AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The head of the hospital bed was raised slightly. The over-the-bed rolling table held a congealed breakfast that’d barely been touched. Lillian was out cold, her mouth slightly open, a soft snore filling the room. Both legs were extended, each with a pressure cuff inflating and deflating on a schedule.
“I hate to wake her up,” I whispered.
His answer was a nod.
“Her color looks better,” I said. “Not so pale.”
The door opened and a woman hurried in. Her blue scrubs were covered with a white lab coat with SUZY HELMS, RN embroidered on the shoulder. Her official hospital ID badge hung around her neck.
“Good morning,” she chirped brightly. “Are you family?”
“Neighbors,” I said.
“Very close neighbors,” Zack said. “We are the ones who were with her last night. How’s she doing?” He flipped open his badge.
“She’s doing well.”
“She’s not in much pain, is she?” I asked, my brow furrowed with worry.
The nurse checked the IV and entered something into the room computer. “We’re keeping her comfortable.”
“Will she need to go to rehab?” I asked.
“These types of injuries usually do. I’m just her nurse today, not her case coordinator, but given her age and the break in her leg, my money is on probably so.”
I took Lillian’s hand into mine. It was warm and dry, but Lillian didn’t respond to the touch. “Has anyone else been to see her?” she asked.
“Not while I’ve been on today.”
Zack’s phone rang. He left the room while pulling it from his pocket.
“Thank you for taking such good care of her. She’s a special person.”
The nurse gave me a kind smile. “I can see that. Let me know if she wakes up.”
Zack was coming back in as the nurse left.
“We need to go,” he said, his tone brusque and short.
I looked at the serious expression on his face and nodded. “Okay.” I squeezed Lillian’s hand. “I’ll be back,” I whispered.
“Mind the stairs?” Zack asked as he headed to the closest exit.
“No, but what’s happening?”
“The alarm is going off at Lillian’s house.”
I hurried down the stairs with him, glad I hadn’t worn high heels. As we reached the street, I was also thankful for the placard I’d made fun of. Now I saw he really did need to get to his car as quickly as possible when he got a call. It made sense that he wouldn’t want to be parked high in a garage that required an elevator and a long walk to reach his car. Precious minutes would’ve been lost. Maybe not key for this situation, but certainly in other cases.
“I’ve got my door,” I said, grabbing the handle. “Let’s get moving.”
He gave me a curt nod as we both slid into our seats. “Buckle up,” he said, flipping on a loud siren.
I did and was glad I had when he wheeled from his parking place at full speed. I hadn’t realized I was a speed junkie until the traffic parted and we flew down streets toward our neighborhood.
“You’re grinning, Princess. Like driving fast, do you?”
“Don’t misunderstand. I’m worried about Lillian’s house, but there’s something about racing through the street that’s exhilarating.”
