The nurse gives me a stern look and turns to Cora. “I’m Doctor Chen. How are you feeling?”
Oh, so not a nurse.
“I’m good. Can I go home?” Cora’s voice is laced with hope.
I groan. Still fucking stubborn.
Dr. Chen glances at the half-empty drip and pinches Cora’s wrist between her thumb and index finger while she checks her watch.
“I don’t see any reason to keep you here longer. As soon as the drip is done, we’ll discharge you.”
“I discussed a CT scan with your colleague,” I interject.
Dr. Chen smiles at me. “I heard of that, but it’s really not necessary.”
“What if she hit her head when she fell? We’re not leaving here until we’ve discounted all the options.” I barely keep my voice at a decent volume.
“I’m sure Ms. Winslow appreciates your concern,” Dr. Chen says, with a sweetness that’s anything but sincere. “But you don’t have the power of attorney here, so I think we will discuss Ms. Winslow’s health without your input, Mr. Stone.”
She knows who I am, so clearly she knows I know people on her board, and she still plays this game.
“I’m sure a negligence lawsuit would look great on your resume,” I snap.
“Xander, please, tone it down. I’m sure they would run a CT if there were a reason for it. Thank you, Dr. Chen.”
“Good. I’m going to prepare the discharge papers. The nurse will come back with medicine and instructions for your home care, but it’s pretty straightforward. You have an infection, so I’m prescribing antibiotics. Stay hydrated while your body copes; come back if you feel worse or can’t break the fever with over-the-counter meds. But I’m sure the antibiotics will kick in soon, and you’ll be as good as new.”
“Thank you,” Cora says, and Dr. Chen leaves.
“What the hell, Xander? They know what they’re doing. Why did you have to bully her?”
“Bully her? I just demanded she do her job.”
“And what gave you the right to demand anything here?”
Doesn’t she understand?
“Fear,” I snap. “When I found you… I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
“You really don’t need to—” Cora whines.
“Can you shut up finally?” We enter her apartment. “Over my dead body I’m leaving you alone here.”
“I’m fine,” she says, like I hadn’t heard her the first ten times since we left thehospital.
“You’re still under the influence of drugs. And when your fever spikes again?”
She rolls her eyes. “I will take more drugs.”
I drop her keys on the coffee table. “Now you’re just being stubborn. I’m not leaving.”
“You can’t stay here.” She leans against the doorway leading to her bedroom. The woman barely has the energy to stand, but she uses it to argue. “I don’t have a guest room. Besides, I doubt you can cook chicken soup or even prepare a cup of tea.”
I put my hands on my hips. Fuck, I’m tired after the adrenaline roller coaster and lack of sleep. “Tea is my specialty, and I can have the best chicken soup here in under twenty minutes. I bet it takes longer to cook it.”
She groans and shuffles into her bedroom. “Can you get a guest room built in twenty minutes?”
“I’ll sleep on your sofa.”
