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She appreciated so much that he gave her what she needed most right now. Quiet. His presence. Relief in the way he gently touched her.
A ride when her own sister had refused her.
Cody stopped the car and got out. A second later, he was at her side, unbuckling her, and picking her up again. He used his hip toclose the car door, then walked with her. She couldn’t see where they were or what was around her with her face pressed into his neck and her hand still holding her head. Not that it did anything but make her feel like she was holding it together in some way.
The noises and people talking around her made it all worse.
She heard doors sliding open and then a man’s soft voice. “Over here.”
Cody kept moving, then gently set her on a bed. She curled back into a ball.
That same soft voice spoke close to her. “I’m Dr. Underwood. Tell me where it hurts.”
She spread her hand over her head. “Always the right side. Behind my eye, too.”
“Okay, one to ten, ten being the worst pain you’ve ever experienced, what’s your pain level right now?”
“Nine. Make it stop.”
“What if any medication have you taken today?”
She knew they had to go through this routine, but every second of it hurt. “Ibuprofen this morning. I forgot to pack my migraine meds.”
Cody filled in the rest for her. “She lives in Texas and is here visiting her dad, Nate. She’s had a headache on and off for the last four days, but nothing like this.”
“The nurse is going to put in your IV,” Dr. Underwood whispered. “I’ve got the good stuff for you.”
Summer went along with the nurse helping her take off her shirt and put on a gown. The nurse attached several monitors on her chest and abdomen, so they could monitor her heart, respiration, and oxygen levels. She didn’t even care that Cody and the doctor saw her in her bra. The nurse finally took her arm and poked the needle in, all while Summer kept her hand on her head, eyes closed.
“We’ll start with the anti-nausea first, then flush the IV,” Dr. Underwood explained. “Second is the migraine meds, then another flush with saline.” Everything went quiet while the nurse did that. “Here comes the good stuff, Summer,” Dr. Underwood warned her.
And not even five seconds later, she felt the whoosh of the pain meds course into her system. It took another couple of minutes before she sighed out her relief.
“What did you give her?” Cody asked.
“Dilaudid. This called for a heavy-duty painkiller. I also gave her sumatriptan to eliminate the migraine. And I’ll make sure she doesn’t leave without her regular prescription.”
Summer opened her eyes and looked up at Cody. “Thank you for bringing me.”
Cody leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. “Are you okay now?”
“He’s got good drugs.”
Dr. Underwood chuckled. “You shouldn’t have waited this long to get help.”
Cody stood and faced his friend. “She tried. I wasn’t home.”
Dr. Underwood raised a brow at Cody’s admission. “I’ll get the details on you two later.” He put on his stethoscope and pressed it to her chest. “Your heart rate is a little fast.” He slid a cuff up her arm and checked her blood pressure. “A little low.” He sighed. “All the stress on your body is making the migraine worse.” He pulled a paper towel from the dispenser on the wall and blotted the sweat on her brow. “How’s your stomach right now?”
“Still queasy.”
“The meds will work soon. How about your vision? Are you seeing any flashing lights or halos? Maybe a blind spot?”
“Lights that zigzag through my vision. You’re kind of hazy.”
“Okay. Are you having any dizziness?”
“Only when I move. I’m tired.” She’d had enough. She just wanted to curl back up and go to sleep.
