Chapter 39
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Derek was approaching the main desk at the hospital to ask about Sonja when a familiar figure stopped next to him. “Derek?”
“Oh, hi, Molly.” He almost hadn’t recognized her in her scrubs.
“What are you doing here?”
“Looking for Sonja. I think she’s here.” Derek checked his watch. “She was brought in by ambulance about forty minutes ago.”
“What happened?” Molly asked.
Derek gave her a quick run-down on the events at Sonja’s apartment and again started for the desk.
Molly stopped him. “If it was less than an hour ago, she’s still in Emergency. They won’t know anything here. I’ll walk you over, and we can find out what her status is.”
They started down the hall and had to wait for a gurney pushed by a joking young man in scrubs. Molly shook her head with a grin as she watched his antics. “Dr. Gerald is a big believer in the healing quality of laughter. Our own Patch Adams,” Molly said as she picked up the pace again.
“That kid is a doctor?”
“That kid ,” Derek could hear the air quotes in Molly’s intonation of the word, “is twenty-seven, he’s in his last year of residency, and he’s great with the patients.”
The receptionist in the Emergency Department had a sour expression that brightened as Molly turned her attention to him. He reacted to Molly’s orders by quickly calling up the information from the computer.
“All right,” Molly said after thanking the receptionist, “I’m afraid you’ll have to wait. They’re still working on her. I told them you were her fiancé, so they’ll let you back when they’re done stitching her up. I hope that’s all she needs. Hand lacerations can cause nasty problems.”
Derek followed Molly toward the waiting area, glancing back at the young man. “If that boy had a tail, he’d wag it.”
“Huh?” Molly sent him an incredulous look.
“The receptionist. He’s totally infatuated with you.”
Molly shrugged. “My hormones don’t swing that way.”
Derek smiled. “I’ve noticed you with Erin a couple of times. Anything serious going on between the two of you?”
“Could be,” Molly said. “We’re both taking it slow. As far as kink goes, we’re a pretty good match, and she’s intelligent and has a great sense of humor.” Molly indicated the large seating area. “I’m sorry, but I have to leave you here. I was due back in ICU five minutes ago.”
“That’s okay. Thanks for getting me to the right place and getting me access.” Derek settled down in a padded plastic chair that had clearly seen better days. What was it with hospital waiting rooms?
Unless the place was new, all the furniture looked like multiple people had thrown up on it. In the ER, he supposed it was possible it had been. The ubiquitous television was tuned to a sports channel where a spirited discussion of the pro basketball season with ridiculously early predictions on which teams would make the playoffs was taking place. The silliness of the commentators was enough to occupy the front of his mind at least.
Two hours later, a college game between two schools he’d never heard of had replaced the basketball commentary. He was saved from trying to care about the outcome by the appearance of an official-looking young man holding a clipboard. “Mr. K-Kirk-Kirk…”
“Kiriakis?” Derek supplied hopefully. He’d not heard anyone stumble so much over his name since elementary school, when his first-grade teacher had called him Derek K.
“Yes, sir. If you would come with me, please?”
Derek followed him through double doors into an area of endless curtains that he realized were concealing patients. Monitors beeped and low voices sounded from behind some of the draperies. At the fourth set, the young man came to an abrupt stop and said, “Knock, knock.”
After hearing, “Come in,” the young man pulled open the edge of the curtain to reveal Sonja lying in bed and a woman with a stethoscope listening to her heart. Derek waited to speak until the woman finished. She settled the covers over Sonja. “Hi, I’m Dr. Walters. I’ve been taking care of Sonja.”
“Derek Kiriakis.” He held out his hand, and they shook briefly. “How is she, Dr. Walters?”
“Very lucky, would be my best assessment,” Dr. Walters replied. “She’s got multiple lacerations, but only three required stitches, the one on her back and two on her hand, for a total of eighteen. No nerve or tendon damage. All the other lacerations are minor. Are you going home with her?”
“Yes.”
“Good. She’s going to need help for the next couple of weeks. The dressings need to stay dry and should be changed daily. I’m also giving her some exercises to do with her hand to keep scar tissue from developing.”
“Anything else we need to know?” Derek asked.
“It will all be in the discharge summary they’ll give you at the desk. I’ll get things taken care of, and everything will be waiting when you get there.” Dr. Walters left to take care of her next patient.
Sonja immediately pulled the covers back and swung her legs over the side of the bed.
“Wait just a minute, babygirl. Let me lower the bed. And you need a minute, or you’ll be dizzy when you stand up.” Derek found the control, and the bed went down so Sonja’s feet touched the floor. “Now hold my hand, and you can try to stand up slowly. Are you dizzy?” he asked when she grabbed his arm with her free hand.
“Just a little. I’ll be fine in a minute. I’m so glad to see you.” Her words were not quite slurred but were enough off that Derek wondered how much pain medication they had given her.
“What did they give you for pain, precious?”
“I don’t know, but I feel really good right now.” Sonja leaned into him.
“Okay, let’s get you dressed. Where are your clothes?” Derek steadied her as he looked around.
“In that bag over there. I think the blouse is ruined, but my pants may survive. They gave me something to wear home, I think.” Sonja seemed steadier on her feet, so Derek hunted around until he found a set of scrubs and helped her dress. It only took a few minutes to get her checked out, and they were in his car on the way home.
Derek led Sonja into his home with a firm grasp around her waist. Thanks to the cocktail of meds the doctors had given her, she was not in much pain, but she was floating like she was drunk.
She looked up at Derek. “You know, you’re the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.” Sonja giggled.
He smiled her favorite way, with crinkles around his eyes, and somehow, the green in them looked brighter. “Your head is pretty fuzzy, isn’t it, babygirl?”
Sonja nodded.
“Let me get you to the bathroom, precious.”
She’d rather go to bed, but the bathroom sounded good, too. She smelled of hospital.
“You know, I don’t like hospitals.”
Derek chuckled as he started to walk her to the bathroom. “Don’t think many people do, except for the ones who work there.”
She pondered a moment. “Yeah, you’re right. Molly must like it, or she wouldn’t do it.”
That made sense. If something wasn’t fun, you didn’t do it, right?
A new thought popped into her head, and she patted his arm. “Next time, we need to ask her.”
“Sure, babygirl.”
She liked that answer. It meant he thought it was a good idea, too.
He switched on the light. “Let’s get you out of those scrubs.” The pants came off easily, but the top was more challenging. Derek didn’t want to disturb the bandages or cause Sonja any more pain. Carefully, he lifted the fabric over her head and off her arms, but she couldn’t help but wince as she tried to lift an arm to help him.
At his alarmed expression, she placed a tender hand against his cheek. “It’s all right, Daddy. It will heal.”
He leaned his forehead against hers, and they stood for a couple of moments, doing nothing but sharing the air around them. Emotion clogged Sonja’s throat as she felt the intimate connection between them. It didn’t matter that she was naked; this wasn’t about sex. Derek lowered the lid to the toilet. “Sit down while I get warm water.”
Sonja looked longingly at the big shower, and Derek followed her gaze.
“Sorry, babygirl. Your bandages aren’t supposed to get wet. A washcloth has to do for today.” He ran the tap and fetched shower gel and a washcloth while they waited for the water to get warm. Derek rolled up his sleeves and smiled at her. “Let’s get you cleaned up and tucked in bed, babygirl.”
He lathered her with suds and rinsed the cloth under the running water until the dark red coming from it turned first pink and then transparent. Once she was clean, he wrapped her in a big fluffy towel from the heater. Sonja had never felt so content and cared for. There was something to say for having a Daddy Dom, especially when he was Derek Kiriakis.