“I know that.” His shirt muffled her words.
“Are you really feeling okay?” He pulled away and sat in his favorite spot while the nurse looked over the machines and the readouts.
“Yes, Daddy. Why am I in the hospital?” Scrunching her nose, she looked around the room.
“You don’t remember?”
“Not really.”
Devon sagged against the back of the chair, squeezing her hand in his. He was relieved she wasn't burdened with those thoughts.
“The memories might or might not come back to her. The bump to her head was significant, but time will tell.”
Devon thanked the nurse and watched her leave the room. “Do you want me to call everyone, bug, or are you sleepy again?”
“I don’t know.”
“Okay. Don’t worry about it.”
“What happened, Daddy?”
Devon sighed quietly. He knew he couldn't avoid talking to her about what happened, but he was so reluctant to relive it, or to have her relive it. “You wandered off, I guess. We found you asleep after you fell down.”
Hailey frowned. “I fell down?”
“It seems like it.”
“That’s how I bumped my head?” Gingerly, she touched the bandage on her temple.
Devon swallowed hard and nodded. It was somewhat the truth. She lifted her elbow, indicating the arm in the sling. “You broke it when you fell.”
She looked down at the cast covering her arm and the blue sling. Devon thought she would ask more questions, but she just looked up at him again. “Can I watch TV?”
Devon laughed. “Absolutely.”
One of the patient care aides came back with a refilled water cup and handed it to Devon. When Hailey had her fill, he switched on the TV mounted high on the wall opposite the bed and flipped through the channels until he found something about horses. He shifted the recliner he always sat in until he’d lined up with the bed and sat there holding her hand as they watched the show. After half an hour, he found her asleep again, which wasn’t surprising. It was more time than he’d had with her in a week, and he was happy to have it. He tucked the sheet and the blanket up to her chin and kissed her forehead as she snored softly.
Without thinking of the time, he called his brother.
“Devon? Is something wrong?”
“Shit, I’m sorry, I didn't think about the time.” He glanced at the clock and winced when he saw it was after midnight. “Hailey was awake, and we talked.”
“Wow, okay.” Devon heard rustling on the other end of the phone. “How long was she awake? What did she say?”
“She asked what happened. She remembers nothing, but the nurse said her memories could come back.”
“So she’s asleep again?” Caleb asked, and Devon heard Lori’s murmured voice in the background.
“Yeah. We watched TV, Caleb. She was perfect except for what she couldn't remember.”
“That’s great, brother. Kiss her for me, and I’ll come by in the morning.”
“You think I should call Mom and Dad, or let them sleep?”
Caleb laughed. “Dad wouldn’t mind being woken, but you know how Mom gets without sleep.”
Devon discovered he could actually see the humor in that. His mood was improving. “Okay, I’ll wait until the sun comes up. Love you, man.”
