Two hours later, in the ER at the hospital up in Sheridan, Riley was diagnosed with a mild concussion. She’d also suffered a grade 2 sprain of her left ankle that would take three to six weeks to heal. And her back ached, too. Also, she had a whopping bruise at the base of her spine.
As for the baby, an ultrasound showed no signs of injury. Riley was so grateful to see her little girl floating in the amniotic sac and sucking away at her tiny thumb, that she almost forgot her sore ankle and how much her head hurt.
Josh was there with her by then. Annette had called him, and he’d rushed to the hospital. He held her hand as the technician ran the wand over her round, gel-smeared belly.
Once they were back in the exam room, the doctor came to talk to her. He confirmed that the baby was unhurt. Riley heaved another big sigh of relief. “Great. So I’ll just go on back to work, then.”
“No,” Josh said. He stood at the door. “You need to take it easy.”
“He’s right,” said the doctor. “You’re going to need to stay off that ankle as much as possible for a few days. And after that, you’ll be using crutches or a walker for a while. The better you treat the ankle, the quicker you’ll be back on both feet again.”
“But I—”
“Ms. Thompson.” The doctor interrupted her. “Your injured ankle isn’t the only reason you need time off. You’ve suffered a mild concussion. You need at least a couple of days free of work concerns and any other situation thatmight cause you stress. Avoid screen time during that period, as well. You need to go home and rest. Take some time to relax and let your brain recover. It’s crucial that you don’t return to normal activities too soon, or you’ll just end up prolonging your recovery.”
“Doctor, I can’t—”
“Yes, you can,” interrupted Annette from the chair in the corner. She gave the doctor a confident smile. “We’ll see to it that she doesn’t overdo.”
Riley scowled at her mother-in-law. “Annette, you can’t just—”
“Yes, she can,” said Josh.
Riley looked from him to her mother-in-law and couldn’t decide which one to strangle first.
“Sweetheart, relax,” Annette advised silkily. “We’ll work it out. Right now you need time to recover—and not only for your sake, for the baby and for Dillon, too.”
Riley couldn’t argue with any of that. But she sure did want to.
* * *
It was past noon when the hospital finally released her.
Josh drove Riley home. He also carried her from the car to her front door. She’d taken her key from her shoulder bag and used it to let them in.
As the door swung inward, he asked, “Upstairs or the sofa?”
“The sofa, please. I don’t want to be stuck in my bed all day—and I can make it on one foot if you help me.”
“Not today. Today, you need to stay off that ankle. As soon as you’re settled down here, I’ll get the walker from the truck.” The hospital had provided one on loan. “For the next couple of days, you can use it only when you absolutely have to.”
“Josh, it’s not a big deal. Just put me down and let me hop over there.”
He didn’t budge. “Indulge me.”
“Look. I’ve got things to do, anyway. I have to pick up Dillon by five.”
“I’ll do that for you. Shane’s with Lenore, so he’s taken care of.”
“You’re not listening to me, Josh.”
“Yes, I am. I’m just not doing what you want me to do.”
“Look. You don’t have to—”
“Riley Jane, Idohave to. You’re supposed to rest and take it easy. If you won’t do it for yourself, please think about the baby.”
That gave her pause. She puffed out her cheeks with a discouraged breath. “Fine,” she said, though it wasn’t fine. Not at all. Three to six weeks of this? She had far too much to do to be off her feet for that long…
