Shit. “You want me to get the nurse?”
“No. You’re the only one I trust to do it.”
“Wait. You want me to trim your hair?”
“You used to give the boys haircuts.” She closed her eyes again. “It’s mortifying that I’m so weak I can’t hold my head up.”
“Good thing you’ve got me here to hold you up.” He pushed the nurse’s call button.
Nurse Lissa hustled into the room. “You rang?”
“Can you find a set of hair clippers? She’d like me to fix the chop job.”
“I’m not sure what protocol is on that, so I’ll check and get back to you.”
“They’ll say no,” Carolyn said in a voice devoid of hope after the nurse left the room.
“You don’t know that.”
“Don’t yell at me.”
“I’m not.” He counted to ten. “Why would I yell at you?”
“Because I’m acting crazy.”
He chuckled. “Sugar, I survived six pregnancies with you. I remember them crazy times very well. So open them pretty blue eyes and gaze at me adoringly like you’re prone to. That’s how I’ll know for sure you’re you.”
That earned him her first smile. “Cocky cowboy.”
Nurse Lissa returned with an orderly pushing a wheelchair. “You’re cleared to do this with my supervision but we can’t do it in here. Brian and I will get you in the wheelchair.”
Carson hung back.
They wheeled her into a small lab-looking room. After replacing the dressing on the back of her head, Nurse Lissa fastened a hair salon style cape around Carolyn’s shoulders.
“Sugar, you sure this is what you want?”
“Positive.”
He adjusted the guard on the clippers. “Ready?”
“Just do it.”
He hoped she hadn’t noticed how bad his hands shook as he gave her a buzz cut. He really hoped she hadn’t seen his tears rolling down his cheeks as chunks of her beautiful blonde hair hit the floor. “There. Take a look.”
She squinted in the hand mirror. “Mona at ‘Hair It Is’ doesn’t need to worry that I’ve found a new stylist, but it looks better.” Her fearful eyes met his. “Doesn’t it?”
“You always look beautiful to me, Caro. You know that.”
“But…”
“No buts.”
“The kids—”
“Will be happy to see you. None of us loves you for your hair.”
That and a few kisses quelled her tears and her fears.
Back in the room, Carolyn became subdued. Her voice sounded scratchy and he suspected it might be hurting her to talk after having a tube shoved down her throat for a week.
“What else is botherin’ you?”
“My head hurts.”
“Want me to get the nurse to give you some pain meds?”
She shook her head and winced. Then she closed her eyes. Two big tears rolled down her cheeks.