“She needs my help. If she took the pain in, she could die.”
“It happens, son. We see it all the time.”
My teeth bared at his careless cruelty. This wasn’t some random patient that we’d lost due to an accident. This was someone who had given herself to save my life. Did he not see what she had done to help me? His own son he professed to love so much?
“Without her, I’d be dead. At the very least, you owe her the respect of understanding what she’s sacrificed.”
“Is it a sacrifice? I don’t know. All I saw was her hands on you.”
“Look at me!” This time it came out as a shout. The blood was working fast, and my energy was returning. I drew myself to a sitting position and ripped the sheet off my leg. A jagged red scar, a slash of red paint on a white canvas,marred my inner thigh. But that was all it was—a scar. I pointed to it. “This. This is what she’s done for me. You saw it. You were there. He’d ripped my leg almost completely from my body. Tore my artery. I shouldn’t be sitting here right now. And it’s not you I have to thank, it’s her.”
“Luch—”
The door opened and my mum wheeled in, a stern expression on her face.
“Boys, I can hear you yelling all the way down the hallway.”
“Mum.” Tears threatened. I didn’t want her to see me like this. Leslie Carmichael was made of strong stuff, but she always hated when one of her boys was in pain.
“My sweet boy.” Mum wheeled herself closer, easing the door closed behind her. “Och, it hurts my heart to see you in the hospital bed like this.”
“He’ll be just fine, soon enough.” My father sniffed, and gave me a look, warning me against bringing up anything that he’d said.
My mum was pint-sized, pretty as a picture, and knew a bullshitter when she saw it.
“What’s happened here? Nobody will give it to me straight.” Mum raised a steely look to me, and as much as I always tried to shield her from any pain, I didn’t have it in me to hide what had happened.
“I’ve fallen in love.”
“Bloody hell.” My father threw up his hands, the IV tugging between us.
“Oh, Luch. That’s wonderful.” My mother wheeled closer and reached out a hand to take mine. “And I dearlywould love to hear more, but can we first talk about what landed you in this hospital bed?”
“Leslie, how did you even get here? You were supposed to stay home.”
“Surely you didn’t think I’d hang back while you went to harass my sweet baby boy, did you?” My mother’s voice was like ice. “Anne drove me down and thank goodness for it, or the lot of you would try to hide this from me as well. Go on, Luch. Tell me. Ignore your father, he’s clearly being an arse.”
My father sat back, properly chastised.
“She’s a healer, Mum, and an amazing one at that. She healed Oban, and she helps others, too. But, she healed me after a Kelpie attack and I’m terrified that it’s too much for her. That she won’t be able to come back from it.”
“A Kelpie attack?” Mum brought her hands to her mouth, her face in shock. “Oh my God, Luch. That’s awful.”
“And your husband only made it worse. Instead of letting her help me, he tried to stop her.”
“I didn’t know if—” Dad jumped up and brandished the arm not connected to the IV in the air.
“If what?” My mum stared him down.
“If she’d screw it up. If she’d hurt him. Like the healer hurt you. So I tried to stop her.”
“And in doing so, you interrupted the vital part of the process where she takes the pain from the patient and directs it elsewhere. If she can’t do that, she takes it inside her, but at great cost to her own safety. Injuries of this nature? It might be too much.” My voice cracked, and I wished I could rip the IV out and storm down the hallwayto find her. I couldn’t though, not yet. I’d barely make it a step off the bed before collapsing to the floor.
Come on, blood, work faster.
My mother took in my face, and ignoring my father entirely, wheeled herself to the door and cracked it open.
“What’s your girl’s name?” Mum asked over her shoulder.
