Chapter Two
Simon’s eyes widened when he came around the curve and saw a crushed truck in the middle of the road and an old man at the edge.
He quickly parked and ran to him. “Sir, what happened?”
“I think I killed the girl,” the old man cried and pointed down the hill at a car that sat on a shallow ledge.
It looked secure at the moment, but he knew a brisk wind could make the car move enough to send it down the ravine.
“Did you call?”
“Yes. They’re on the way.”
Simon gritted his teeth when he realized the man was drunk. He’d let the officials deal with him.
“Do you know how many are in the car?” Simon asked.
“I think just one little woman.” The man wiped the sweat off his face. “My wife isn’t going to forgive me this time.”
Simon wanted to answer, but he was just worried about the woman. “I’m headed down to see what can be done and to see if she’s okay. If she’s dead, you’ll go away for a while.”
The older man started crying but nodded.
Simon was careful going down the side of the hill because if he made one wrong move, he’d fall. He surveyed the woman when he got to her and sighed in relief when he saw her chest move.
It concerned him when it took several tries to wake her, and when he did, her words were soft and slurred. He started hearing sirens and men up at the top. The car moved, making his heartbeat gallop in his chest.
“You need to secure the car now,” Simon bellowed. When he saw men start down toward them, he gripped her wrist and took her pulse.
“You’re so warm,” she said.
He didn’t like the sound of that and barked at the men to hurry.
It seemed to take forever to get her into the ambulance. He thought he’d be relieved, but with the light, he saw how much blood there was and more of her injuries.
He sat off to the side, out of the way, but watched the expression on his friend Tony’s face. He looked worried but not alarmed. He would never get the picture out of his mind, of her in that wreckage with blood all over. The fact thatit took a lot to get her hand to release the wheel told him how terrified she was. It made his anger toward the drunk worse.
He kept his hand on her until they reached the hospital. The doors were thrown open, and several medical professionals stood by to help. Simon stayed back until everyone was out, and they were wheeling her into the ER.
He walked in and stood out of the way but was able to see the nurses and doctors strip the woman and look for her injuries.
He heard her scream. “Simon!”
Simon stepped forward. “That’s me.”
One of the nurses pointed to where he could stand. He would be able to touch her but not be in the way.
“Shhh, Casey. It’s Simon. I’m right here.” He laid his hand on her shoulder again. He was pleased when she immediately calmed down.
“Sir, we’re going to sedate her. We want her comfortable when we stitch her up.”
He looked at the doctor. “I understand. I don’t want her to feel anything.”
He bent down beside her ear. “Baby, they want you to rest.”
“Why?”
“They want to wipe off the blood, and they don’t want you to be in pain. That’s okay, right?”
“Yes. As long as you’re here.”
“I won’t leave.”
“I’m sorry I’m bothering you,” she whispered. “You can go if you need to.”
“I don’t need to be anywhere, Baby. Go to sleep.”
“I just don’t…”
Simon sighed in relief when she fell asleep. He’d seen some awful things in his life. Being a cop forthe first decade of his life, he’d witnessed a lot. It had been part of the job. Now that he and his friend Trent opened their own private investigating business, he still observed a lot, but not nearly as much as when they were on the street.
It had been the best decision of his life. The business flourished quickly, and they had to keep hiring people because it kept growing.
He watched as one nurse tried to wash off as much of the blood as she could while another kept an eye on her monitors while the doctor sewed up her many cuts. The one on her head had bled the most but wasn’t the most severe. The few on her chest were the deepest. Still, he was thankful she didn’t have any broken bones or internal injuries. They would take her up for a full scan when the doctor finished and then bring her to her room.
They covered her with a blanket and wheeled her to the elevator.
“Sir, you can go to her room, and we’ll be there shortly,” a nurse said.
He nodded, stood back, and watched the doors close. He couldn’t define the feeling of loss at the moment. She was still alive and was going to make it, but not being able to touch her made him angry.
He took the stairs to her floor and walked into her room. Fortunately, it was a private room. If it hadn’t been, he would have changed it. At the window, he stared out at the stars and called his partner.
“Hey,” Trent answered.
“Hey.” Simon went through everything that happened.
“Jesus. I fucking hate drunk and distracted drivers,” Trent said.
Simon agreed. Those people on their phones should pay more attention to the road. “I’m going to stay here with her. She’s not from around here and doesn’t have anyone close.”
“I’m glad you’re there. Stay as long as you need to. Do you want me to bring you a bag of your things so you can change?”
Simon looked down at himself and noticed her blood was all over him, especially his hands. “Yeah. Do that. I’m not going to want to leave her,” Simon said.
“She sounds like she’s gotten to you?” Trent said.
“When you see her, you’ll understand. She’s also one of the sweetest women I’ve ever met. She was sitting in her car on the edge of a cliff and told me to stand back because she didn’t want me to fall.”
“Fuck. I can’t wait to meet her. I’ll see you soon.”
Simon stuck his phone in his pocket and walked into the bathroom to wash off as much blood as he could.
It wasn’t long before the door opened, and two orderlies and a nurse walked in with Casey on the gurney. She looked so small and defenseless that he became even more protective of her.
“Are you the husband?” the nurse asked.
Without thinking, he nodded. “Yes.”
“The doctor will be right in to talk to you,” she said.
Simon watched as the orderlies gently transferred her to the bed. The nurse made sure she was covered and then set up her IV stand. When the monitor came on, and he heard the quiet rhythm of her heart, he relaxed. She was going to be okay.
He walked closer to the bed. “How long will she be out?”
“Maybe another hour. Although I heard she was a lightweight. It might be a bit longer,” the nurse said and grinned. “We don’t see many people besides children that instantly go to sleep when sedated.”
That didn’t surprise Simon. “Could I wash her off? I want her as comfortable as possible.”
“Sure. I’ll have someone bring you in the supplies.”
“Thank you. I’ll change the blankets when I’m finished.”
The nurse nodded. “Those will be brought in, too. If you need any help, just push the button.”
“Thank you.”
The nurse walked out, leaving him alone with Casey. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. They’d cleaned enough of the blood off her face for him to see how delicate her features were and how pretty she was.
She was a tiny little thing. Easily a foot shorter than him. What caught his attention the most was the dark auburn hair. It was showing a lot of curls, and the length was probably down to the middle of her back.
He’d always been a sucker for a redhead, and it looked like one had fallen into his lap. He wished they had met under better circumstances, but he didn’t care. She was alive, and he was there to take care of her.
He knew he had no information on her and that she might already be in a relationship or didn’t want to be in one at all, but he wasn’t going to lose this opportunity.
The door opened, and the doctor walked in, followed by a nurse who carried a large bowl, soap, and some clothes.
The nurse set everything down on the rolling table. “If you need anything, push the button.”
“I will. Thank you.”
Simon’s attention went to the doctor who was reading her chart. “How was the scan?”
“It looked good. She’s a very lucky woman. I heard she was pushed off the side of the road and went down the cliff until something stopped her car.”
“Yes. Unfortunately. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. A drunk was on the Carmicheal Road and hit her.”
“Damn drunks. I hope they put him away,” the doctor said.
“It seems likely.”
“My name is Dr. Reynolds, but call me Daniel.”
Simon reached out and shook the man’s hand. “I’m Simon Barnes, and this is Casey.”
“We need some information on her. They haven’t brought her things in. But since you are here, you can fill out the paperwork.”
Simon nodded. “Have the nurses bring them in, and I’ll take care of that.”
“So, I was sayingthe scan looked good, and her injuries are superficial. She had about eighty stitches put in at the ER, and they gave her blood because of what she’d lost. I expect her to be better in a few days. I’ll want her back in ten to get the stitches out.”
“I’ve got a friend who’s a medic that can do it,” Simon said.
“That’s fine. I’m sure you know that if there is any swelling or redness, you’ll need to bring her right back.”
“Yes. I used to be a cop, so I’ve seen plenty of wounds.”
Daniel chuckled. “I bet. The IVs are saline and antibiotics. If she starts getting uncomfortable, have a nurse give her pain meds.”
“I’ll watch her.”
Daniel set the chart on the end of the bed and pulled the blanket down. The gown she had on was tied in three places in front, so her wounds would be easy to get at.
Simon flinched at the cuts all over her arms and torso—some shallow with bandages and the others deep with stitches. The black thread looked obscene against her fair skin.
“I’ll be back to check on her tomorrow, but there will be a doctor here all night.”
“Thank you, Daniel.”
The doctor shook his hand and grinned. “You’re welcome. Take care of your wife .”
Simon grinned as the door closed behind the doctor, but he could still hear his laughter. He figured Daniel knew she wasn’t his wife but wasn’t going to say anything. He was a good man.