“Antonio, be patient. They had to stop the bleeding and stitch up a nasty gash. The nurse told us they were just doing a CT scan to make sure everything is okay. I’m sure the doctor will be out soon.”
Antonio snorted. “I could tell if everything is okay. Just give me a flashlight and a chance to ask him a few questions. If he says the president is George Bush, we know he has more than a slight concussion.”
Dawn didn’t dare tell the Fierros about her vision earlier. They might not forgive her for not letting them know in advance.
She’d frantically tried texting Luca, even calling him. She’d felt an overwhelming sense of impending danger, and she had seen him covered in blood again. Luckily, she hadn’t fainted, but she hadn’t been able to stop Luca from getting hurt.
He’d been dispatched to the abandoned Green Park Zoo with his training officer. She was there in the ER, talking to Luca’s parents when Dawn arrived. Police were now in the process of combing the zoo, looking for clues as to who had been there and why they’d attacked Luca.
Dawn already knew the answer to that. Ice. He’d taken Mandy there, and he had probably moved her again after Luca and the other officers showed up.
She hoped Mandy was unharmed. Hoped the blood she saw on Luca was just because of his head wound and not something worse that was looming. She’d have to try holding the unicorn again tomorrow when she was feeling calmer.
She doubted Luca’s parents would let him go home with her tonight. They would insist on taking him back to their house where they could keep watch on him overnight. Concussion victims needed to be woken up periodically just in case they’d lapsed into a coma.
Dawn was feeling frustrated to no end. This was the second scare she’d had at Boston General today. First when she went to her Gran’s room and saw another woman in her bed, and now this.
She glanced at her watch. It was 10:30 p.m. Annette would be sound asleep by now. She would stop by in the morning to visit her before she went to the Youth Community Center. Life marched on, no matter what curveballs got thrown at you. She was committed to her volunteer work at the center, and besides, she was positive Luca wouldn’t want her to shirk her responsibilities just to pace and wring her hands over him.
“How is your grandmother doing, dear?” Gabriella was such a caring woman. She’d sent a container of biscotti over with Luca for the nurses and a gift for Annette, a warm flannel nightgown and robe. Dawn had taken it in to Annette a few days ago, and her grandmother had insisted on writing a thank-you card to Gabriella. Fortunately, the gift shop had plenty of them.
“She’s doing much better, thank you for asking. They moved her to the rehab floor today, and she’s progressing really well.”
“That is such good news. All this must be stressful for you…first your grandmother, and now Luca.”
“I’m okay. I’m just worried. I wish I could snap my fingers and make it all better.”
Gabriella laid her hand on Dawn’s. “They’re both going to be fine. I know it.”
“Hey, there’s the man of the hour now,” Antonio said. He rushed up to greet his son’s doctor. Both Dawn and Gabriella shot out of their chairs as well.
“Your son was lucky. He has a concussion and a broken nose, but the CT scan showed no serious brain injury.”
“Can we see him?”
“Yes. Follow me. I’ll go over his discharge orders with all of you.”
As Dawn trailed behind, she was glad she didn’t have to defend her need to go in with them. She wanted to see her love as badly as his parents did.
Luca’s head was wrapped in a thick bandage, and his eyes sported purple circles. The discolorations made his eyes look even bluer. Dawn wanted to run up and hug him, but she stayed back a little, knowing his parents were anxious to talk to him.
After a few moments, Gabriella moved aside, and Luca called out to Dawn. She ran up to him and leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on his lips, then gingerly laid her hand on the side of his face. “I’m so sorry you were hurt.”
“It’s okay, babe. I’m fine. Just a little banged up.”
Then she did what she’d promised herself she wouldn’t do. She started blubbering. Everyone tried to make her feel better. Gabriella insisted Dawn come home with them and spend the night.
“We don’t want you alone and worrying,” Gabriella said, hugging her.
“Thank you so much. I would love to stay over.” Dawn wiped her tears, wondering what she’d done to deserve such good people in her life.
Maybe good karma wasn’t about only good stuff happening. Maybe it was about having people around you for support when the bad stuff happened. She’d have to ask Lynda about that next time she saw her. For tonight, she would curl up beside Luca and watch him sleep. There was nowhere else she wanted to be.
* * *
The next morning, Gabriella made them all a big breakfast, and other than his bandaged head and black eyes, Luca was back to his usual self. He ate well and cracked jokes with his dad. But when the topic came around to his injury, Antonio had a few things to say.
“I’m sorry, Son. This job’s just too dangerous.”
