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“Definitely,” Jackson said, “and I think that’s actually quite fascinating.” His thoughts were on the possibilities this news offered. But before he placed an order, he had other things to tend to. He unbuckled his seat belt before reaching over to snap open Sammy’s. “Once Maxie is back on her feet and gets an all-clear from the doctor, the three of us are going to have a nice long talk. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Sir,” Sammy said and then hesitated for a moment. “Can I ask a question?”
“You may ask,” Jackson said, gently correcting his grammar.
“Is this talk gonna be before or after you spank us?”
“I think it’s safe to say both, is that going to be a problem?”
“Nope,” Sammy shrugged. “As I see it, you’ll spank us and then everything will be okay, right?”
Jackson figured it would be a bit more complicated than that, especially since one third of this triad was currently being examined in the ER, but nodded anyway. “By the time we’re done, everything will be fine. Now, let’s go check on Maxie.”
The two walked toward the entrance and down the hall. Sammy’s sneakers squeaked on the shiny linoleum while each clunk of Jackson’s cowboy boots echoed in the sterile space. When Jackson felt Sammy’s fingers against his hand, he smiled and wrapped his around the smaller man’s.
“She’s going to be fine,” Jackson reassured him softly.
“Are you a doctor too?” Sammy asked, looking up at him.
“No, but I have enough first aid experience to hazard a good guess that besides getting the wind knocked out of her and the fall causing a few bruises, Maxie appeared to be all right.”
“That’s really good,” Sammy said, nodding his head.
Jackson’s diagnosis appeared to be spot on. While Sammy ducked into the bathroom, Jackson convinced the nurses at the desk that he and Samuel were Maxine’s family. By the time Samuel rejoined him and they ducked behind the curtain of the cubicle hiding the patient from view, Maxine was not only awake, but sitting up in the bed.
“Sammy, you’re here!” Maxie cried at seeing him.
“Yes, I am and so is…” he glanced up at Jackson and gave a chuckle. “Guess I’m not the only one who doesn’t properly introduce themselves.”
Jackson smiled. “My name is Jackson Holliday, but you two may call me Sir or Daddy.”
A soft gasp drew the men’s attention back to the hospital bed to find Maxine wide-eyed. “So I really did hear you call him Daddy,” she said, her gaze flicking back and forth between the two, dropping to their joined hands before darting to their faces again. “Wow, a girl gets a little bump on the head and misses out on all the good stuff.”
While Sammy laughed, Jackson gave her a look guaranteed to have a Little girl squirming. “I guarantee you’ll be caught up quickly once the doctors give you the okay to leave.”
Seemed that perhaps his skills might need a bit of refinement because instead of indignation, Maxine gave him a huge smile that lit up her entire face. “Sounds like fun.”
“He left out the part about the spanking,” Sammy warned, releasing Jackson’s hand and moving to take one of Maxine’s.
“What spanking?” Max asked, the smile slipping a bit.
“The one you’ve earned yourself for completely forgoing any safety when you and Sammy decided to play,” Jackson said immediately, seeing no need to sugarcoat the facts.
“In that case, maybe I should just stay here for a while,” Max suggested, snuggling down a bit in the bed. “You know, I might have a concussion or something and need a lot of medical care.”
“Good news.” Rings rattled on metal as a man wearing a white lab coat with the name Dr. Matthews on the left breast parted the curtain surrounding three sides of the bed and came forward. “You are one very lucky young lady. The x-rays show no broken bones and no signs of a concussion. Though I would feel better if someone kept a close eye on you for a day or two, just in case.”
“Not a problem,” Jackson said, extending his hand. “I accept responsibility of looking after her.”
“Good to see you, Jackson,” the man said, ignoring both the Littles’ gasps of surprise when both men gave big smiles as they shook hands. “Your Little one will likely be a bit sore for a few days from the materials I understand fell on her. She’s fortunate the hammer didn’t smash her in the head or a nail didn’t poke her eye out when it all collapsed.”
“Very lucky,” Jackson said though his tone said anything but as his eyes cut to Maxine who suddenly looked a bit pale. “Do you need anything else, and are there any restrictions I need to be aware of before I take her home?”
“Since her ID states she’s twenty-three, I just need her signature on the release form,” the doctor said. “I’ll send the nurse in with the discharge papers.” He turned his attention to his patient. “I’m serious, young lady. It could have been a lot worse. Next time you need to reach something, either use a proper ladder or better yet, have your Daddy get it for you, all right?”
Still shocked into speechlessness, all Maxine managed was to stare, her eyes wide. It evidently was enough as the doctor addressed Jackson again. “Though I don’t see any need for restrictions, the nurse will give you a sheet on things to look out for. Keep an eye out for any dizziness, and you might want to make sure she’s well supported if she’ll be going over your lap?”
“She will be,” Jackson confirmed without a second’s hesitation.
