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“She’s in here.” Cody stood and opened the drape.
Her father and Miranda rushed to her side. “Are you okay?” they asked in unison.
“I’m better. Heavy-duty pain meds are masking the worst of it, and the migraine meds should kick in and stop the headache altogether.”
“Why didn’t you call one of us, or an ambulance?” her dad asked.
“I couldn’t find my phone. I was in so much pain, I couldn’t think straight or see very well. I was disoriented and—”
“Tell him the truth,” Cody snapped.
Her dad put his hand on Cody’s shoulder. “Haley told us what happened. Natalie refused to take you to the hospital. She didn’t call me to tell me you needed help. Haley is beside herself, thinking she should have intervened.”
“All they had to do was call you, me, or tell Brooke when she got home.” Cody didn’t hide his anger at all.
Miranda frowned. “We’ll talk to the girls and explain the seriousness of what happened.”
“Natalie is eighteen,” Cody pointed out. “Someone asks you for a ride to the hospital, you take them.”
“She thought it was just another headache,” Miranda said. She wanted to believe Natalie didn’t mean any harm.
Summer knew the truth. Natalie’s jealousy had made her dismiss Summer’s condition.
“Who asks to go to the hospital for just a headache?” Cody said. “She had to see how much pain Summer was in. They had to shoot her full of narcotics just so she could open her eyes.”
Summer reached out and took Cody’s hand. “Enough. I’m fine now.”
“No, you’re not. You’re so pale. I can see the exhaustion in your eyes and how much effort it is for you to move.”
Summer pressed her lips together, overwhelmed by his emotion and how much this affected him.
“What she did was wrong.” Cody said the words to Summer, but they were meant for her dad and Miranda.
“I know. But you can’t make her like me.”
“But she can still do the right thing,” her father added, then looked at Miranda. “We’ll deal with her when we get home.”
Summer sighed. “I’m sorry I ruined your date night.”
Her dad shook his head. “Are you kidding me? You needed me and I wasn’t there. Again.”
“You didn’t know what was happening. It’s not your fault. It’s mine for not remembering to pack my meds.”
“I just wish you would have called me.” He glanced at Cody, like she’d called him and not her dad.
“I didn’t call anyone. Cody found me on the floor in my room, completely incapacitated by the pain.”
Her dad and Cody shared a long look that said so much about how they felt.
“Everyone stop thinking of who to blame and let’s just be happy all is well. I’ll get some sleep. Tomorrow I’ll be back to my usual self,” Summer assured them.
The nurse walked in, and everyone remained quiet while she checked Summer’s vitals again, noting them in a tablet. “Blood pressure is better. Back soon.”
Summer settled into the bed, Cody’s hand in hers, her father with his hand on her shoulder. They talked among themselves in low tones until sometime later Dr. Underwood arrived. She’d kept her eyes closed, needing the rest so the drugs could do their job.
“How are you feeling, Summer?” the doctor asked.
“Much better.”
