Page 49 of Protecting his Heart

“It’s not your fault,” Evan said, meaning it that time. “It’s the shooter’s fault. I think you should get back home. Take an update to Freddie because I bet he’s worried.”

Damon nodded. “If you’re sure?”

“Yeah, it’s okay. I’ll let you know when I get some more news.”

“All right. Let us know if you need anything at all.”

Locke stepped closer. “He’ll be fine, Evan. He’s a stubborn son of a gun.”

Evan huffed a laugh. “That he is.” He wandered back to the nurses’ station after they left, sitting and dropping his head into his hands.

“He’ll be fine,” Marie said.

“I know, but this is always what I worry about.”

“And I’m sure Owen worries similarly about you.”

“But my job doesn’t involve guns,” he said, glaring at her.

“No, but it does involve scalpels.” She looked pointedly at his arm, where the scar was still visible from his altercation.

Evan sighed. She wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t what he wanted to hear right then. Even if heneededto hear it. He waited impatiently for Owen to finish, and when he tried to work, Marie told him to sit his butt down. Apparently, he was off rota for the moment. It wasn’t a terrible decision because he wasn’t surehe would’ve been any good to anyone, and no one deserved a distracted nurse tending to them.

He monitored the news, but apart from repeating the same information they already had, they had nothing new. He checked news reports on his phone, too, but had the same results.

Finally, while Marie was talking on the phone, she glanced at him, and he straightened.

“Yes, I’ll tell him. Thanks.” She put the phone down. “They’ve taken him to room twelve.”

“Thank you!” He kissed her cheek and raced down the corridors to the room. He knocked before entering and found Owen awake and talking to Dr Wallis. “Oh, fuck,” he whispered, sagging against the wall.

Owen smiled at him, though he winced with it. “Hey, you.”

Evan shuffled closer and dropped into the chair beside the bed, reaching for Owen’s hand. “How do you feel?”

“I was just asking him the same question,” Dr Wallis said, making Evan jump because he’d forgotten he was still there.

Owen winced as he moved his head. “I have a headache and some dizziness when I move too fast. Almost like I’m drunk and everything is moving slower than my head is.”

“Do you feel sick?” Dr Wallis asked.

Owen paused, then nodded and winced again. “Yes, but only when I move my head. When I’m still, it’s okay.”

“Any ringing in your ears?”

“I don’t think…maybe a little.” He yawned. “Sorry.”

Dr Wallis smiled. “Being tired is to be expected. I need to ask you a few questions to see where your level of confusion lies, okay?”

“Sure.”

The doctor went through several seemingly random questions, like asking who the king was and what year it was, plus asking for family members’ names and what he did theday before and earlier that day. Both long-term and short-term memory questions to figure out if he had any amnesia symptoms.

“Good news. You don’t seem to have any memory loss, apart from that initial confusion when you first woke, which is expected. You have a concussion, without a doubt, and I’m going to look through the MRI results once more to double check there are no issues in that head of yours. But if everything checks out there, you’ll have the go ahead to return home.” He held up his hand. “On the understanding that you will not work for at least three days. I want to see you again in three days’ time so I can check you over before I say you’re ready to go back. Understand.”

“Thanks, doc,” Owen said.

“Do you have any questions for me at the moment?”

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