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“Nix is fine, too,” she continues.Pump, pump, pumpshe goes with the air to fill the cuff. “Last I heard, the fire was contained and almost out. Vic will make a full recovery. And you’ll be in a boot for approximately six weeks.”
“A boot?” I glance along my body—anything to avoid Hannah’s heated stare beating against the side of my face—and scowl at the stark white cast. “Broken?”
“Shattered,” she responds, like I need the extra emphasis on the word. “You’ll be in a cast for about ten days, then we’ll bring you back in for scans. Hopefully, you’ll graduate to the boot, and your treating doctor will decide youdon’tneed surgery.”
My brows pull close together in confusion. “Surgery for what?”
“Pins and whatnot.” Happy with my vitals, she releases the pressure from the cuff and slides the lot along my arm. “You did a number on that bone, Axe. But Doctor Kimball is hopeful you’ll skip the surgery and heal up on your own. You’re young.” She pats my chest and pulls away to read my chart.
Her eyes stay down, her attention seemingly on the pages she leafs through. “So… You guys need a mediator in here, or do you have it under control?”
“We’re fine,” I bite out. “She’s stubborn.”
Incredulous, Hannah throws her head back and laughs. “One of us is stubborn. The other is an asshole who wouldn’t know a good thing if it stood in front of him and kicked him in the nuts. Which…” She grabs my hand and squeezes, not in comfort, but warning. “I’m considering.”
I unravel our fingers and pull my hand away, purely because she has enough enthusiasm and bitterness to break a few bones for fun, then I look to the nurse and raise a brow. “Where is everyone? I kinda expected Lew and my sister would be here.”
“Lieutenant Rosa was called back on duty almost immediately after you arrived.”
“Another fire?” I frown.
She makes a note in my file and shakes her head. “A domestic disturbance that led to serious injury. And your sister…” She glances up and meets my eyes, her expression enough to make my blood run cold. “She’s inside this hospital now. Dealing with some paperwork for the police.”
“For the—” I throw my leg over the side of my bed, preparing to get up and run out to find her.
Only for Hannah to grab my arm on my left, and Kari, on my right, to push my leg back up.
“What happened to my sister?” I demand.
“She’s fine.” Kari tucks my good leg under the blankets, as though to bind me and keep me pinned down. “The domestic was at her house, but she was not home at the time.”
“Juniper—”
“Was being taken care of by your sister’s boyfriend.”
“Yeah. At the house!”
“Everyone is fine.” She finishes tucking my blankets in tight and hits the button at the top end of my bed. She’s calling in reinforcements, and possibly sedation. “Detective Noah Scott…” Pausing, she meets my eyes and fights to keep her lips from curling into a smile. “Your former brother-in-law?”
My former abusive, piece of shit, narcissistic asshole brother-in-law.
“He took a fall and sustained serious injury to his C1 and C2 vertebrae.”
“His C…” I frown and work to think through the dregs of fatigue in my mind. “His neck? He hurt it?”
“Broke it,” she mumbles. Then smirks and brings her gaze back to me. “He’s in surgery as we speak, and Doctor Kimball has joined the team to bring Detective Scott the best outcome possible. However, it would appear the damage is… severe.”
Setting my file in the holder at the end of my bed, she crosses her arms and watches me. “Your sister and niece are inside this building, safe and well. The police are working closely on this issue, and they expect charges to be brought soon.”
“Charges?” I look to Hannah—my touchstone, even when I tell her to go away—and accept her hand when she wraps it around mine. “Is Preston gonna get in trouble for something?”
“Preston Danes?” Kari asks. “Your sister’s boyfriend?” Then she waves me off. “God no. He was the one who called this in. Detective Scott had forcefully, and without permission, entered your sister’s home. Then he slipped and hurt himself. If not for Mr. Danes’ quick thinking, Scott might’ve perished from his injuries.”
Reaching down, she pats my good foot and starts toward the door. “If charges are to be laid, I expect them to be against Detective Scott. But since I know you aren’t his biggest fan…” she stops at the doorway with a small grin and taps the frame with her knuckles, “I’m certain you won’t lose sleep worrying about him. Rest up for now.” She draws a deep breath and pushes away from the doorframe. “Doctor Kimball will come around later tonight to check on you. But like I said, he’s a little busy right now.”
Finally, she looks toward Hannah and raises a brow. “Stop shouting at my patient. He needs to sleep.”
In response, Hannah forces a smile. “I’d stop shouting if he’d stop being a stubborn pig.”
