Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
~brAX~
I s Josie really here, or am I hallucinating from banging my head against the steering wheel?
“Follow my finger,” the doctor instructs, and I try to focus on his hand as it moves back and forth, up and down. “Not bad.”
“Josie?” I ask again, convinced that I imagined her. Suddenly, there she is, standing next to my bed and pushing a needle into my arm. “What are you doing here?”
She raises a sexy eyebrow at me. “I work here.”
“Do you remember what happened, Mr. Adler?” the doctor asks while poking around my neck. They finally took the stupid brace off, so I’m not as uncomfortable as I was.
“Dude hit me,” I say, remembering the bright lights right at me. “He was on the wrong side of the road.”
“He’s next door,” a nurse says. “You can smell the alcohol on him.”
The doctor’s expression is grim as he examines my chest where the seatbelt was.
“You’re going to have some intense bruising,” he says and turns to the nurse. “I want x-rays of the chest and shoulders to make sure there are no fractures.” He looks at me again. “Are you allergic to any medications?”
“No,” I reply.
He keeps rattling off instructions, but it’s all turned to ringing and buzzing in my ears.
I’m tired.
Seriously fucking tired.
“You guys have this?” I hear Josie say. “I’ll see if they need help next door.”
“No.” I look for her, desperate to keep her with me. “Stay.”
“I’ll go,” another woman says and hurries away.
Josie sighs but stays and takes orders from the doctor. I just watch her as she listens and nods, asking questions in that sweet voice of hers.
God, I fucking missed her.
Everything about her.
“I’ll be back when the x-rays are done,” the doctor says and rushes out, leaving just me and Josie in the room.
“You’re so pretty.”
She sighs and spares me a glance. “You’ve got a good amount of pain medicine running through you right now. And you’re probably in shock or something.”
“I’m not in shock. And even if I was, it doesn’t mean you’re not pretty.”
She just types on her computer, her long, thin fingers flying over the keyboard. Noise comes from the cubicle next door—loud beeps and raised voices—before I hear “Code blue” over the loudspeakers and more people hurrying into the room. Someone shouts instructions I can’t follow, and not long after, all I hear is a long, high-pitched noise before the doctor says, “Call it.”
Josie’s head turns to the doorway, and then, with sad eyes, she turns to me.
“He didn’t make it,” she says softly under her breath, but I still hear her.
“Damn,” I reply. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I am, too,” she says. “Imaging will be here in just a few minutes.”
“I don’t have to go to them?”
“No, they have a portable x-ray machine. We don’t want to move you around too much in case something is broken. Stay still for a while.”
“Never was good at lying still.”
Her lips curve into a half smile, and I take that as a win.
“No, you weren’t,” she says. “But try. We’re going to run some labs, as well, check for inflammation and some other things. Can I call someone for you?”
“Just you,” I say simply. But she only narrows her eyes at me, and I see the edges of her temper starting to flare.
God, she’s magnificent when she’s good and pissed off.
“A family member, friend, girlfriend ?” she says. “It’s not fun to sit in here alone.”
“I’m not alone,” I remind her. “I have you.”
“I’m working ,” she says. “And I’m not your girlfriend anymore. Apparently, I dumped you.”
She looks damn mad as she says that. I’d wondered if she was listening this morning. Looks like she was.
“You did.”
Her cheeks flush. “I did not. ”
“You’re the one who left, sweetheart.”
“I did not —” She sighs and rubs her fingers into her eyes. “You know what? It doesn’t matter. I have to go see to some things. If you decide you want me to call someone, let me know.”
I watch her leave the room and close the door behind her.
I’m a little woozy. And I’m damn tired.
Something tells me I’m going to be fucking sore tomorrow.
I hear someone walk into the room. It’s been a shitty night without much sleep. They x-rayed me, poked and prodded, then, after deciding I don’t have a concussion, left me alone just long enough to fall asleep again.
“Are you awake, Mr. Adler?”
It’s the doctor. I open one eye and grunt at him. “Sort of.”
“The good news is, nothing is broken—no internal bleeding. You’re going to be sore and have bruises for a while. I want you to be careful with the bruising. Don’t rub them; no massages. And take it easy. I don’t see any evidence of clots, but let’s keep it that way. I can prescribe you some pain medication?—”
“No, thanks,” I interrupt him. “I’ll be fine with over-the-counter.”
He nods and makes a note. “I’ll get your paperwork finished up, and you can go in just a little while.”
How will I get home? My car is toast. I don’t know what time it is, but I’m quite sure everyone I know is sleeping.
Then, Josie walks into the room.
Bingo.
“Thank you,” I say to the doctor as he nods and walks out of the room. “Hey, Jose?”
“Yeah,” she says.
“Would you be willing to give me a ride home?”
She stops typing on her computer and turns to me with surprised brown eyes. “ Me ?”
“Well, sure. You’re here, and it’s late. Or, you know, early.”
“It’s almost six in the morning,” she replies.
“Holy shit, really? It doesn’t feel like I’ve been here that long.”
“You slept more than you think you did.” She sighs and snaps the computer shut. “Fine. I’m off work in fifteen minutes. I can drop you off at home.”
“Thanks. Really.”
“Yeah, you’re welcome.”
She blows out a breath and walks back out of the room. She may not be thrilled with this situation, but I’m elated to get to spend some time with her outside of this damn hospital.
Before long, she’s back with my discharge papers. She takes out the IV and gets me ready to leave.
“I have to clock out and grab my stuff,” she says after making sure that I’m good to go. “You stay right here and wait for me. I’ll be back in five minutes.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I wink at her, but she only stomps away.
She makes my heart stutter, even when she’s mad.
Maybe especially when she’s mad. Some of the best sex we had was angry, make-up sex.
I might not be up to that today, but maybe I can talk her into it soon. She never could tell me no.
Until she did.
“Okay,” she says as she drapes her coat around her shoulders and sets some clothes on the end of my bed. “You’re wearing these hospital scrubs home. We had to cut the shirt off you.”
“It was just an old one anyway,” I say with a shrug, then wince with the movement.
The doc was right. I’m damn sore now that the morphine is wearing off.
“I’m going to walk you to the ambulance entrance and then pull around to get you. I don’t want you walking too far. Do you want me to get you a wheelchair?”
I scowl at her, completely offended. “No, I don’t need a wheelchair.”
“Suit yourself. Wait by the door, and I’ll be there in a few.”
“Whatever you want to do is fine by me.”
“Okay, we’ll take it easy.”
I’m so damn frustrated by how slow I have to walk.
“It could be worse,” Josie says when she sees the frustration on my face. “You could have broken a leg or something way, way worse.”
“I know. I just never considered that a few bruises could make my life a living hell.”
“Just wait until you try to lie down and sleep,” she says.
“Maybe I should have taken the drugs.”
“Wouldn’t have hurt for the first day or two,” she agrees. “I can ask the doctor to write the script real quick if you want before we leave.”
“No, it’s okay.”
“Men are so damn stubborn,” she mutters and leads me to a chair just inside the ambulance bay. “Okay, sit here and wait for me. Don’t be a hero and walk out to meet me.”
“I’m no hero today, honey,” I reply with a wink, grateful to sit in the chair. “I’ll be here.”
Josie hurries off, and I try to take a deep breath, but even that hurts.
Jesus, I’m in rough shape.
But not as bad as the other guy.
“Excuse me,” a nurse says with a smile. “Are you Brax Adler? The musician?”
“Yeah.” I smile, and she nods.
“I thought so. I’m sorry that you’re hurt. I won’t ask for a selfie.”
“I might not look my best for that,” I agree, grateful that she doesn’t insist. I don’t get recognized often, but when I do, fans can be pretty pushy. “I appreciate all you guys do up here.”
“And I appreciate your work,” she says with a wink. “Heal up quickly, Brax.”
“Thanks.”
Josie rushes through the doors, a little winded. She obviously hurried.
“Okay, we’re good to go,” she says and takes my hand so she can help me up. Fucking hell, it’s hard to move around. “My whole body feels stiff.”
“It’s only going to get worse. And you’re going to be sore in places you didn’t even know you had,” she says as we shuffle out to her waiting car. “Take it easy. We’re in no hurry.”
It’s a good thing because it feels as if it takes forever to get settled in her car and belted in.
Josie hurries around to the driver’s side, hops in, puts the car in gear, and pulls away from the hospital.
“I’ll do my best to avoid the bumps,” she says with a cringe. “And I apologize in advance if I can’t.”
“Not your fault the city of Seattle doesn’t fill in their potholes the size of Kansas. I live in the same place, by the way.”
I tip my head back and close my eyes. The bumps only make me lose my breath twice.
“We’re here,” Josie says as she puts the car in park and turns off the engine. “I’ll help you in.”
“Thanks,” I say. And then we go through the whole damn thing again, moving slowly from the car to the house and then inside. The thought of climbing the stairs to my bedroom makes me want to weep. “I think I’ll just hole up in the living room for a day or two.”
“Probably a good idea,” she says and helps me to the couch. “I’m going to gather some things for you. I’ll be right back.”
“Can one of those things be a pillow?”
“I’ve got it covered,” she calls as she hurries upstairs. My house always feels better when she’s in it. Before long, she hurries back down again with some pillows and blankets, dumping those in a chair across from me before hurrying out again.
It’s like she’s in fast-forward mode.
It almost makes me dizzy.
“I’m going to set this bottle of water here. It’s the only one you have in the house.”
“I don’t like using single-use plastic,” I inform her. “Not good for the environment.”
“Okay, I get that, but you’ll have to refill this one whenever it’s empty. I’m setting you up on a pain management regimen. I’m writing it all down, so just follow the instructions.”
“I love it when you’re bossy.”
She narrows her eyes on me. “I’m only here because I’m your nurse, and I feel sorry for you.”
“Come on, that’s not the only reason you’re here.”
“Yes, it is.” She scribbles on the pad that I usually keep on the fridge and shows it to me. “Take these dosages at these times. Exactly. It’s important.”
“Okay.”
“Even though you’re stiff, you’ll want to get up once every hour to walk around a bit and stretch your legs. Staying down for too long could cause clots. Don’t do that.”
“Maybe you should just stay here and take care of me.”
“Not in this or any other lifetime,” she says.
“Come on, I’m needy.”
“You’re an ass,” she says calmly as if she’s discussing my medicine.
“It’s a definite possibility,” I agree. “But I could use the help.”
“Nope.”
“Come on. You owe me one.”
She stops and her cheeks redden with absolute fury.
Fuck me. She’s magnificent.
“You have got to be kidding me.”