Deadly Proposal(17)

She was all right. He was all right.

So why did everything feel so off?





Six


James woke up the next morning feeling more exhausted than he had been when he fell asleep. The nurse who woke him had done so by shaking him quietly so she wouldn’t disturb Mandy, who was still slumbering at his side.

“The doctor will be here in a few minutes,” she whispered. “I figured you would want to clean up a little first.”

James thanked her and carefully leveraged himself off the bed. Once inside the bathroom, he regarded his haggard countenance in the mirror. His eyes were burning and red, his features pale and drawn. He couldn’t let Mandy see him like this. If she spent time worrying about him, she wouldn’t focus on healing.

James splashed cold water on his face, repeating the procedure until his complexion perked up. He’d purchased a bottle of Visine at the pharmacy the evening before, and he dug it out of his pocket now, squeezing several drops into his eyes to eliminate the redness.

When he was done, he gave himself a quick once over. He didn’t look good, but he didn’t look nearly as bad as he had a few minutes before. He found Dr. Fitzgerald standing at the end of the bed watching Mandy sleep when he exited the bathroom.

The doctor lifted his finger to his lips, motioning for James to follow him out into the hallway.

“What’s wrong?” James asked once they were out of Mandy’s earshot.

“Nothing,” Fitzgerald said. “I just didn’t want to wake her if I didn’t have to.”

James exhaled heavily. “Her fever is gone. It broke in the middle of the night.”

“Were you up all night?”

“No,” James said. “I just woke up a few times so I could check on her.”

“Mr. Hardy, I know you’re worried,” Fitzgerald said. “Your dedication to her is … impressive. If you don’t get some sleep and take care of yourself, though, you’re going to have a hard time taking care of her.”

“I’ll take care of her,” James growled. “She’ll have everything she needs.”

“Just take some time for yourself, too,” Fitzgerald cautioned. “I’m not sure you realize how much work she’s going to be – especially over the next few days.”

“I love her,” James said. “She’s not work.”

Fitzgerald nodded to signify his understanding. “I can see that you mean that.”

“What do I need to know?” James asked. “She’s going to want to get out of here as soon as she wakes up. I want to make sure I’m prepared.”

“She’ll have a few prescriptions,” Fitzgerald said. “One will be for the pain. The dosage over the first few days will be higher, and then I’m going to want you to start weaning her off it. It’s not addictive, but it will make her sleepy and maybe a little loopy at times.”

“She’s already loopy without the medication,” James replied. “I can deal with loopy.”

“There will also be antibiotics to fight infection,” Fitzgerald said. “Ironically, while it was the head wound we were initially concerned with, it looks like the wound to her back is going to be the most problematic.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning that right now we’ve got a numbing agent on it,” Fitzgerald said. “That’s why she can tolerate being on her back. Without the numbing agent, that’s going to be virtually impossible over the next few days.”

“Is there something I can use that will help her at home?”

“We can give you a bottle to take home,” Fitzgerald said. “That means you will have to tend to the area of the wound, keep it clean, and then put the numbing agent on twice a day. I would recommend once in the morning and once in the evening.”

“Fine.”

“The wound on her back is … ugly right now, Mr. Hardy. It should heal fine, and the scarring should be minimal, but right now it is hard to look at. For someone who isn’t used to seeing something like that … .”

“What? You think I’m going to freak out because her back is mangled and somehow leave her because she’s not perfect anymore?” James couldn’t hide his quick flash of anger.

“That’s not what I was saying,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m just saying that it might be hard for you to see. Perhaps, if your financial situation warrants it, you might consider hiring a nurse.”

“We don’t need a nurse,” James said. “She’s mine. I’ll take care of her.”

“Okay,” Fitzgerald said, holding up his hand to show James he wasn’t going to keep pressing the issue. “When you get her home, keep her quiet. My guess is that she’s going to fight that.”