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Her eyes flickered open, and a weak smile formed on her lips. “Daddy,” she mumbled, her voice hoarse. “It hurts.”
My heart ached at the sight of her in pain, but I forced a smile, wanting to be a source of strength. “I know, sweetheart,” I replied, my voice filled with tenderness. “But the doctors are taking good care of you. You’re going to be fine.”
The nurse stepped forward, her voice calm and reassuring. “Your daughter has some injuries, but nothing life-threatening,” she explained. “She’s going to need some time to heal, but with proper care, she will recover.”
“She had a CT scan?” I asked. “That’s the head, right?”
The nurse shook her head. “No, we just wanted to x-ray her arm. She said it was sore. We needed to rule out a broken bone. The doctor will be in to talk with you soon. We’re going to take her back to the room.”
“Her arm’s broken?” I asked.
“I can’t tell you definitively because I’m not a doctor, but—” She gave a slight shake of her head.
Relief washed over me. Tears welled up in my eyes, a mixture of gratitude and overwhelming relief. I nodded, my voice choked with emotion. “Thank you,” I managed to say, my voice filled with profound gratitude. “Thank you for taking care of her.”
The nurse offered a kind smile, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “It’s our job,” she said softly. “She’s a brave little lady.”
She parked the bed in a room filled with what looked like a million machines. “I’ll be back in a few.”
“Excuse me,” I said when she started to leave. “Her nanny, Dee, is she here?”
“She’s the one who went for the CT,” she said solemnly.
My heart dropped again. “How is she?”
“I’m not on her case,” she said with a soft smile. “Does she have family?”
I shook my head. “Just us.”
“We’ll see if we can get you some information.”
“Thank you,” I said with my heart in my throat.
I looked at Lily and saw my whole world in one tiny little person. I realized the fragility of life and the power of love. I vowed to cherish every moment with her, to be there for her through every hardship and joy. With newfound hope, I embraced the uncertainty of the journey ahead, knowing that as long as we faced it together, we would overcome any obstacle.
“Hey, sweetie,” I smiled and took her hand. “Where does it hurt?”
She reached up and touched her shoulder. “My shoulder. The doctor said it was because of my seatbelt.”
I gently touched a bruise on the side of her face. “Did you hit your head?”
“I think so,” she said. “I don’t remember. It happened so fast.”
I was dying to ask her about Dee, but I wasn’t going to put that kind of pressure on her. I gently kissed the bruise. “Do you need some medicine?” I asked.
“It just hurts,” she said. “My neck hurts. They put a big foam thing on my neck. I didn’t like it.”
I smiled and ran the back of my knuckles over her tear-stained cheek. It killed me that she’d been terrified and crying and I wasn’t there.
“It’s just my arm and my neck.”
I nodded, thankful her injuries were minor. “How are your fingers and toes?” I asked in an attempt to keep the mood light.
Inside, I was shaking like a leaf. Somewhere in the hospital, Dee was lying on a gurney all alone. Was she scared? Did she want me? I wanted to find her and pull her into my arms and apologize for being such a jackass. I wanted to cure what ailed her.
Lily wiggled her fingers. “They don’t hurt.”
I brushed my hand over her head. I was looking for cuts. Blood. Bruises. Anything that wasn’t right. I was still having a hard time believing she was in such good shape. The cop had said it was a bad accident. The trip over had been filled with horrible scenarios playing out in my head. I expected to find her hooked up to machines and wrapped in gauze.
