Page 16 of This Love
Vinnie took a step back from the bed. “Should we get the doctor?”
“It’s a Saturday,” Tucker said. “We won’t get the one who understands her condition. As soon as they see she’s not in any danger, they will discharge us.”
Vinnie let out a long, slow breath. That had to be bad. It didn’t sound normal.
I moved my hands to my ears and shut my eyes. I didn’t want to hear anything else or see anything more. I wanted quiet. Blackness. That peace I’d felt before the bright light in the car, then people, the rolling chair.
I wanted out of this itchy dress.
I wanted…something. I didn’t know exactly what else. But not this. Not this. Not this.
Tears leaked out of my eyes. My nose started tingling. I bent over, my head in my lap, but the dress had sparkly parts that cut into my skin.
That was enough. I tore at the skirt, the sleeves. I wanted it off.
“We’d better find her something else to wear,” Vinnie said.
“Ava, let me help,” Tucker said. He approached the side of the bed and touched my back, but I twisted, elbows out, to keep him away.
“Go get her dad,” Tucker said. “He will talk to the nurses. Maybe we will need a sedative. It’s never been this bad.”
I didn’t like them talking about me this way, so I kept jerking side to side, elbows flying. Tucker’s hands were on my back, doing something.
I let out a low, angry roar at him, but then my back felt better.
I dropped my elbows. The dress was falling away, coming off at the front.
“Just one more button,” Tucker said.
Then it was free. I pulled it forward, off me.
Relief flooded my body. I pressed my hands to my neck. The terrible itch was gone.
“Here,” Tucker said. “Let me cover you.”
I looked down. I wasn’t wearing anything under the dress.
Tucker took off his jacket and wrapped it around me. It was rough, but so much softer than the dress. I held it tightly.
The father person returned with a woman in blue clothes. She came to my side. “Ava, are you feeling agitated?”
“It was the dress,” Tucker said. “I think she’ll be better with it off.”
“I’ll go find her something to wear,” Dad said. “Surely, there’s a shop close by.”
“You can get sweats in the gift shop. Longhorn stuff, Texas stuff, you know.” The woman tapped on a big screen in her hand. “I’ll see if we can get the doctor in here.”
The father person left, then the nurse.
Tucker stood by the bed. “You want me to help you get the dress the rest of the way off? There’s a paper sheet to cover yourself until your dad finds some pants.”
“Yes.”
He helped me off the bed, and the dress fell to the ground. I wore white panties.
But more words caught my eye.
On one of my hips was the name Ava Roberts and numbers. 7-7-00.
