Back To Country (Country Love #4)(8)
"Oh, Nash," Tina whispers.
I lower my arm and her hand stays on mine. We're not able to look away from each other, all voices and sounds seem to fade away.
"Mr. Harris?"
Slowly I tear my eyes from hers and turn my head. A nurse is standin' there lookin' around the room. I don't hesitate to move, walkin' toward her quickly. "I'm Nash Harris." I stand before her nervous and anxious, hopin' to hear some good news. She smiles.
"Mr. Gonzales is in recovery." My heart is poundin' so hard I can feel it. "If you'd like to follow me, I'll take you to him. Once we move him to a room, the doctor will come and explain everythin'." I nod as she turns and begins to walk away. I start to follow her but stop quickly. I look over my shoulder and see Prie and Tina standin' right behind me, not realizin' they had followed me over.
"Go on," Prie says through her smile, worry remainin' in her eyes. "I'll call you later." I nod then look at Tina. Her head is bowed, and she's lookin' down at the floor. She was so concerned earlier it had overridden her shyness. As I start to turn back around, I notice Tina's head snap up, her eyes connectin' with mine. For a brief second, her lips turn into a smile, then I lose sight of it as I face forward and follow the nurse to see Manuel.
It feels like the elevator ride and the walk to the room takes longer than the waitin' time I just went through. Once the nurse opens the door and I see him layin' there, his leg raised, casted and hangin' from some kind of apparatus, I finally breathe out a sigh of relief.
"I'll just leave you two alone," the nurse says as I step inside. As she closes the door while backin' out, she smiles. "It will be a little while before he awakens enough for us to properly check him and get him to a room." I stand there frozen. I'm not sure what I expected to see when I finally got to see him but he doesn't look as bad as I had envisioned. The mind is a strange thing, always thinkin' the worst.
I see a chair a little distance from his bed and walk over to it, pullin' it up closer and sit down. He looks peaceful as he sleeps, a contrast to the last time I'd seen him in so much pain. Seein' him layin' in the creek, his leg all tore up, and not knowin' what else he'd hurt, made me feel like I was losin' Pa all over again. I had to grow up real fast once Pa died but Manuel was there to help guide me, give me the reassurance I needed. I didn't have a mother growin' up, died when I was too young to remember. Let's just say after she'd passed, my pa was well versed with many women in his younger days. He told me he figured most of them weren't really wantin' him, they were just wantin' his money. So, he never really got involved with them, only for his own needs to be satisfied. But, he raised me to respect women but to always be leery of ones that might only want to be with me to get their hands on my money. I guess that's why I like Tina so much. She's awkward, shy, and clearly not out for my money. Hell, I can't even get her to have a decent conversation yet. I smile thinkin' of her. She stumbles over her words and can't hardly look me in the eyes. If Pa were here, he'd tell me to be careful, that this could be a ploy. I can see how he might've thought that but I don't feel that way when it comes to her. I don't think anyone can be that socially awkward and be fake. She'd have to be the best actress on the planet.
The long day and night finally catches up to me, my body slumps in the chair and my eyes grow heavy. Knowin' Manuel is out of surgery, close to me in the bed, I allow my eyes to close. Maybe with a small recharge, I'll be better to handle things when he gets moved to a regular room. Just a little nap will do me wonders.
"Mr. Harris?"
My eyes snap open, alarm and worry envelopin' me instantly. The nurse I'd followed here is hoverin' over me but with a smile on her face. "Sorry to disturb you but we're gettin' ready to take Mr. Gonzales up to his regular room. I thought you'd want to come with us." I nod, sittin' up and rubbin' my sleep filled eyes as she walks over to his bed. I have no idea how long I've slept, but it doesn't feel like it's been nearly enough. Slowly, I stand and walk to the other side of the small room, givin' them ample space to get him ready to move him.
I watch as she unhooks all the wires from the monitors he's attached to. Lookin' at the doorway, I see two nurses walk inside the room, a woman and a male. "We're just gonna take him up in this bed and then transfer him into the bed in his new room. You can follow us," the nurse who originally brought me here tells me. I look at the name tag pinned to her shirt. Candace. She seems real nice. By the time they get him ready and move him out of the room, I'm fully awake and follow them. It's a short ride in the elevator and a small walk to his new room.
Once I'd arrived at the hospital, I had explained who I am to Manuel and that I'd be payin' all his expenses and when the time came, he was to be placed in a private room. They didn't disappoint. The room we walk into is rather large, two windows on one side, nice TV hangin' from the wall across from the bed. There's a sofa, a coffee table, and a round table with chairs around it on the other side. There's even a recliner sittin' off to the side of the bed and a nightstand. What I didn't expect was to see two large bouquets of flowers already in the room. One sittin' in the middle of the round table and one on top of the wide window ledge in the middle of the two windows. Who could have sent him flowers already not even knowin' his room number? As the nurses move him into his new bed, I walk over to the flowers on the table and pick up the card attached to what looks like a long plastic pitch fork in the middle.
Get well quick, Manuel!
Your friends,
Trevor and Prie MacKay
Prie. Of course. I can't help but smile, the first real one I've felt since Bart told me Manuel was hurt. But how did she know where to have them delivered? I turn to walk over to the windows to see who sent the other flowers when Candace stops me.
"He's all set up and still sleepin'. If he wakes up or seems to be in any kind of pain, please push the nurse's button here." She points to one of the buttons on the inside of the bed rail. "I'll come quickly." She smiles then starts to walk out of the room. She stops and turns to me. "Oh! Dr. Franklin will be in to see you shortly. He's just startin' to make his rounds now. He'll be able to fill you in with everythin' and answer any questions you may have." She gives me a wink as she walks out of the door.
Shakin' my head filled with embarrassment, I walk around the bed and pick up the card from the other bouquet.
We're thinking of you, Manuel. Get well quick!
Memphis and Sadie Johnson
Colby and Shiloh Carter
Good folks. "How?" I whisper. This is so strange bein' that he just got here. I know Prie was here earlier but how could she have done this and spread the word so fast? So like Prie though. She's the best. I look at the blind covered windows and see light tryin' to seep in. Pushin' two of my fingers through them, I spread them apart and see it's early mornin'. I've no idea how long I've been here, especially after what I'd thought was a short nap. I turn and look at the clock on the wall. Seven fifteen. No wonder they could get an order called in and delivered already. A groan startles me, and I look over at Manuel. His eyes are rollin' around under their lids, and I wonder if he's in pain. Walkin' to his side, I bend over and place my hand gently on his arm. "Manuel? Do you need somethin' for pain?" His eyes roll a bit more then slowly open. I'm relieved when he smiles a little.
"Nash. Mijo." Son.
I smile back so glad to hear his voice. "Do you need somethin' for pain?" He nods, slightly. Leanin' over him, I press the nurse's button.
"Yes, Mr. Gonzales?"
"This is Nash Harris. Mr. Gonzales is awake and needs something for pain. Now."
"Someone will be in right away."
I look down at him and smile. "Gotta tell ya, you scared the shit outta me yesterday." I stand up and run my fingers through my unruly hair. His face contorts into sadness, and I feel bad. "I was so worried 'bout ya." I give him a serious look. "Don't ever do that again." We look at each other and finally I smile. He relaxes then looks the other way. I turn my head just as a nurse and a doctor walk into the room.
"Ah, good morning, Mr. Gonzales. Mr. Harris." The doctor walks straight to the foot of the bed and picks up an electronic tablet as the nurse walks over and removes a needle from her front pocket and pushes it into Manuel's IV. The doctor studies the tablet for a few minutes then looks at me then at Manuel. "I apologize for the delay in speaking with you. There were quite a few emergency surgeries last night. I'm Dr. Franklin." He walks over to the other side of Manuel's bed and reaches his hand across Manuel. I shake it and then watch as he pats Manuel gently on his shoulder. "You're a very lucky man, Mr. Gonzales. It was a delicate surgery as the bone in your leg was severely damaged. By all good graces, it will heal and with some therapy you'll be able to walk just fine. However, there is a chance you may have a slight limp." He smiles at Manuel, and I let out a breath of relief. "You also had several bruises and cuts on your back, head, and hip from hitting the rocks so hard. A few cuts needed stitches and the bruising on your hip will keep you sore for quite a while." I look down and see Manuel nod. "You have quite a bad concussion from hitting your head so roughly so the nurses will be waking you up quite frequently for the next twenty-four hours. If either of you have any questions, please feel free to ask myself or any of the nurses on duty."