“What did you do?”
He grimaces and scrunches his nose. “I maybe didn’t realize that I was on speakerphone and Hailey and Hayes are on their way.”
I groan, closing my eyes.
Fuck.
I thought we would be in and out of the hospital. Maybe they would give me some fluids, that once they cleared me of aconcussion and signed off on the paperwork, I’d be good to go. Hailey and Hayes wouldn’t have to know, they wouldn’t have to worry.
“How bad is it going to be?” I ask.
We haven’t dealt with a situation like this with Hailey before. Hayes is usually pretty calm, but if the way Hailey acted before we left for our shift is any indicator, I don’t think this is going to be good. I watched my mom fuss over my dads over the smallest scrapes and bruises, which I wouldn’t mind. But I’ve also seen my mom absolutely lose her shit one year when my dad fell off the roof putting Christmas lights up.
She still holds it against him to this day.
“Where the fuck is the doctor?” I question, mostly to myself and Nate. But also, not really giving a shit if they can hear me through the flimsy cloth wall separating me from other patients.
“Maybe she’ll be calm about it,” Nate says, and I can tell he doesn’t believe that’s a possibility either. “Okay, well, maybe she won’t be mad.”
I rest my head against the scratchy pillow and sigh. Time passes and when no doctor comes to see me, I know I’m fucked.
Extra fucked when the curtain flings back to a worried Hayes and a pissed off looking Hailey.
She says nothing at first, just looking me over. Nate goes to approach her, and she holds out her hand as she approaches my bed.
“Baby—”
“No. Are you really okay?” she snaps.
“Exhaustion. I passed out on a scene. It’s protocol that I need to get checked out, nothing more.”
Hailey bites her lip. “So, you were just going to get a doctor’s note and just not tell us what happened?”
Nate shrinks away in the corner, acting like some invisible ghost so that he doesn’t have to take any of the heat.
“I didn’t want to worry you.”
“Mmhmm. I see,” she says, crossing her arms over her chest and standing there.
I swallow thickly, suddenly feeling chastised by this tiny woman. I’m not sure what to say, and the doctor chooses that moment to enter the room. If looks could kill, Hailey’s might kill me and mine might kill this doctor. He couldn’t have come in here twenty minutes ago?
“Right, Mr. Thomas. Let’s take a look and get you out of here,” he says.
Hailey gives him space, but watches cautiously as the man looks me over. He flashes a light in my eyes and checks the bump on my head. The nurses already took my vitals.
The doctor looks down at the tablet. “Ah, a five-day heat, a few hours of sleep, and a forty-eight-hour shift will do it. You don’t have a concussion, but if you start to feel more tenderness on your head or any nausea, we’d ask for you to come back in. Just take it easy for the next few days and you should be right as rain. I’ll sign off on your incident report.”
“Thanks,” I say simply.
“How much rest should he be getting?” Hailey interrupts.
“I’d say a true full night’s rest and lots of hydration will make all the difference,” the doctor tells her and Hailey hums. “A nurse will be in to discharge you shortly.”
He leaves and I take a deep breath.
“See. Everything is fine. I just didn’t want you to worry,” I say, reaching for her hand.
“What if I fell and hit my head and Hayes didn’t call the two of you?” Hailey says and I clear my throat.
