“Abby. Abby Merkley.”
“Oh, I know you!” the doctor said. “You used to sell me bread and those cinnamon things. I remember you, Abigail!”
“She prefers Abby.”
The woman’s eyes met his and lingered, searching or measuring, before patting the exam table.
“Let’s get you up here…Abby,” the doctor invited before washing her hands at the sink.
Luc helped Abby onto the examination table, his hands cradling her body as she curled up on her side.
“Abby, can you tell me how you’re feeling?”
Nothing.
Luc glanced down to find Abby watching him. “Can you tell the doctor?”
Abby whispered, “Hold my hand,” with a sweet, sweet smile, and Luc’s fear ramped up two hundred percent.
“Help her,” he rasped, not wanting to look away from her. “I thought she was better, but I couldn’t get her up. She was outside the other night, in the cold. I should have brought her to you then. And the…thefièvre. The fever continues.” Shit, he was rambling, frantic.
Nodding, the woman grabbed a thermometer, put it into Abby’s ear, and noted the temperature without reaction. She slid a cuff over Abby’s arm and took her blood pressure. All the while, she kept one hand on Abby.
“Clay said you’d been burned.”
“You won’t let the police go there, will you?”
“No. No, Abby, you’re my patient, and I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do.”
Abby sighed. “My back was branded.”
“How does it feel? Does it hurt?”
“No. No, it doesn’t hurt.”
When the doctor lowered her brow, Luc elaborated. “She says it’s numb.”
Dr. Hadley leaned in, her face close to Abby’s.
“Abby?” she whispered. “Abby. Do you remember me? From the market. I’ve missed seeing you there.”
Abby smiled. Good. That was good.
“Can I look at your back, Abby?”
“I was too friendly.”
The woman blinked. “I’m sorry?”
“At the market.”
“Too friendly?”
“My favorite job.” Abby’s lips curved up even further. “You were so nice. I wanted tobeyou.”
“Yeah?” The doctor stayed there, bent forward, face in front of Abby’s, as if she had all the time in the world for chitchat. She reached out to brush a few stray hairs off Abby’s forehead and let her hand linger. It was an affectionate move, one that made Luc’s heartbeat slow, calmed his breath, something like relief flowing in.
“I need to look at your back, Abby. I need to make you feel better.”
