Lauren stood slowly and pivoted to sit in the wheelchair. Once seated she cradled her bag and the packet to her middle as the nurse adjusted the footrests.
“All right, you got everything?”
“Um, I think so?”
Jonah swept his gaze over the room just to be sure. Peeked in the bathroom. Then, finding nothing, he followed them to the elevator. He had questions about her recovery, and no doubt Lauren did too. She probably wasn’t thinking clearly enough to ask. The packet probably explained everything, but what if it didn’t?
“Will she need someone to stay with her today?” he asked once they were inside the elevator.
“Definitely. Her tests looked good and we don’t expect any problems, but you can’t be too careful with a head injury.”
“What should we be watching for?”
“If her symptoms worsen—vomiting, increased confusion, trouble waking, nonresponsive—you should bring her back to the ER.”
“Otherwise, what are her limitations?”
“For the next couple days she should rest. She doesn’t need to lay in a dark room, but no physical activity or anything that requires mental concentration. She should avoid stimulation in general: TV, the computer, reading, and texting.”
“And after that?”
“She can gradually increase these activities and continue them as long as her symptoms don’t worsen. What is it you do for a living, hon?”
“I manage Pinehaven Resort.”
“Oh, I’ve been by there. Lovely property. Well, you can probably resume your work after a few days as long as the work doesn’t make your symptoms worse. If it does, ease off. Let’s see, what else? For the headache, no anti-inflammatories for twenty-four hours, just acetaminophen. After that you can switch to ibuprofen.”
The elevator doors whooshed open and they exited. Jonah left them at the entrance while he went for his truck. The cab was chilly, so heturned up the heat and pulled around. By the time he got to the passenger door, the nurse had already assisted Lauren inside.
“Thank you for your help,” he told her.
“Of course. Take care now.”
He shut Lauren’s door and turned to the nurse. “Wait.”
“What is it, hon?”
He glanced back. Lauren leaned back against the headrest, eyes closed. He lowered his voice. “I wanted to ask about her memory, but I don’t want her to feel pressured to remember.”
“You’re her boyfriend?”
“Yes.” He grimaced. “Or at least, I was. I don’t know what I am now.”
She set her hand on his arm. “Bless your heart. Well, no one can say for sure if she’ll get her memories back. Some people do and some don’t. It might help to be around familiar things and people though. Be patient. The most important thing is that she takes it easy the next few days. After that... you’ll just have to wait and see.”
***
Lauren shifted in the truck’s cab, her headache throbbing in her temples. Jonah had slept in the waiting room last night. No one had to tell her that. It was apparent by his rumpled clothing and unkempt hair. He appeared so different now than he had when she’d arrived at Pinehaven. He’d looked like a lumberjack with his longish wavy hair and scruffy beard. She’d always preferred professional men—tidy haircuts and a clean-shaven jawline.
Had he changed those things for her?
She tried to reconcile the Jonah who’d slumped in a waiting room chair all night with the one who’d been a thorn in her flesh. It didn’t compute.
The driver’s-side door opened and Jonah got in and buckled up. “I bet you’ll be glad to be home.”
Home.She barely felt acquainted with the place. “Yeah.” It was a nice enough cabin. Clean and kind of cozy even if the décor was a little primitive for her taste. The stone fireplace was nice on chilly evenings and the firewood abundant and free. The mattress was more comfortable than she’d expected, though she was glad she’d brought her own bedding. She still wasn’t used to the night sounds: unknown animals yipped and howled and hooted. It was not the white noise of cars and sirens she was accustomed to.
Jonah cut a glance her way. “Did you speak with Sydney?”
