AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Why?
Had he forced her onto them?
For what purpose?
I hadn’t even considered what else she might have endured before I got to her.
I wanted to press Price about it, but he had his serious face on as he asked someone on the phone how long the fever had been so high.
I guess I had to get my answers from Everleigh. And it looked like we had a while to talk.
Letting myself into her exam room, I found her sitting on the padded table that Dr. Price had angled up for her to make it more like a chair.
“Hey,” I said, giving her a small smile.
“Hey,” she said, attempting a smile, but it fell quickly.
“You alright?” I asked, approaching her, and handing her one of the coffees. I set mine down on the little rolling table thing, so my hands were free to spread the blanket over her legs and torso.
“I think I’m a little in shock,” she admitted. “And my head hurts.”
“Baby, what happened to your head?” I asked, glancing at it, and seeing the dried blood for the first time.
“He hit me to knock me out,” she said. “I woke up with a splitting migraine. I think the anxiety chased away the pain for a while. But now it’s back with a vengeance.”
“Dr. Price doesn’t think you have a concussion?” I asked.
“He said he’s not too worried, but that I can go and get a scan if I am.”
Maybe she should.
Though, I’d gotten a concussion or two in my life. And aside from headaches and some dizziness, they hadn’t been too serious.
“And your shoulder?” I asked, running a finger over the strap of her sling.
“He pulled me too hard,” she said. “Trying to get me out of the house and into the car.”
I nodded at that, then swallowed hard.
“And your knees?” I asked, hoping my voice came out more even than it sounded in my own ears.
“I fell on the corner of the porch steps. They really hurt,” she admitted.
And she wasn’t going to be able to take anything but acetaminophen for it. Which wasn’t going to do much.
I reached down, sliding her pants up her calves, exposing her knees, then leaning down to press a kiss to each of the quickly-forming bruises.
When I looked back up at her, her lower lip was wobbling.
“Hey,” I said, voice soft.
With one hand, I reached to take the coffee cup, placing it on the tray, as I reached behind her back to pull her closer.
“It’s okay. You’re okay now,” I assured her.
She needed to cry it out, though. So I stood there, holding her through it, murmuring assurances, running my hand up and down her back, just letting her purge it all.
“Okay,” she said, sniffling hard when it was done. “That just made the headache worse,” she admitted with a whimper.
