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The surgery ended up being more complicated because it was a rupture after all, not a routine appendectomy. She’d most likely be here for a few days for monitoring.
I reached over and brushed her hair behind her ear.
“She’s sedated. She won’t wake for a while,” the nurse at the foot of her bed said. “You’re welcome to stay if you’d like.”
I nodded as she backed out of the room. I reached to hold her small hand in mine. I’d be camping out here until Craig arrived, maybe even longer. I’d stay until I saw that she was alright with my own eyes, and I’d never ever leave her here alone.
The only problem was that my ankle was starting to kill…
I cursed softly to myself. I knew I had to get my ankle looked at. Hopefully I hadn’t caused too much damage. If I did, I didn’t really care, so long as Claire was alright.
I fished my wallet from my pocket and pulled out our team doc’s business card.
He answered on the first ring. “Morning Duke, it’s a bit early… uh, what can I do for you?”
My eyes darted to the clock on the wall, which now read 8am, and I cringed. I hadn’t slept all night, so my internal clock was all fucked. “Sorry ‘bout that… So, I might’ve walked on my foot.”
He cleared his throat. “Uh… Why would you do that?”
I sighed. “I didn’t really have a choice. My…err… friend…” I closed my eyes against the hurt. Last night I would’ve confidently called her my girlfriend. Now I was scared to do that. “Her appendix ruptured. She was in a lot of pain and it was like 3am when it happened. There was no one else around to help. I might’ve picked her up, walked her to the car, and drove…”
“With the cast on?”
I covered my eyes and shook my head, trying to tamper down any sarcasm I was about to use. But really, I was a professional athlete, it’s not like I couldn’t manage to walk with a cast on. “Yeah, it might’ve cracked a bit on the bottom.”
“Coach Petersen won’t be–”
“Happy, I know,” I sucked in a deep breath. He didn’t have to tell me that. “Shit happens.”
“Appendicitis is pretty serious. If you didn’t get her to a hospital, she could’ve gone into septic shock, she could’ve–”
“I know,” I harshly cut him off. I looked at Claire safely tucked in the bed. I did not need the reminder of what could’ve happened.
“Well, you’re at the hospital in Northfield now? I can see who is working there and have an initial x-ray done to see if everything’s alright. But we’ll probably want you back here in Detroit so we can have a look and make an updated recovery plan.”
I sighed. I should’ve known to expect that. “Thank you, but I’m not leaving until she wakes up.”
He chuckled. “A friend you say? So long as you get it looked at right now and there’s not too much damage that shouldn’t be a problem.”
I muttered a curse under my breath.
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. You did the right thing,” he added.
“Thanks,” I muttered.
31.Claire
“Uh… some privacy please?” the nurse asked quietly as Duke crutched back into my hospital room. He was carrying a bag of chips between his teeth and his gray sweatpants sagged with the extra weight of a mountain dew bottle in his pocket.
The nurse, who currently had my gown pulled open to check on the incision sight, paused as Duke plopped into the chair beside my bed.
“Long as she’s okay with it, I’d like to stay.” He winked at me, but his face was serious.
“Oh… okay,” I said with a small, tight-lipped smile. I was kind of grateful he wanted to stay. I felt calmer with him by my side.
When it got to the part where the nurse was cleaning the incision sight, I hissed in pain, and he inconspicuously slipped his rough hand into mine to hold.
When she finished and started to leave, I had to bite my tongue not to say‘finally.’It felt like I’d been waiting all day for a moment of peace for just Duke and I.
