Page 50 of Choosing Skyler

“I figured as much. You’ve got to take care of yourself, man,” he scolds.

“I was sleeping fine when you got here, wasn’t I?” I snap back before wincing at how harsh it sounds. I settle down before continuing, “And we were both asleep from before sundown until after midnight when Skyler woke up, wanting to go to the bathroom. I’m good, man. I promise.”

He nods. “Okay. Good.”

I look around the room, expecting to see Tracey and raise my brows at him in question.

“Tracey is at the shop for the morning rush,” Chelsea answers my unspoken question. “I love Jenny, but no way am I leaving my shop in her hands alone on a Monday morning.” She huffs.

Devon laughs. “As much as Chelsea goes on about loving us all like we’re her children, that shopisher baby.” He bumps her shoulder with his.

I chuckle when she bumps him back but doesn’t deny it.

Skyler stirs and peeks one eye open. I kiss her forehead, whispering, “Good morning, Beautiful. We have company.”

She stiffens until Devon snorts. “We’re not company, we’refamily. We don’t care how loud you snore.”

Skyler looks up at me in shock and I shake my head. “You were not snoring,” I tell her with a grin.

She straightens to turn and winces in pain. I instantly reach for the remote to call the nurse, but Devon beats me to it. He’s already telling nurse Betty that Skyler needs pain medication. Something more than Tylenol. Skyler shakes her head, looking at me for back up. I look up to meet Devon’s worried gaze.

“Don’t even start, Sky. You’re hurting. I know you’re sore after getting up and moving around last night. This is nonnegotiable,” he says firmly.

When I nod in agreement with him, she rolls her eyes and lays her head back on my chest. Devon walks around to the other side of the bed so she can see him.

He leans down to look her in the eyes as he speaks. “We love you, Sweets. We’re not going to let you lay here and hurt when they can give you something to stop it. Today will be more moving around since you’re going for scans and such. Get ahead of the pain now so it’s not so bad later, yeah?” he asks her.

She scrunches her nose, furrows her brow and chews on her bottom lip.

“One of us will be with youallday. We won’t leave you alone with strangers. I promise,” he tells her.

Her face relaxes in relief as she nods. I wrap my arms around her and hold her gently until Betty comes in with her medicine.

She steps up next to Devon to look at Skyler. “Hey, Sweetheart. That jog you took last night did you in, huh?”

Skyler nods, eyeing the syringe likesit’sout to do her in.

“This is just a low dose of hydrocodone mixed with Tylenol. It’s not nearly as strong as what you were on when you came in, but it will help more than the Tylenol on its own. Okay?” she asks Skyler, waiting for her nod before injecting the medication. “There, now. Breakfast will be in any minute. They were coming down the hall when I came in.”

Skyler perks up instantly at the mention of breakfast. The medicine must be starting to work already because she lifts herself off my chest and turns on her back. Chelsea stands and pushes her chair back to make room, drawing Skyler’s attention to her. Skyler waves and gives her the “I love you” sign.

Chelsea smiles at her. “I love you too, Hun. I know they won’t let you have bread yet, but I made you a pudding with all the same flavors as a cinnamon roll.”

Skyler beams at Chelsea, obviously excited.

There’s a knock at the door as the dietician comes in with her tray. She digs in and takes a bite of eggs, scrunching her nose up at the taste before shrugging. Devon hands her a coffee from the tray that Chelsea brought with her, laughing.

“Not nearly a Brady omelet, is it?” Devon asks.

She scrunches her nose again, but continues eating, chasing each bite with a sip of her caramel coffee.

“Very good,” Betty praises when Skyler finishes her last bite. “If you continue to do this well, you’ll have a non-restricted diet in no time, Sweetheart.”

When Skyler sighs in relief, we all laugh until she shoots us each a death glare, stopping all of our laughter—except for Devon.

After Betty leaves, Skyler looks to Chelsea, holding her hands out and making a gimme gesture. Chelsea pulls the pudding from the bag on the side table and sets in front of Skyler with a clean spoon. Skyler goes straight for it just as there’s another knock on the door and Dr. Henley comes in.

“How are we doing this morning, Skyler?” he asks.

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