Page 42 of Ash (Dragon Riders MC 3)
The doctor shook his head. “We won’t know until we run the tests. But she’s been pretty beat up. Though, there’s some preliminary good news.”
He let go of my chin. “What’s that?”
The doctor smiled. “I don’t think you have a concussion.”
Ash wrapped his arm around me. “What about her nausea?”
The doctor shrugged. “Could be from stress or from a constant adrenaline rush. If our bodies have more adrenaline in it than it can sift through at any given point in time, it gives us things like headaches and nausea. It’s easy to mistake those symptoms for a concussion, especially if there’s been a blow to the head of any sort. We’ll run a test just to make sure, though.”
I sighed. “How long will I be here?”
The doctor slid his light back into his breast pocket. “I’d say you probably won’t be released until tomorrow morning. We’ll want to monitor you just in case things go sideways. Now, are you sure we don’t need any police here?”
Ash shook his head. “They’ve already handled it and taken our statements. I can get you the case number, if need be.”
The doctor shook his head. “Nope. Just making sure we don’t need to call on our end.”
I leaned against Ash as the doctor left through the curtain he came through, then he helped me lay back down. The I.V. wiggled around in my hand and made me wince. Every part of my body hurt in some way, and I was ready for some drugs. Some heavy, heavy drugs. And as I looked up at Ash, I saw him smiling down at me.
Which caused my mouth to run away with me again.
“I love you so much.”
He smiled. “You’re a remarkable woman, you know that?”
I shrugged. “I try my best.”
The stay at the hospital seemed longer than just one day. They ran so many tests that I grew concerned there was something more wrong with me and they just didn’t want to say anything definitive yet. But the tests finally stopped, and a nurse came in around nine that night to list off all the things that were wrong with me.
“Well, you’ve got some bumps and bruises. Two of your ribs are bruised, but not fractured. Also, the doctor was right. You’ve got no concussion, but you do have a pretty nice knot on the back of your head. Your pinky toe is also broken, so we’ve taped that to the adjoining toe to try and keep it stabilized.”
Ash took my hand. “Is there any internal bleeding?”
The nurse giggled. “Oh, no, no. If there had been any of that, she’d be in surgery by now. What the doctor wanted to do was make sure there wasn’t more than what we saw on the surface. And it seems there isn’t.”
I sighed. “Thank God.”
The nurse closed the folder in her hand. “I’m going to write a recurring prescription for pain medication as well as an anti-inflammatory. Both will be good for two refills, and if taken at the exact specifications, that’ll get you three weeks. By then, the pain and the swelling should be down enough to where you aren’t in constant pain like you are right now.”
I smiled. “I appreciate that.”
Ash spoke up. “Does that mean she can go home in the morning?”
Home.
The idea of going home with Ash made my heart soar.
“Yes,” the nurse said as she nodded, “she’ll be discharged in the morning. We’ll make sure to have you guys out of here before lunch time.”
Ash stood. “Thank you so much for everything you guys have done.”
The nurse nodded. “My pleasure. That’s what we’re here for. And if you guys need anything at all through the night, just press that big red button on her bed. It’ll summon the desk, and someone will come running.”
I nestled back into the hospital bed and promptly fell asleep. And all night, Ash stayed by my side. I woke up to him kissing my cheek. I smiled as he fed me my breakfast. He peppered me with soft kisses and doted on me as if I were some sort of invalid. And while he hadn’t said those three little words back to me, I saw them in his actions. Felt them in his kisses.
I knew this man loved me.
And I knew I’d love him for the rest of my life.
The doctor eventually discharged me, and Ash whisked me away to his place. I clung to him on the bike ride home, resting my swollen cheek against the leather of his jacket. I loved this man. I loved everything about him. And I loved the fact that he called his home, my home. It made me wonder what might come of us, eventually. It made me wonder if he’d offer me a permanent place in his home.
You’re getting ahead of yourself. One step at a time.
