Page 18 of Hard Focus
When they arrived at the hospital, Connie was surrounded by a flurry of activity, hustled here and there for X-Rays and various tests. She was quietly compliant with every request, still stunned by the accident and everything that followed. Finally, a white-jacketed doctor swept through the curtain-surrounding her bed and stared at her for a moment.
“Miss Rowe, I’ll be writing discharge orders in a few minutes.” He shook his head as he turned to study the numbers on the machine beside her bed. “You’re a very lucky young woman. The cops tell me it was a million-to-one accident, what happened to you. I know from the tests we ran that you have a slight concussion from one of several possible impacts. Either the tree trunks slamming into your car, your car flipping over theguardrail,or the impact with the river. Do you know what hit you?”
“The—” Her voice cracked, sounding unused and tired. Connie cleared her throat. “The logs. One of them broke out the window right beside meandit clipped me here.” She lifted a hand and gently touched the bandage covering a row of stitches directly behind her ear. Half her face was already sore, jaw aching, and she suspected there would be bruising sooner or later, but she hadn’t asked for a mirror. Not yet. She wasn’t sure how much more she could handle today.
“Another two inches into the car and it would have done irreparable damage.” He tapped his fingers against the folder in his hands. “You’re a very lucky woman.” His tone shiftedandhe was all business when he asked, “Has someone been called for you yet? You can’t go home alone, not after this. If you don’t have someone to pick you up and stay with you, I’ll have to keep you overnight.”
“My purse and phone were still in the car. I don’t have a way to call anyone.” She lifted a palm towards him in supplication, pleased it scarcely trembled. “I need someone to call for me. My family lives out of town, and I don’t…I know a couple of friends’ numbers, but most are just in my contacts.”
“At the bottom of the river.” He nodded. Connie shivered at the matter-of-fact way he spoke about the destruction that she’d somehow survived. “I’ll send a nurse in. She can help you get in touch with someone.” He turned, then paused and looked back at her. His voice was soft, almost musing when he said, “You know, when something like this happens, maybe it’s time to take a look at everything in your life, see what’s worth keeping.”
With that cryptic statement, he pushed through the curtain, leaving the fabric swirling in his wake. A few minutes later a nurse was next to Connie with a notepad. She took down Taylor’snumberand promised to return as soon as she’d reached him. Connie stopped her and asked, “The man who saved me, Cole Stewart, is he okay?”
The nurse smiled and nodded. “Yeah, Cole was cold and wet, but he’s okay. It’s what he does.” She shrugged. “He’s here way too often if you ask me.” She smiled. “Heroes, no telling them what to do, you know?”
“What do you mean?” Connie had listened for his voice all night but hadn’t heard that distinctive deep tone.
“He’s a fireman. When others are running away from something, he’s one of the guys running in.”Like Daddy. The nurse turned. “I’ll go call your friend.”
“Please. Don’t scare him. Make sure he knows I’m okay,” Connie called, and the nurse grinned over her shoulder.
“Not my first rodeo. I’ll be gentle.” Connie gave her a weak smile as the curtains swirled, and she was alone again.
So, Audrey’s brother was a fireman. That would explain his selfless rescue.Just another day in the life, I guess, she thought. But why would he have been kind to her at first, and then cold asice.She thought back to the chaotic moments in the ambulance. She’d been distracted by everything the EMT was working on, the shock of the accident, and she hadn’t paid a lot of attention to what Cole was doing. He had picked up the clipboard and… “He read my name.” Connie let her head sagbackwardsonto the thin pillow. “Once he knew who I was, he turned off like a switch.”
It had only been a few days since she’d broken things off with Jonas. Even if it had been longer, there was no way her ex would have any reason to tell his ex’s family anything about Connie breaking up with him. Which meant in Cole Stewart’s mind, she was still associated with a man he clearly saw as the enemy.
She folded forwards, pressing her hands against her temples. It explained the doctor’s strange words, and the way the EMT had acted, too. Whatever it was that caused Cole to hate Jonas, they had known about.I’m the only one not in the loop.
The nurse stuck her head back through the curtains a few minutes later. In polar opposite to how warm and friendly she’d been before, her expression now was severe, brows drawn together in a stern frown. She looked angry with Connie for some reason.Christ, am I cursed or something?Brusquely she told Connie, “I contacted your friend. He’ll be here in about twenty minutes.” She paused, then swept the curtain to one side and stepped through. “I talked to the doctor. He’s working on the paperwork.” Connie nodded. Now the nurse seemed puzzled. “Everyone here knows Audrey, you know.”
“Oh.” Connie deflated, locking her fingers together as she lay back.
“She’s a great gal. Was a super nurse.”
“I didn’t know she was a nurse.” Connie realized she didn’t really know anything about Audrey, other than she was the mother of Jonas’ little girl.And Cole’s sister.
“Yeah. I worked with her before.”
It seemed an odd statement, so Connie questioned, “Before?”
The nurse blinked, then her expression hardened. “I’ll just go check on that paperwork.”
Connie called out, desperate for more information. “Wait, please.” Hand on the edge of the curtain, the nurse turned and stared at her. “Look, I don’t know what happened. I…clearly it involves Jonas. But I’m not with him now. I broke up with him. He got…” She trailed off, not wanting to say anything that would get back to him. “It doesn’t matter. I broke up with him.”
“He hurt you?” The nurse tipped her head to where Connie had begun unconsciously rubbing at the still-fading bruise on her wrist. “I thought that was from the accident. But it’s not, is it? He hurt you, didn’t he?”
“I shouldn’t say anything.” Connie tucked her hands underneath the blankets covering her. “I just wanted someone to know that whatever happened, I wasn’t part of it, and I’m not with him.”
“You really don’t know what happened to Audrey?” Connie shook her head. “You’re just that unlucky then? That’s hard to believe.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Connie was more confused than before. Sounds came from the hallwayandTaylor’s worried voice rang out over the background noises of the hospital. “That’s my friend.”
“I’ll go collect him. You rest.” She patted Connie’s foot. “Your luck is changing.”
She swept outandConnie heard her saying something, then the curtain moved againandTaylor was beside her bed, Alden standing behind him, their faces etched in anxious worry. “Oh my God,” Taylor cried, his hand reaching for her face. She let him trace the edges of what must be visible bruising with his fingers as she smiled at him. “What happened, Connie? Are you okay? They said you were, but are you really?”
“I think I’m okay.” Her eyes stungandshe stared at him through the watery tears suddenly filling her vision. “I’m so glad you’re here. I was so scared, Tay.” He leaned in and pressed his forehead against hers, maintaining eye contact. “I was so scared.” She tried to stop her chin from quivering, but then the railing on the bed lowered and Taylor was seated on the edge of the thin mattress, his arms around her as Connie sobbed against his shoulder. “It was so scary. Everything happened so fast, and then the car flippedandI was trappedandthen it was so coldandthe river was fast.”
