Page 123 of Forever Fighting
I’m going to have him do his research into her and see what she’s up to. At the very least track her to make sure Brae is safe. I don’t trust that Adam and his blackmail are enough. We’ll make sure she never goes near my girl again.
“All right, Nurse Fritz, take me to the hospital.”
Sometimes it sucks being a Fritz.Brae takes me to her hospital, which I expected. Except I have about ten thousand cousins who work here, and for those who aren’t related to me by blood or marriage or whatever else, everyone knows me.
“Can you believe it?!” Brae is incensed. “It was an attempted mugging in the back alley behind his restaurant. They really got him.”
Jack seems to already be in on the ruse, but the nurse helping him isn’t. “Oh my gosh. You poor thing. Did you file a police report?”
“He didn’t see anything, but yes, we will right after we make sure he’s okay.”
“Absolutely. I’ll get the portable X-ray going, an IV because he looks like he’s in shock from the episode, he’s been sweating so much, and some labs.” She looks at Jack, who gives her a firm nod.
“Yes. Let’s get all of those going. I want a CBC, CMP, and let’s type and cross him in case he needs blood.”
“I don’t need a transfusion.” I try to hold in my annoyance, but part of me feels like they’re fucking with me. It was a boxing match. Not an actual mugging.
“You don’t know that,” Jack chastises, and yeah, this is going to be a long night with him and Braelyn. Good thing Wren isn’t here. That woman is the ultimate ball buster. “I’ll be right back. I need to see who’s on to do your face.”
Jack leaves the room, and Brae turns to the nurse. “I think he needs a rectal for guaiac testing to see if there’s any intestinal bleeding.”
I tilt my head at my wife. “Nice try.”
She gives me the most innocent yet professional look I’ve ever seen on her. “I’m completely serious. You could have internal bleeding.”
“No. That’s a hard no.”
“Yes, but there are better ways for us to determine that, don’t you think?” the nurse questions even as she seriously considers this.
Braelyn sighs in dismay. “I suppose.”
Score one for me. For a change. I give her my best attempt at a cocky smile, but she’s not having it. Probably because nothing looks cocky on me at the moment. I change tactics.
“Can I go up and see Katy and Bennett if they’re awake?”
Braelyn is about to chop off my balls. “Katy gave birth tonight by an emergency C-section, and Baby Callan is in the NICU. They need their sleep.”
I hold up a placating hand, realizing I’m already on very thin ice with her. “Fine. I’ll visit them another day.”
“Good news,” Jack announces just as the nurse jabs a needle into my arm to draw my blood and then starts my IV. “We have our best fourth-year medical student to do the sutures on your face.”
I cock an eyebrow, which is no easy feat. Hell, I don’t even know if it’s arching up with all my facial swelling, but I don’tcare because what the fuck? I can’t tell if he’s serious or not. He looks serious, but Jack is that kind of guy anyway.
Typically, I’m not vain. I’m not. I box. Let’s start with that. I’ve had multiple fractures on my face before, and my nose is far from perfect. But the gash under my eye is long and jagged, and there is no fucking way I’m letting some pre-doctor hack get at my face.
“No.”
Jack laughs. Brae does too. The nurse looks uneasy, but she quickly figures out that they’re joking. I hope.
“It’s not really your choice.” Brae puts her hand on my arm. “We can’t let the wound stay open until morning or you’ll get a terrible infection. You have to deal with the fourth year.”
“Why can’t he do it?” I point at Jack.
“He’s the attending. Attendings don’t suture.”
“Braelyn, I swear to god?—”
“Actually, I have one of our plastic surgery PAs who will do it.”
