I stepped forward at the same time as Tally’s brothers and immediately felt like an intruder in their crisis. When I went to take a step back, Liam placed a hand on my shoulder. “We’re her brothers and this is her partner. He was the one who brought her in.”
“I’m Dr. Bruce and I’m the doctor who’s been working on your sister. Please take a seat.” His expression was grave, sending a chill down my spine.
“I’d rather stand,” I told him.
“Okay.” His smile was sympathetic and well-practiced. “Here’s the situation. Tallulah has two broken bones in her left arm. Clean breaks that should heal nicely. She’s in a temporary cast until her condition improves.” He sighed heavily. “So, we’ve sedated her and she’s on a pain killer via a drip. The tear in her side was deep…”
“Fuck.” I dropped my head, willing myself to keep my control. Not to sob like a baby or throw myself to the floor and curl up in a ball until it was all over.
Dr. Bruce continued, his hands hanging from his hips. “There was some muscle tear but nothing that we couldn’t fix. There was a worry about internal bleeding, because I’m not going to lie gentlemen, things were dicey in there for a time.” When Liam groaned, the doctor held up his hand. “She’s strong, though, and she came through it. There was a lot of blood loss, but wewere able to give her more.”
“How did you know her blood type?” I turned to her brothers. “I didn’t know, and I couldn’t get into her phone to call you and?—”
“Wilder, it’s fine,” Liam said, shaking his head. “She’s okay.”
“When we don’t know a patient’s blood group we generally give them type O, the universal blood type.”
“That is her blood group,” Cole replied. “We all have the same.”
Dr. Bruce chuckled. “Good guess on our part. Anyway, she’s in recovery now so I suggest you go home, get some rest and come back tomorrow morning.”
“Nope.” I was adamant. “I’m staying here.”
“Wild.” Nash gave me his warning stare. “You’ve been here for five hours. Tally will be asleep until the morning.”
“Can I sit next to her bed?” I asked the doctor.
“I’m sorry, but no. We’re putting her in the ICU for tonight.” He must have seen my face and heard Liam groan because he held up a hand. “Just a precaution. If for any reason she gets an internal bleed, which again is unlikely, she’ll be in the best place. Anyone have any questions?”
Liam reached forward and took his hand, shaking it. “Thanks doc. We appreciate everything that you did.”
“My pleasure,” he turned to me. “Please go home and get some rest.”
The idea of leaving her alone crippled me. What if she woke up and was scared. What if she thought that no one had bothered to stay with her.
“Can you call us the moment you think she’s going to wake?” Cole asked. “All of us. Well, Liam and Wilder or me and Wilder.”
“Absolutely. I’ll make sure the nurse in charge is aware, but it is likely to be tomorrow morning before the sedation wears off.”
“We should go home,” Cole directed at me.
Still contemplating bedding down on the hard orange chairs, I was startled when Nash’s phone began to shrill.
“Sorry.” He took it out of his pocket, looked at it and then narrowed his eyes on me. “It’s the sheriff.”
Without any further question he answered, moving into the hallway as Dr. Bruce continued to explain Tally’s future treatment and roughly howlong she’d be in hospital. As he left, with us each thanking him again, Nash came back into the room, his expression grave.
“What?” I asked, my heart pulsing in my throat.
“They got him. Caught him driving into Montrose. The prick was still driving Lily’s truck.”
“What a stupid fucker,” Gunner muttered. “Has he said anything?”
“Keeping his mouth shut until his lawyer gets there apparently. Montrose PD are letting Sheriff Jackson question him. He did say though that they found a couple of burner phones on him, one with a message sent only an hour after you got Tally here.”
My lungs constricted. “W-what did it say?”
“Fucking bastard,” Liam said, his tone menacing. “I’ll kill him.”
