AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Thanks for bringing Grace.” Hudson says as he sits in the lounge chair next to me sipping his coffee.
“Nope. You, too, son. Out you go.”
“I’m not leaving.” He stubbornly protests.
“Yes, you are. You are no good to Kate, as tired as you are. Plus, you need a shower and a shave. I’ll stay here with her while you go home and get some rest, food, and cleaned up. I brought my crochet, headphones, and audiobook. I promise not to leave her side until you return, but you are not staying here, son.”
“Ha! Mama has spoken!” Grace teases as Kane pulls her out of the room. “Hey. I want to see the fight.” Grace says to Kane as they close the door behind them.
“Hudson. I’m fine and I’m tired. We both need the rest.” I take his hand as I yawn.
“Are you sure? I really don’t want to leave you.”
The nurse comes in, “Hi there. I need to take your vitals.”
I smile up at Hudson. “I’m sure. Go home and get some rest and then come back and you can then relieve your mother of guard duty.” I try to laugh, but start coughing again.
“I’m going to turn up your oxygen just a smidge to see if we can get your numbers to go up a bit faster, okay?” The nurse asks me.
“Okay. Thanks.”
“Hudson.” Lori uses her best ‘mom’ voice. “Go.”
“I’m going. I’m going.” He leans down and kisses me. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
The nurse finishes up with my vitals and documents everything in her rolling cart. “Okay, Kate, you’re looking really good, but you need to rest. That concussion you have needs time to heal.”
“I promise she’ll rest. I’m just going to sit here and crochet.” Lori promises the nurse, who smiles in response.
“Thank you.” I call after her as she drags her rolling cart out of the room.
“Are you comfortable? Do you need anything?” Lori sits in the lounge chair next to me.
“No, thank you for staying, though. I don’t think I’d want to be alone right now, but Hudson looks like he needs the sleep as much as I do.”
“Don’t even think about it. Now, you get some rest. I’ll be right over here if you need anything.”
My eyes are suddenly so heavy, I’m struggling to keep them opened. “Okay.”
The smell of food and my growling stomach wake me up. When I open my eyes, I see Hudson sitting in the lounge chair, holding my hand and watching a movie on his phone with his headphones on. The room is covered in flowers of all types and it’s beautiful.
I squeeze his hand, and he turns to me.
“You’re awake. Finally. I’ve been bored all by myself over here.” His smile is huge and bright, warming my heart. He’s happy to see me.
“How long was I out?” I stretch and it feels amazing. I’m also noticing that I’m breathing better, too.
“Well, Mom kicked me out around nine this morning and it’s almost eight now. So, all day.”
“How long have you been here? Tell me you got some sleep.”
He leans down and kisses me. “I did. Promise. But I was pretty busy today, too.” He grabs a bag of food from a fast-food joint. “Here, I cleared it with Reid, but the nurses don’t know about it. So, eat it up fast.” He looks at the clock on the wall. “They’re due back to check on you soon.”
“French fries. Yum.” I open the bag and start eating. The food, although not a five-star meal, tastes like one. I haven’t eaten since lunch with Grace at my house yesterday and I’m starving. “So, what have you been doing all day? Watching me sleep?” I ask around the food in my mouth.
He laughs, “No. I’ve been shopping. Here.” He hands me a phone. “They found yours in the rubble of your shop. It was destroyed in the explosion.”
