Page 123 of Before You Can Blink
“Up here!” I shouted back.
Breathless, she rounded the corner into the attached bedroom, her nose and cheeks pink from being out in the cold. Throwing on a bright smile as her gaze landed on her children, she exclaimed, “Aren’t you two lucky! What I wouldn’t give for a hot bath today. It’s so chilly outside.” She hugged her arms, shaking her torso with an exaggerated, “Brrrrrr.”
Sawyer and Ellie both giggled at their mama’s silliness.
Penny’s gaze lifted to meet mine. “I’ve got them. You go where you’re needed.”
My hand came down on her shoulder as I flashed her a small smile of gratitude, eager to get back to Daisy. But I didn’t make it more than one step into the hallway when there was a knock at the front door.
That must be Tucker.
Hustling my ass down the stairs, I flung the door open, only to have swirling snowflakes whip me sharply in the face. Thankfully, Tucker crossed the threshold quickly so I could seal us both inside the warmth of the house.
Not wasting any time, he allowed me to take his coat and show him upstairs to where Daisy was still unconscious.
“How long’s she been like this?” Tucker asked, pulling a stethoscope from his medical bag.
“Couldn’t tell you. She was fine when I left this morning.”
The doctor listened to her heart before checking her blood pressure.
“BP’s a little elevated,” he remarked.
“What’s that mean?”
Tucker’s head tilted from side to side. “Could mean a lot of things, honestly.”
Great. I needed to know what’s wrong with my wife, and he was giving me the vague doctor bullshit.
Putting his instruments away, he used his hands to press on different spots on her belly, working his way down Daisy’s body. When he got to her legs, he paused with a frown before peeking up at me. “Any idea how long she’s been dealing with this swelling?”
“Huh?”
He drew my attention to her feet, which were puffed up bigger than I’d ever seen them—even when she was heavily pregnant—and my eyes widened.
“No.” I shook my head. “She hasn’t mentioned it. Daisy isn’t one to complain. As her doctor, you probably know that better than me.”
Tucker nodded. “She does like to tough things out.”
“The swelling. Is that bad?” I asked, desperate for answers.
His lips thinned, and I braced for what he was about to say next.
“I can’t be sure until after I run some tests, and I’m sorry to say we can’t do that here. Right now, my primary concern is her inability to remain conscious. It’s my recommendation that we call an ambulance and have her transferred to the hospital in Enid, where they can do a full workup.”
I stumbled back a step, my eyes wide. “An ambulance?”
“I can only imagine what you’re going through right now, Jett. But we need to get Daisy the care she needs as quickly as possible, and calling for emergency services is the best way to do that. Don’t you agree?”
She was fine this morning!I wanted to scream, but instead, I mumbled words of agreement.
“Good.” He gave a firm nod. “I’ll make the call.”
Tucker stepped out of the room, and through the static buzzing in my ears, I could barely make out his authoritative tone as he relayed my wife’s condition while requesting an ambulance. He stayed to let the EMTs in when they arrived, directing them toward their waiting patient.
An all-too-familiar face came into view at the front end of the gurney they’d hauled up the stairs. My uniformed son-in-law shook his head, his face a mask of shock when his eyes landed on Daisy.
His partner, Garrett Boyd, nudged him. “Need me to stop off at the station to grab someone else to help take her in?”
