Page 114 of For Wrath and Redemption
“Sorry.”
I groan, and she pats my shoulder. “We’re pulling into the hospital now. I think you’re going to need stitches. You just hang tight.”
I do as she says. Sav’s security guard opens the car door, and I take over holding the towel to my head. The guard helps me into a wheelchair, then pushes me toward some sort of private entrance where two medical professionals are already waiting.
I close my eyes again. The movement of the chair nauseates me as we rush through some double doors, then down a hall and into an empty private room.
The nurses introduce themselves as they help me onto a hospital bed. They ask me some triage questions. They take my vitals. They take my blood. They hook me up to an IV.
And then they disappear.
I lie back on the pillow and close my eyes once more. “That was fast.”
“Yeah. Ham called ahead. He tried to make me stay at the hotel so he could take you—he said it would be less likely to draw attention—but I told him to fuck off.”
I laugh, and then groan, because it makes my head throb. “Thank you. I’d rather you be here than him.”
“Right?” I can hear the playfulness in Mabel’s tone. “Obviously I’m much better company.” I hear her phone ding, and then I listen as she types something out before she speaks again. “Sorry. It’s just Sav wanting updates. Red texted her.”
“Oh, did you not tell her?”
“Wasn’t really time, honestly. I just flagged down the nearest security guard and called Ham as Red was hauling you to the car.”
The image of me cradled in Red’s giant arms makes me want to laugh before her words sink in. “So, who all knows I’m here?”
“Well, Ham and Red, obviously. Now that Sav knows, I’m sure Callie knows. The guys will probably know soon.”
I nod slowly, careful not exacerbate the ache. I don’t want Jonah tosee me like this. I don’t want his searching gaze on me. He sees more than I want him to, and this would be much more than I want to share.
“Can you send Sav a message and ask her not to tell the guys? Just not until I’m out.”
“Oh...Sure.” A pause. More typing. “She said no problem. Callie doesn’t even know.”
I let out a slow sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
Mabel and I sit in comfortable silence until the door to the room opens and a doctor steps in. She’s an older woman with brown skin and short, curly hair. She smiles softly and greets Mabel and me.
“Hello, I’m Doctor Shirazi.”
I smile back. “Hi, Doctor Shirazi. I’m Claire.”
“And I’m Mabel. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You as well. Mabel, are you family?”
“Oh, no,” I cut in. “She’s not family, but she’s fine to be in here.”
“Okay, sounds good.” The doctor turns her attention on me. She consults a chart, then zeroes in on my forehead. “So, I hear you’ve had a bit of a fall.”
I laugh. “Yeah. You can say that.”
She examines the cut on my head, then shines a flashlight in my eyes.
“Well, you don’t have a concussion. I know you said the head wound bled quite a bit, but that’s not uncommon for head wounds. Your cut is actually quite minor. Two staples and some extra strength ibuprofen should take care of that.”
“Oh, that’s great news.” I look over at Mabel and she flashes me a thumbs up. “So, no real down time, then?”
“Not for this.” Doctor Shirazi looks down at a chart on a clipboard. “But you’re extremely dehydrated, and your blood sugar was very low. You said you passed out while exercising?”
