Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26659 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26659 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
“Can I help you, sir?”
“Yeah, I’m here for Eva Dawson.”
The woman’s eyes widened as she stared at me, but then she snapped out of it and looked around us, like she was expecting someone to be watching us.
“Are you Joshua?”
“Yeah, Joshua Reagan.”
“Oh, thank God,” she sighed. “I love Eva, she’s the sweetest woman in the world. We’ve reported that part of the parking lot so many times, but the second they fix the broken bulbs, more go out. If it’s not the wiring, then it’s the bulbs or kids throwing rocks up at them. I can’t believe she was attacked.”
“Do you know where she is?” I asked, cutting to the chase.
“Yes, yes, sorry. Laura called and told us you’d be coming. Eva’s just having some tests done—I think I heard them saying something like she was having a CT—but she’s in room two-oh-two.”
I looked blindly around me for a sign that said where that room was, but all I could see was the typical signage for a hospital. “Where is that?”
“Oh, sorry, I’m just shook, you know. Okay, if you go through that door there and take a left, the room’s the third on your right. Billy’s in with her, and he knows to expect you, so you’ll be fine.”
Managing to smile gratefully at her, I walked quickly over to the door, just as it opened, and a petite lady waved me through. “I’m Noreen, Joshua. Can I call you that?”
“Sure, go ahead. Nice to meet you, Noreen.”
“I’m helping Billy out with Eva, so I’m here to take you down to her. She woke up about twenty minutes ago, but she’s still a little groggy. Damn shame what happened to that lovely girl, damn shame.”
I stayed silent as I listened to her talk during the brief walk to Eva’s room, my brain focused on just getting to her. After I saw she was okay, I’d start asking questions, I’m sure.
Seeing her curled up on her side on the gurney was a hit to the solar plexus, but her tears when she realized I was there tore at my guts. Squatting down next to the bed, I smiled gratefully at Noreen and the male nurse I assumed was Billy, who said they’d give us a minute.
Swiping away her tears with my thumb, I tried to calm her down. “Baby, settle down. If you get yourself worked up like this, you’ll make your head hurt worse.”
“I-I didn’t know he was there,” she croaked, swallowing painfully, and drawing my attention to her throat.
“Didn’t know who was there?”
“The guy who did this. He choked me and threatened me, then hit my head with something.”
It took everything in me to remain calm, but I managed it for her. “What did he threaten you with?”
“He wants the money back, Joshua,” she rasped.
Leaning over to pick up the cup of ice chips that was next to the bed, I gave her one as I collected myself. “There, that should help.”
What was I saying? She was a nurse, for Christ’s sake.
Grabbing my hand, she squeezed it tightly. “He’s going to go after my family if he doesn’t get it back.”
The door opening interrupted our conversation, and when I turned, it was to see an older man with an iPad in his hand. Now, granted, it’d been a while since I’d last been to the ER, but I was fairly sure I’d remember if they’d used those things back then.
“Are you a doctor?” I asked, standing up and placing my body between his and Eva’s.
Looking up in surprise, his mouth opened and closed before he wiggled the device in the air. “Yup. For some reason, they got rid of most of the paperwork and moved it all onto these damn things. It’s great if you need to see x-rays and scans, but I’ll be damned if I don’t wish we could go back to writing everything down. There are too many options and screens.”
Taking a step to the side so he could see Eva, I watched his expression change to sympathy and anger.
“You’re here for our Eva?”
“This is Joshua, Doctor Connors,” she said quietly.
Crossing the room, he held his hand out. “Nice to meet you, Joshua. I’m overseeing Eva’s treatment while she’s with us.” Turning his attention back to her, he sighed dramatically. “You’ve got a nice egg on your head and looks like a mild concussion, too. We’re going to keep you in overnight for monitoring, and ENT is going to take a quick look at your throat in the morning.”
Seeing my surprise at how he’d just launched into it, she shot me a weak smile. “We call him Doctor Cut ‘n Dry. He doesn’t do filler or waste time, he just goes in and gets out again.”
Shrugging, he looked back down at his screen. “Could be worse, and trust me, I know that for a fact. I’ve been called a lot of things since I became a doctor. Lots of rude names come out of kids' mouths these days. No respect,” he muttered under his breath.