Page 30 of Degrees of Innocence
“I’ve seen him a couple of times when I was running on the beach and then in the hall earlier today.”
“Katarina, the three men are part of my security team, that’s why he looks familiar to you. They’ve been assigned to watch you since Sunday,” he explains.
“You’ve had people following me?” I ask confused.
“Not exactly, Katarina. Keeping you safe. When you feel better, we’ll talk more about security. Right now, let’s get you into bed.”
“I just want a bath,” I say, wanting to rinse the sand and blood off of me, but not sure if I can stand up for the length of a shower. It is impossible to keep my emotions in check and the steady stream of tears on my cheeks rush uncontrolled down my face. “I don’t even know why I am crying,” I sob, trying unnsuccessfully to stem the flood of emotion.
“Baby, it’s perfectly normal after an attack like this. “I’ll have Jay stop by your room and pick up a few of your belongings,” he assures, handing me a glass of water and Advil. “Drink slowly and take these,” he says, walking through the bedroom to start the whirlpool tub. I follow him into the bathroom as he is emptying the contents of a small container in the water. I pull my sports bra over my head self-consciously and his jaw clenches as I grimace at the pain in my side. His eyes turn to hard steel as he brushes the hair out of my eyes and gently kisses my forehead, helping me out of the rest of my clothes, holding onto me as I get into the chamomile-scented whirlpool. He undresses, sliding in behind me, and pulls me back against his strong, comforting chest using the soapy loofah to rub my neck and shoulders, gently massaging some of my stress away. “Do you want to wash your hair in here or the shower?” he asks.
“I think I’ll just stay in here,” I respond. I slide down his body until my head is all the way in the water and almost on his lap. I look up realizing I’m pressing against his manhood and he gazes down at me with amusement.
His lips are turned up with a quirky smile. “Wash your hair, Katarina, before I decide not to be such a gentleman,” he says. He tenderly massages the shampoo into my hair and I rinse it out before he helps me out of the whirlpool. I slide into my robe and flip over to wrap my hair in the towel, but I’m caught off balance as I come up and Chase catches me, steadying me and manages to keep me upright. His eyes are dark and expressionless as he helps me into his bed before he steps out of the room.
“What’s taking so long, Jay? Never mind, she’s just arrived,” I hear him say as he opens the door and lets someone into the suite. “Thanks for coming. She got attacked by a group in the district area and hit her head and face when they threw her to the ground. I’m also concerned about the pain in her ribs when she moves,” he explains.
“Chase, your assistant told me her name is Kate. Is that right?” a female voice asks.
“Yes, her name is Kate. Follow me,” he says briskly, ushering her into his bedroom. He introduces me to a well-dressed middle-aged woman with caring eyes and a warm smile as Dr. Mederea. Her sleek dark hair is parted in the middle and curls in to frame her face, falling just below chin level.
“Dr. Mederea has been the chief physician on staff at the resort for some years. As the largest resort on the island, we offer medical services to both our employees and patrons,” Chase says.
“Thank you for coming to see me,” I say, more than a little embarrassed at all the fuss and wishing everyone would leave me alone so I could just go to sleep.
“I’m happy to check on you, Kate. I have a few questions and I’ll examine your ribs while we talk if you don’t mind,” she says.
“No, I don’t mind,” I reply as she discreetly parts my robe keeping me turned towards her as her fingers move over the bruised area of my ribs.
“Do you recall if you lost consciousness when you hit your head?” she asks.
“No, I didn’t lose consciousness. It just stunned and scared me.”
“Does your head hurt now?” she asks.
“Yes, a little bit. Chase gave me some Advil when we got back and it seems better now.
“Yes, I know. His assistant contacted me to find out if it would be okay. About how long ago did you take it?” she asks me.
“About forty-five minutes ago.”
“Have you had any nausea or episodes of dizziness?” she asks.
Chase answers for me. “Yes, she did,” he replies, silencing my look of indignation with a glance. “She flipped her hair down to wrap it in a towel and on the way up lost her balance. It’s never made her dizzy before.”
“Let’s check some of your range of motion,” she says, instructing me to raise my arms and move them in circles, and then again behind my back. “Your ribs are not broken, but you are going to be sore and bruised for a while. You’ll want to continue Advil and alternate with Tylenol to get ahead of the discomfort today. I’ll leave instructions for alternating, but the real concern is that you most likely have a mild concussion, Kate. I’m going to suggest bed rest for a couple of days,” she says.
“Dr. Mederea, I am in the middle of an event with a team that was flown in from the States. There is absolutely no way I can take a day off right now. I need to go to work tomorrow,” I explain.
“Kate, I am offering you my professional advice based on your symptoms. Head injuries are nothing to take lightly. You need to let your brain rest and heal. That is my advice,” she says.
“I don’t mean to sound rude, but…”
Chase cuts in, speaking directly to Dr. Mederea. “I’ll see that she doesn’t overexert herself. How long would you recommend?” he inquires, ignoring my glare.
“I’ll leave you with a list of symptoms to watch for and as long as none present she can return to work on Monday. A little bed rest until you feel better and then you can go out and enjoy the island, but no running, jumping, or contact sports,” she advises before leaving.
“Chase, I will feel better by tomorrow,” I say, frustrated by the turn of events but so incredibly tired.
