Chapter Six
The curtain pulled all the way open and when Derek stepped in, there was a giant grin on his clean-cut face, until he spotted Jeremy. With one eye raised, his gaze volleyed between me and Jeremy to my pain-riddled face and then to my shoulders where Jeremy settled his hands.
“Well, what do we have here?” Derek held tightly to the chart with one hand and shoved the other into the pocket of his lab coat.
I didn’t like his tone, but I figured I was reading more into it than I should’ve. However, it didn’t stop me from countering with my own crummy attitude, and I shifted on the bed trying to be as strong as I could. “I wiped out and banged my elbow.”
“You fell?” But he wasn’t looking at me, he was staring down Jeremy. “How?”
“How what?”
He narrowed his eyes, not so much at me as he did at Jeremy. His tone remained as indignant as his look. “Did you hit your head? Maybe I should order a head CT just in case.” Was he serious? “How did you trip? I need the details.”
I wasn’t sure if he was joking or not. “I was walking backward, and with the back of my shoe, the left one I think, I caught the top of a parking curb and went down.”
“You tripped?”
Was there an echo? “Yeah.”
“Her head really hit the pavement hard,” Jeremy added.
Although I was going to get there eventually, it wasn’t my main concern. My elbow hurt more than my throbbing head.
“You tripped? Backward?” There were questions in his eyes I didn’t like seeing, and an accusatory tone in his voice.
“What exactly are you getting at?” Jeremy asked at the same time as I stated, “I want a new doctor.”
With that, Derek shot up straight, and I didn’t miss the side-eye he gave Jeremy. “And you are...?” His gaze lingered too long on Jeremy; the words laced with a politeness that felt as sharp as broken glass.
Wow. Suddenly my once handsome boyfriend was quickly evolving into an ugly monster.
Jeremy inhaled deeply but calmly replied in a tone that suggested a deep connection all the while holding tight to my good shoulder. “I am her boyfriend, and I really don’t appreciate the way you are talking to her. I hear exactly what you’re accusing me of, which frankly is uncalled for and blatantly untrue.”
“Boyfriend? Really.”
How hard had I hit my head? Did I hear him correctly?
Derek shot a questioning stare my way but before I could say anything, Jeremy spoke.
“Yes. We just celebrated our anniversary.”
Holy beans…
Derek tipped his head sideways and pierced my soul without even touching it. His eyes narrowed into slits before jumping back and forth between Jeremy and me. “Is that so?”
I pinched my thigh, just to be sure I wasn’t hallucinating.
My heart pounded harder than the throbbing in my shoulder. Why was Derek being such a jerk and why on Earth would Jeremy say we were celebrating an anniversary? My heart skipped a beat, unsure if I wanted to laugh or yell at him. Did he overhear me at the coffee shop—or was this his way of doubling down on the fake-dating thing?
I flashed back to Wednesday when I’d mentioned to Elliot about the reason for the embarrassingly large bouquet of flowers. Jeremy didn’t know Derek had been the boyfriend I was on my way to see, but clearly, he had overheard parts, and for whatever reason, he felt he needed to state this. Right now. In this ER room.
The air in the curtained-off area thickened like the morning mountain fog. No one was seeing clearly.
“An anniversary, eh?” The pen in Derek’s hand tapped against the chart as he pursed his lips. “That’s interesting.” His eyes narrowed to slits. “Really interesting.”
“It shouldn’t be.” He inhaled sharply and his warm exhale blew against my hair. “Anyone who’s ever met her adores her.”
Somewhere, way back in my Twilight-infested teens, I thought it would be dreamy to have two guys fight over me, but in this particular moment, it wasn’t nearly as dreamy. Far from it.
I shifted on the uncomfortable bed and cleared my throat. “Excuse me, Doctor? My reason for being here? Or shall I request someone new?”
He set the chart on the nearby counter, donned some gloves, and sat on the rolling stool. “Right. Let me see.” He scooted closer. “Do you have a headache, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, confusion, sensitivity to light or noise, and any changes in mood or behavior?”
“I’m getting cranky right now.”
He rolled his eyes.
“But yes, I have a bit of a headache and a bit of an upset stomach, but none of the other things.” My stomach was souring, but it could also be because Jeremy and I had discussed going out for a bite to eat, and I was getting hungry. Or maybe it was the sound of a crackling wrapper coming from Jeremy’s direction stirring my hunger pangs even more.
“Can I get you to stand please?” Derek asked but offered no assistance.
I reluctantly did as he requested, pushing myself up and off the bed.
“Stand on your left leg.” He watched as I wobbled, but it wasn’t my dominant leg so there was that. “And now your right.” That leg I had way more control over. “Great. Have a seat.”
“No bow?”
“Your sense of humour still seems intact.”
He pulled a penlight out of his pocket and held it above my eyes, leaning in close enough for me to smell the sip of coffee he must’ve had just before coming into my curtained area. The bright light shone from side to side, and I held my breath as he moved.
However, when Jeremy’s hand rubbed across my shoulders, it soothed my ruffled feathers and was a calming force I needed. But maybe it was the mint scent raining down which was just as pleasant.
“Pupils reactive. That’s a great sign.” He stared into the depths of my eyes, and I allowed him to linger. Gone was the objective doctor and for a heartbeat, my former boyfriend was present.
Until Jeremy cleared his throat.
“This is the sore elbow?”
I nodded, looking anywhere but at him.
“Squeeze my hand.” He put his fist into my left palm, and I tried my best to grip it without grimacing. He straightened it out, palpitated, and bent it again. “It’s not broken, so that’s great. But it does have a minor sprain. I’m more concerned about your headache. While you don’t have a severe concussion, I would like you to monitor your symptoms for the next forty-eight hours and come right back if things get any worse, okay?”
Derek pushed back on his stool, typing wildly onto the iPad.
Jeremy walked around the bed, reached for my hand, and was close enough for me to rest my forehead against his firm chest. With his other hand, he soothingly and most welcomely stroked my back.
“The nurse will assist you into a sling and give you some pain meds. Are you allergic to anything?”
“Only seasonal allergies and pet dander.”
“Fair enough.”
“Wait,” I said, peeking around Jeremy. “Because it’s like mildly sprained, it means a quick heal, right? Like two to three days, and I’ll be good as new?”
Derek rose to his full height, his expression changing to a borderline chagrin. “You’ll still need to be in a sling for a few days to let it properly heal.”
“I have the concert next week.” There was no way I could play the flute while wearing a sling.
“Then I suggest plenty of rest, lots of hydration, and you may be able to play. But if you strain yourself, you’ll only regret it as it’ll push back your recovery.” There was almost a tsk-tsk sound on the tip of his tongue.
My lip quivered, and I wanted to scream. First my solo, now the shop.
Oh beans! The Coffee Loft. How was I going to man the espresso machine and coffee makers with only one arm?
And the flute… Losing the solo wasn’t just disappointing—it felt like I was letting everyone down.
“Molly,” his voice took on a softer, friendlier tone. “I know that’s not what you wanted to hear, but it’s what’s best for healing.” He scratched a pen across a pad of paper, and ripped a sheet off, handing me a prescription. “If you need it. The nurse will be back with anti-inflammatories and your sling.”
“Fan-frappachino-tastic,” I huffed while shaking my head.
Before he had the curtain open, the nurse came in with her supplies. I remained as quiet as Jeremy, turning my thoughts inward and allowing them to run amok over not being able to play and do what I love.
“All done, dearie. You’re good to go home.” I’d been so deep into my own head; I didn’t even realise she’d been talking and spouting aftercare instructions until she handed me a paper with some tips. “Remember, the first two are crucial.”
“Thanks.” I inched forward on the bed and set my shaky feet on the floor.
“Wait.” Jeremy walked in front of me, holding my jacket open for me.
I slipped my arm in and he brought the other side over and slowly buttoned it closed, taking extra caution as he neared my arm snuggled against my chest. He even freed my hair trapped under the collar.
“Thank you.” I gazed up into his eyes.
He rocked back on his heels and spoke low and slow. “You’re welcome, Molly.”
“I appreciate you being here. Truly. Thank you.”
“Home?”
“Yes.” I grabbed the folded paper with my prescription and led the way out of the curtained area.
The ER was quiet, and Derek was leaning against the triage desk chatting up the nurse as he typed on the device. His gaze flicked up as we passed, a half-frown tugging at his lips. I couldn’t tell if he looked guilty or angry—or maybe a mix of both. Either way, I kept walking, Jeremy’s hand warm around mine. There was no point in turning back now.