” He tipped his head, indicating Griff could follow.
The man pushed the gurney past a couple of examination rooms, stopping at the third one on the right, next to the nurses’ station. He set the brake on the gurney and backed out of the room. “I’ll get the nurse.”
Before he could turn, a nurse appeared in the doorway with a smile. “Hi, I’m Cristine. I’ll be helping you today. What have we got here?”
“Automobile accident,” Griff said. “We need a doctor to check her over.”
The nurse asked questions, took her vital signs and entered the data into an online chart. Then she smiled at Rachel. “You’re the new deputy in town, aren’t you?”
Rachel nodded.
Griff’s brow dipped, but he kept his comments and his own questions to himself until the nurse left the room, promising to be back with the doctor.
After the nurse left the room, Griff asked, “What happened to your job with the California Highway Patrol?”
She looked past him at the wall. “I resigned and took a position with the sheriff’s department here.”
“Isn’t that like taking a demotion?”
Rachel lay with her dark, tangled hair fanning around her face on the white sheets. “Cost of living is slightly less than in San Diego.”
“From what I remember, you loved your job there.”
Her lips formed a thin line across her face. “Sometimes, you do what you have to do. This is one of those times.”
Griff wanted to ask more questions. He opened his mouth, but before he could ask why, a doctor in a white coat entered the room, pulling a penlight from his pocket. "I hear you tried driving your car upside down." He grinned at his own joke. “How did that work for you?”
Rachel snorted. “Not so great.”
The doctor nodded. “They work better on their wheels. Can you show me everywhere that hurts on you?”
