Page 104 of Suits and Spark Plugs

I heard sirens, and everything became a blur as the police and paramedics showed up. They asked me a few questions before they removed me from the car and put me in the ambulance. I rode quietly in the rig while they did their work of bandaging my head and getting some pain meds started in an IV to help with the arm situation.

When we reached the hospital, they wheeled me straight into the ER. I kept my eyes closed the entire time, only opening them when the door to my exam room closed behind the EMTs. A nurse was standing at the computer next to the exam table, typing some things in that the rescue workers had told her about my situation.

“How bad is my arm?” I asked her.

She glanced over and smiled. “I’ve seen worse.”

“Not the most comforting answer.”

“Yes, welcome to the hospital.”

It made me chuckle, which was probably her intention, and I decided to remember the technique for when I became a nurse myself.

A doctor came in and sent me directly to X-ray, which made me want to scream in agony as I had to hold a clearly very broken arm in a few different positions. It was then that I got my first glance at the damage. No skin was broken, but my arm was bent between the wrist and elbow at a very incorrect angle. I found it fascinating rather than disgusting, which was a good thing, considering my career aspirations.

I was wheeled back to my room and helped back up to rest on the bed, my arm still resting tightly at my side. I dozed a little, trying to breathe through the aches and pains that the medicine was barely dulling, when I heard the door open and Mom came in followed by a disheveled Sadie.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re okay.” Mom came straight to my side and brushed back my curls to kiss the right side of my head. “You can’t imagine what that phone call did to me.”

One side of my lip curled up. “Icanimagine, actually.” I looked to Sadie, who was standing near Mom with a worried expression. “You look a little less put together than usual.”

“I was in the middle of dance rehearsal when Mom came and dragged me out. I think I’m actually the most traumatized of the group. She comes in waving her hands and calling my name and yelling something about an accident and Liv being taken by ambulance.” She shook her head. “I’m going to need therapy.”

“We can split the cost of the couch,” I replied. She grinned and tapped a finger against my knee. It was her way of telling me she was glad I was okay.

Mom fussed around with my blankets and pillows for a while before settling down next to Sadie, who had immediately flopped into a chair when she realized I’d live. I told them my version of events, and then they slipped into light chatter while I closed my eyes.

Eventually a doctor came in and introduced himself as Dr. Wilson. He was older and looked friendly, which put me at ease. “How is your pain?”

“It’s not great, but I’m surviving,” I replied.

“I thought that might be the case. I’m going to increase your dose a little. You’ll probably start to feel sleepier, so let’s get to this information before I do that.”

He put my X-rays up to a light and began explaining what had happened to my arm and what would need to happen to fix it. Before he’d said more than a few sentences, the door to my exam room flew open and a harried looking Connor burst into the scene. He was holding a very worn-out looking bouquet of flowers and was wearing his gray work coveralls and a ball cap. His eyes looked wildly around the room before landing on me. He took a step closer, but the doctor suddenly blocked his way.

“Who are you and why are you in this room?” he said to Connor.

Connor’s eyes took in every detail from the bandage on my head to the way I was cradling my arm. He didn’t bother looking at the doctor when he replied, “I’m with Liv.”

The doctor turned to me. “Is this true, Miss Phelps?” I felt my face heat as I nodded, loving those three simple words:I’m with Liv. Man, I hoped that was true. “Fine then, but we can’t have this many people in here, so someone will need to leave.” Sadie immediately jumped up and headed out the door without saying a word.

Dr. Wilson gestured to the empty chair, and Connor sat down next to Mom. I studiously avoided his eyes while the doctor continued to explain what the X-rays were telling us. I couldn’t listen to any of it. All I could hear was the tapping of Connor’s nervous foot on the floor and the crinkling sound of him messing with those poor flowers. I got little out of what the doctor said other than my arm was broken and they would need to reset something and I’d be put under anesthesia for the procedure. When the doctor finished he looked to me and asked if I had any questions. I did, actually. I needed him to repeat the entire thing with Connor out of the room, but I shook my head.

Dr. Wilson came to stand near my IV and pressed a few buttons, increasing the medicine as promised before he left. “A nurse will be in soon to take you up to surgery.”

Mom turned to me. “Are you okay with everything?” I nodded. She cleared her throat. I knew she was wondering what to do. Just that morning she’d cradled me while I’d sobbed out my heartbreak over the man who was currently sitting next to her. “Well, I could use a drink and I’ll check on Sadie. Connor, are you okay to sit with Liv for a bit?” He nodded and Mom left the room.

The silence became unbearable as I continued to look anywhere but at him. I found a favorite place on the ceiling and counted tiles. He didn’t make a peep. It was like he was a wax figure of himself. What was he doing here? I hadn’t had a chance to buy my apology steak.

“What?” he said.

Oops. Maybe I’d said that out loud. I looked to him for the first time. “What?”

“You said you were buying an apology steak?”

I looked back up at the ceiling. “I was on my way to talk to you when the accident happened.”

“You were going the opposite direction.”

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