Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 97592 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97592 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Noah chuckles, still eating his fruit cup, and I stand, pushing my bedside table out of my way as I do. “I can’t wait for them to release us.”
And from what we’ve been told by the nurses and doctors we’ve seen, today is the day for discharge. Thank everything for that.
“From your lips to God’s ears, Sam. I’m ready to get out of here too.”
“What?” I question with faux surprise on my face. “You’re not going to miss getting all your meals served by your favorite café?”
He laughs, but before he can respond to that, three knocks sound against our door.
“Okay, Dr. Philips, hop into the wheelchair,” Ally, our dayshift nurse, announces as she steps into the room. “You need to take a ride with me to CT.”
“What?” Noah looks over at her with a furrowed brow. “Why?”
“Because I want one final CT scan of your head and your abdomen before I discharge you,” Kendall states as she steps up beside Ally. A small smile makes an appearance on her face, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.
I don’t know what’s happened between her and Dale, but Kendall isn’t the kind of woman who shows weakness. She’s strong, fiercely independent, and from what Noah told me after he spoke with her yesterday afternoon when I had walked down to the cafeteria with the boys, she’s keeping everything close to the cuff.
What happened between her and Dale? It’s still a mystery.
What’s going on with Ashley and the baby and Dale’s involvement in that? Also a mystery.
“But we got follow-up scans yesterday morning.” Slow but steady, Noah rises to his feet, but he doesn’t make a move toward the doorway where Ally stands with the wheelchair. He quirks an eyebrow at Kendall. “Don’t you think you’re going a little overboard, Dr. Hopkins?”
“Yeah, well, I want one more set of scans.” Kendall puts one hand to her hip. “So, if you want to get discharged, I highly suggest you follow doctor’s orders.”
Noah sighs. Before he heads over to Ally, he stops at my bed—where I’m currently packing some of my belongings that Brooke brought for me into one of the hospital’s plastic bags—and presses a kiss to my lips. “Don’t leave without me.”
“I’ll try not to, but I’m not sure I can make any promises.”
“Sammy.” He reaches out to discreetly pinch my ass through the pair of pajama pants I’m currently sporting.
“What?” I retort on a squeal. “We’ve already established I’m starving. I’ll do my best to wait for you.”
“Your ass better still be here when I get back.”
“Fine. Fine.” I pretend to be put out by his request, even though the very last thing I’m going to do is leave this hospital without him. “I’ll be here, Grandpa. Have fun getting your picture taken.”
“Oh yeah, I’m going to have a blast,” he mutters as he eases his ass down into the wheelchair. “You know, Ally, I could easily walk there.”
“No, you can’t,” Kendall refutes with a knowing smile. “Hospital policy.”
Noah sighs and offers a wave goodbye as Ally wheels him out of our room, and I can’t deny that I laugh a little at his expense. If there’s one thing my guy isn’t used to, it’s being on the receiving end of medical care in the hospital.
“How are you feeling, Sammy?” Kendall asks, stepping over to where I’m sitting on the edge of my hospital bed now.
“I’m feeling pretty good.” I shrug as she moves forward to evaluate my pupils with the little light thingie in her pocket.
“And the headaches?”
“Haven’t had one since yesterday morning.”
“That’s good,” she comments and proceeds to gently scan her fingers over the multiple bruises on my arms. “Don’t be surprised if you do get some minor headaches over the next few days after you go home. Along with some soreness as you start to use your muscles more with movement. But it shouldn’t be anything you can’t manage with some over-the-counter Tylenol. Anything worse than that, and I want you to give me a call, okay?”
“Okay.”
Kendall proceeds to listen to my heart and lungs and belly with her stethoscope before making me stand and do a few exercises that she says test neurological function and reflexes.
And the entire time she’s doing it, I can’t stop thinking about what happened in this very hospital room—about what she must be going through right now. About how fucking strong of a woman you have to be to put on a brave face and come into work even though you just found out that your husband had an affair and got another woman pregnant.
“Well, Sammy,” Kendall announces with a barely there smile. “I think it’s safe to say I can sign off on your discharge paperwork today.”
“How are you?” I blurt involuntarily, my thoughts winning the tug-of-war with my ability to know better, and she jerks her head back in surprise. Instantly, I try to soften the blow. “Look, I know we don’t know each other all that well, but I want you to know that you have a friend in me. And I want you to know that I’m so sorry.”