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“As a boss, I can’t argue with your reasoning for not going to the hospital,” Stefan said. “But as a father…”
“You can’t be a father first this time, Stefan,” Maura said.
“When will you learn, daughter?” Stefan said. “I have always been a father first.”
The detachment Maura had been exuding cracked. If Stefan saw it, I didn’t know, because as soon as he was finished speaking, he stormed out of the room.
* * *
Dr. Ben wrote multiple scripts for Maura to be filled at the pharmacy before he started bandaging her up. I called Brody, hoping he could take the scripts in to be filled, but he wasn’t at the manor. He was out buying stuff for the baby. I ended up having to ask Jeana, Stefan’s personal chef, and she seemed more than happy to.
When Dr. Ben was done, I offered to walk him out. Stefan stopped us in the foyer of the main house and asked us to come speak with him. We followed him into his study.
As Stefan sat behind his desk, he gestured for Dr. Ben to take a seat in one of the chairs across from him. Wanting to have a visual on both of them, I sat on the couch in the seating area on the left side of the room.
“I’d like to hear your honest assessment of her injuries without Maura here to argue about it,” Stefan said as Dr. Ben sat down.
Dr. Ben let out a sigh. “They’re bad. If you’re asking me if they’re life-threatening, I’m pretty sure they’re not. Only time will tell us for sure because she won’t go to the hospital.”
“She’s very adamant about that,” Stefan said with blatant irritation. “I’d force her if I didn’t think she’d shoot anyone who came near her.”
I could attest that she would and had the scar on my shoulder to prove it. “Even with the risks?”
Stefan ran a hand down his face, looking pissed-off and slightly torn.
“I wouldn’t recommend forcing anything on her right now,” Dr. Ben said very seriously. “Like I said earlier, she’s still in survival mode. Victims of this type of trauma—”
“My daughter isn’t a victim,” Stefan snapped, cutting the doctor off. “And don’t ever say that she is again, especially outside this room.”
Dr. Ben stiffened and dipped his head with a single nod.
“Since she’s refusing to go to the hospital, what do you recommend we do to make sure she’s alright?” I asked, getting back to the point.
Dr. Ben looked from Stefan to me. “I don’t think she should be alone for a while. At least for a few days as we wait to see if anything more serious pops up.”
She wasn’t going to be thrilled about that.
“The baby appears healthy,” Dr. Ben said.
“Of course he is,” I grumbled.
Stefan’s gaze flicked to me for a moment before he stood. “Thank you for coming, Ben.”
Dr. Ben quickly stood as well, understanding that he was being dismissed. “Yes, of course. I can see myself out.”
Stefan waited until the door closed behind the doctor before he spoke. “Do I need to worry about you when it comes to that baby?”
“No.”
He sat back in his chair. “That baby didn’t get to pick who his father was.”
“I would never hurt a baby, Stefan.” If I did, then I’d be no better than those who’d killed mine.
Stefan relaxed back in his chair as he studied me. “Then what’s your problem?”
My eyes wandered and I stared at the wall without really seeing it. “I’m worried she’s trying to replace the one we lost.”
“I can see why you would think that.”
