Chapter 21
“Hi, Ms. Bridges. I’m Doctor Marsten.”
She smiled wanly as an older, friendly-looking doctor walked into the cubicle. From what she’d already been told she was in an observation area in the local hospital after having an anaphylactic reaction to cake.
Cake.
It was meant to be her friend! And it had tried to kill her. That really wasn’t cool.
“How are you feeling now?” the doctor asked.
“Tired,” she told him. “And dumb.”
He smiled. “I guess you don’t need a lecture on being careful about what you eat.”
“I know it seems like I need that. But I just . . . I meant to do it. I asked for the ingredient list and then I got distracted. I almost took the mouthful by habit. You know when you write a text message but don’t intend to send it for a while, then you automatically press send?”
He stared at her like he had no idea what she was talking about.
Yeah.
She got that a lot.
“I’m such an idiot,” she groaned. “I can’t believe I did that. I’m usually so careful.”
He gently patted her thigh. “It’s all right, dear. This time. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how serious this was. You must be very careful.”
“I will be.”
“I’ve written a script for a replacement EpiPen. Get it filled immediately. Are you having any trouble breathing? Does your throat feel swollen?”
“No, I’m just really tired.”
He nodded. “I’m sure you are.”
“Can I go home? I really don’t like being in the hospital.”
“Nobody does. Including me. Horrid place.” He shuddered. “I really chose the wrong job, didn’t I?”
She smiled.
“Now, let’s see, your vitals are all steady.
Good oxygen levels and your pulse is strong.
Blood pressure is good. I’d like to keep you a bit longer to keep an eye on you.
But if everything is fine by this evening, I’m happy to discharge you then.
Although I don’t want you to leave here on your own.
In fact, I’d prefer you weren’t alone for the next seventy-two hours. ”
“Oh.” She bit her lip, thinking that through. That seemed a lot. The last time this had happened she’d taken an Uber home because she’d had no one to come get her.
She could lie and tell him that she had someone to look after her. But right now, she was feeling a bit fragile and scared. What if something went wrong?
Wait.
What about insurance? Did she still have that? Her dad had paid her medical insurance.
Shit.
Something else to look into. If she had to pay for her own insurance that was going to start eating into her savings.
You’ve got this.
Don’t panic. Everything will be all right.
Maybe she should discharge herself. It wasn’t like she was truly alone with Horse.
Oh my God! Horse.
“My dog! Do you know what happened to my dog?” she asked.
“I’m afraid I don’t, my dear.” He gave her a bewildered look and she mentally slapped herself.
Of course he didn’t know.
Idiot.
She attempted to swing her legs out of the bed, but the doctor grabbed them.
“Whoa, young lady, I haven’t discharged you yet and I want you to rest a bit longer.”
“I have to go! I have to find my dog!” Panic raced through her.
What happened to Horse? He had to be so scared and she wasn’t there for him.
“Horse is fine,” Kellan said as he slipped through the curtains like he belonged there.
“W-where is he?” she asked as he moved over to her, tucking her legs back under the covers and tucking her in.
He was surprisingly efficient at that.
“Keira, Julian, and Cole took him.”
“Cole has him?” She bit her lip nervously. “I still think we should go get him.”
“Eli will collect him when it’s time for you to go home. He’s just on the phone to Jake letting him know what happened. Is she staying in overnight for observation?” he asked the doctor who was staring at Kellan with surprise.
“Aren’t you a Jones boy?” the doctor asked.
“I am.” A cold mask crossed Kellan’s face. Funny, she thought he was always a bit cold, but now she realized that around her, he was quite relaxed and warm.
Because this was cold Kellan and it was rather . . . scary.
She swallowed heavily.
“Ahh, I knew your mother a long time ago. Lovely woman.” The doctor cleared his throat, looking a bit sad.
“Well, I was just telling Ms. Bridges that I want to keep her here for a few more hours. If everything is fine, I will look at discharging her if she’s got people to look after her for the next seventy-two hours.
And I’m afraid that a dog doesn’t count, my dear. ”
Darn it.
“That’s not a problem,” Kellan told him. “My brother and I will be taking care of her. Is there anything we need to do or know?”
The doctor blinked again. “Uh, not really. Just that she should rest, she’ll likely feel exhausted for a while.
Have as little stress as possible. Drink lots of water and just watch that her breathing stays relaxed and easy.
Keep an eye out for any swelling especially around her throat, mouth or eyes and any rash.
This script for an EpiPen needs to be filled before you leave the hospital. ”
“Thanks, doctor,” she whispered and watched as he left the room.
Then she stared down at her hands which were tangled together. “How did you know to look for an EpiPen?” she asked.
“Cole knew that you had a peanut allergy,” Kellan told her in a strange-sounding voice.
She snuck a glance up at him, then away.
“No.”
“No?” she asked in surprise.
“Don’t look away from me. I want your eyes.”
She closed her eyes for a moment, not sure that she could do that.
“Eyes on me so I know that you are well. Because when you started to have breathing problems . . . when I saw you collapse . . .”
Oh.
Why hadn’t she thought about how this affected him? She was so inconsiderate! She should have asked how he was doing.
“I’m so sorry,” she said as Eli walked into the small area.
“Sorry for what?” Eli asked as he came over and took her hand in his.
Uh, wait. Nope. He was checking her pulse not holding her hand.
She shot him a look, but he just gave her a stern one back. “I’m checking your pulse. I’ll probably do it often or until my heart stops racing. You nearly died. If Cole hadn’t known about your peanut allergy . . . fuck, you nearly could have.”
“We would have checked her wrist for a bracelet,” Kellan murmured.
Eli shot his gaze to his brother. “Would we? Are you sure about that? Because I was in a fucking panic.” He turned his gaze back to her.
“I never panic and I was ready to throw up when I saw you struggling to breathe, swelling up, and then when you collapsed into Kellan’s arms . . . it took years off my life.”
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to upset you guys.”
Eli gave her a stern look. “Don’t do it again.”
Was he serious right now? She’d expected him to placate her. To tell her that it wasn’t her fault and she couldn’t have known they’d be so upset
“Don’t do it again?”
“Yeah, that’s what I said. Don’t. Do. It. Again. Or you’re going to be in big trouble.”
She glanced over at Kellan to see what he thought of his brother’s statement. Was he losing his mind? Who told someone not to nearly die again? Did he think she wanted to come close to death again? That she liked ending up in the hospital and feeling like crap?
That she enjoyed knowing her dog was with her ex-fiancé and his girlfriend and boyfriend?
“I didn’t do it on purpose!”
“I didn’t say that you did,” Eli replied calmly. “Just that you’re not to do it again. Because I couldn’t take it if anything happened to you. So nothing will.”
That statement hit her hard.
Maybe because no one had ever really protected her. Pop-Pop tried his best but he’d been older and fragile when she’d come to live with him during college. And she’d ended up looking after him.
Her father had never really cared about her. The fact that this man who she barely knew wanted to keep her safe because he was worried that something might happen to her blew her mind.
And she wanted that sort of protection. She wanted someone to take care of her almost more than anything.
But she shouldn’t let herself believe in what they were saying. Why would they care about her that much? Why would it upset them? Wasn’t that odd?
Or maybe you’re the one who is odd? Perhaps you’re so unaccustomed to basic human kindness that you can’t just recognize and accept it as normal?
That was a worrying thought.
“Just because you say it doesn’t make it true,” she whispered.
“Of course it does. Don’t you know that I can make anything happen,” Eli told her with an arrogant look.
She just rolled her eyes. “I still don’t understand why you’re so upset. You barely know me.”
“So we shouldn’t care if you live or die?” Kellan asked.
“Um. Well.”
Shit. Perhaps her thinking was warped.
Darn it.
“All right, maybe you can care. But I . . . I certainly wouldn’t expect you to take care of me afterward. I mean, unless you didn’t mean it.”
“We will be staying with you,” Kellan said firmly. “And we will be taking care of you.”
She gulped. What did she say to that? “I really am fine now. The doctor is just being overly cautious for some reason. I really don’t have to have someone watch me once I leave here.”
Kellan turned to Eli, ignoring her. “The doctor gave me instructions for her care.”
“Good,” Eli replied.
“She needs lots of rest and she’s not supposed to stress. She’s concerned about the dog.”
Eli nodded. “Cole promised to take care of him. If he doesn’t I’ll kill him.”
She rolled her eyes at those words.
But he didn’t smile or say he was joking. Yikes.
“When you’re discharged, Kellan will take you home and I’ll go get Horse.”
Still felt weird that Cole was taking care of her dog.
“He likes me better,” Kellan pointed out. “I should get him.”
He did? When did Kellan decide that? Because as far as she could tell Horse wasn’t that impressed with either of them.
“That’s okay,” Eli replied. “We have to get used to each other if we’re going to live together.”
What the heck was happening right now?