Page 39 of His Lucky Paige

They pulled up outside the ER forty minutes later and the moment they stepped inside, Jim, Brittany, and half of the searchers who’d been out that morning swarmed them. The doctor on duty immediately took Brent and began checking him over. The head nurse took Greg’s vitals and conferred with the doctor before she went searching for something dry for them to wear.

“Paige,” Brittany cried spying her once she had assured herself that her boys were safe. “Good lord you’re soaked/”

“And bleeding,” Jim added.

“It’s fine,” she told them.

“No, it’s not Paige,” Joel stated lifting the strands of her hair that had fallen out when she’d taken her hat off away from the cut on her neck.

“Honestly it’s just a scratch,” she argued as they pushed her over to the doctor who took one look at her and shook his head.

“Put her in the second cube there and bring me a suture kit,” the doctor called out to the nurse before he signed off on the orders for Brent.

“Really, I’m fine,” she tried again.

“Sit down Paige,” Sam ordered as though that would work.

“You’re taking the wrong approach with her,” Jesse said poking his head around the curtain.

“Then what’s therightapproach?” Joel inquired as she dabbed at the scratch with a paper towel and tried to leave.

“There isn’t one,” Craig laughed. “Paige always refuses medical attention, orders it for everyone except for herself.”

“That’s too bad,” Joel stated, “because she’s going to have that cut looked at, good grief Paige, what happened?”

“I don’t know…a rock or something,” she shrugged.

“Or try a boulder,” Jim said coming back over to them. “Greg said you took half the rock wall to the shoulder when he slipped and then you caught him.”

“What?” Jesse said staring at her. “With that arm?”

“My arm is fine. The muscles healed perfectly,” she sighed. “Now would you all please let me through? I want to check on Maggie and then get home and out of these wet clothes.”

“Maggie’s fine,” Moose said coming in. “She’s happily chomping on a bone.”

“I’ve got an extra pair of shoes in the Jeep,” Hillary offered.

“And I’ve got some dry clothes,” Nurse Joan stated handing her a pair of new scrubs. “Everyone out while I help Paige get dried off,” she ordered shooing everyone away and closing the curtain. “No arguments young lady.”

Paige knew better than to argue with Joan and she wasn’t going to complain about not having to wear wet clothes. She was peeling her pants off when Hillary stuck her head inside the curtain and grinned handing her a bag. Paige glanced in it and sent her a curious glance.

“What, you haven’t grown that much,” she shrugged. “I had one of my bags in the Jeep still so it’s all clean.”

“Thanks Hil,” she said glancing at the undergarments. Joan wrapped a towel around her as she slipped out of her wet ones, replaced them with the ones from Hillary, and then shook out the bottoms of the scrubs holding her steady as she put them on. She was about to pull the top on when Joan saw the bruising on her shoulder, and she clucked at her.

“Fine my hinny Paige Elizabeth…leave the tank on but you’re going to let the doctor look at that shoulder.”

She rolled her eyes thankful Joan couldn’t see it and gave in, hopping up onto the bed and sliding her feet into the dry socks. Joan opened the curtain and she found herself face to face with her entire old crew, her brother, Joel, Ed, Harry, Bobby, Lenny and Doug. Across the room, she saw Jim and Brittany listening to the doctor as he finished checking out Greg.

“Holy cow Paige,” Craig whistled seeing the bruise that had formed on her shoulder.

“Why don’t you all do something useful and go get me something warm to drink? Not coffee though…”

“It’ll warm you up quicker,” Harry told her.

“Except I don’t drink it, never have, never will,” she laughed. “Tea, hot chocolate whatever…and bring some for Brittany and Greg. I’m sure Jim would accept the coffee.”

The guys from the mine headed out to get drinks for everyone with the money Sam slipped them and she tried again, “Hil, guys, you don’t have to stay. A few stitches and I’ll be out of here. Sam, can you get Maggie for me?”

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