Page 109 of Devious Madness

“Oh, she’s up. Good.” The nurse, a middle-aged woman wearing a pair of black scrubs, smiles as she hurries to the bedside and starts changing the IV bag.

“How long have I been asleep?” I ask, pushing Rurik’s hand away when he reaches for my chin again.

“A full day.” He lifts his brows. “So let me look you over.”

“Maybe the nurse should do that, you know, because she’s the medical professional?”

“She’s fine,” he announces. “Her attitude is back to a hundred percent.”

The nurse laughs. “That’s a good sign, but let me just check a few things, and I’ll let the doctor know. He’s on his way over.”

“The doctor? Why? I’m fine. I mean my shoulders were tight, but they’re better now.”

The nurse wiggles her way in front of Rurik, nudging him out of her way, and brings a pen light out from her pocket.

“He’s just going to double check everything, and I have the last blood tests back, so he’ll go over all that with you.” She puts the pen light in front of my face. “This is going to be a little bright, sorry about that, hun.”

Rurik peeks over her shoulder at me, concern pulling his eyebrows together.

“Good.” She clicks off the pen and picks up my hand, checking the IV. “I’m sure the doctor will say we can remove this, but let’s just wait until he gives the order.”

“He shouldn’t have left in the first place,” Rurik grumbles.

“He was checking on your friend.” The gentle chastisement in her voice is impressive.

“Max. Max?” I sit up too fast at the memory of him falling on me. And the blood, so much blood. “Is he okay?”

“He’s doing better.” Rurik pushes me back down. “Tell her to lie down.”

“She has no broken bones, no internal injuries, the bruise on her cheek is getting better…I’d say sitting is fine.” She winks at me, then goes back to checking monitors. “Okay, we can take most of this off now.”

Watching this woman maneuver Rurik around the bed while she removes a blood pressure cuff from my left arm and electrode patches from my chest puts me in awe. She has no fear of him, and he knows it. The little twitch of his left eye is getting faster the longer she takes to fuss over me and not let him at me.

“All done.” She closes a drawer in the medical cart positioned next to the bed.

“Ah, our patient is awake.” The doctor—at least, I assume he’s the doctor, as he’s not wearing a lab coat or anything—says.

His silvery hair is slicked back in place, and he’s wearing a long-sleeved sweater and a pair of dark pants. His wired-rimmed glasses sit, perfectly perched on his nose while he listens to the nurse rattle off a bunch of things.

My mind, while more focused than the last time I was awake, is still having trouble staying crystal clear.

“I have her blood results.” The nurse hands him an iPad then opens drawers on the cart. “I’ll take her IV out if you’re good with it?”

“Doesn’t she need it to keep flushing the toxins out?” Rurik moves to stop her.

“These results look good. All levels are back within normal range. The IV won’t help much at this point; her body can do the rest,” the doctor says.

“Fine.” Rurik sits on the bed near my knees, giving her enough room to do her work but still staying at my side. His hand rests on my thigh.

I wince slightly when she pulls the IV out, and Rurik tenses, his fingers digging into my leg.

“I’m okay,” I say when I catch his gaze. “I promise. I’m fine.”

“All right. All done here.” The nurse shuts the last drawer of the cart. “I’ll just get all this mess out of your way so you can rest.”

“Thanks, Cindy.” The doctor moves out of her way as she begins moving things from the room. “The test results all say you’re doing great, but how do you feel?”

“A little tired still, and foggy. My memory isn’t all there. Like I remember most of it, but there’s some spots missing.”

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