"Mother, it's hardly Brianna's fault that some idiot Yank couldn't remember which side of the road to drive on." Maggie's teeth clenched at the thought of it. "And they, with barely a scratch between them."
"You mustn't be so hard on them. It was a mistake, and all but frightened them to death." The drumming in Brianna's head increased at the idea of an argument. "I'll stay if I must, but if I could just ask the doctor again."
"You'll leave the doctor be and rest as he told you." Maeve pushed herself to her feet. "And there's no rest with all these people fussing around. Margaret Mary, it's time you took your baby home."
"I don't want Brie to be alone here," Maggie began. "I'm staying." Gray turned, met Maeve's gaze steadily. "I'm staying with her."
She jerked a shoulder. "Sure it's no business of mine what you do. We missed our tea," she said. "Lottie and I will have something downstairs while Rogan arranges to have us taken home. Do as you're told here, Brianna, and don't make a fuss."
She leaned over, a bit stiffly, and kissed Brianna's uninjured cheek. "You were never a fast healer, so I don't expect this time to be any different." Her fingers rested, for just an
instant where her lips had, then she turned and hurried out, calling Lottie to follow.
"She said two rosaries on the drive here," Lottie murmured. "Rest yourself." After a parting kiss, she trailed after Meave.
"Well." Maggie let out a long breath. "I think I can trust Grayson to see that you behave yourself. I'll find Rogan and see how we'll deal with getting them both home again. I'll come back before we go, in case Grayson needs help."
"I'll go with you, Maggie." Murphy patted Brianna's sheet-draped knee. "If they come to poke you, just turn your head away and close your eyes. That's what I do."
She chuckled and, when the room emptied, looked up at Gray. "I wish you'd sit down. I know you're upset."
"I'm fine." He was afraid if he sat, he'd go one better and just slide bonelessly to the floor. "I'd like to know what happened if you're up to telling me."
"It was all so fast." Indulging the discomfort and fatigue, she closed her eyes a moment. "We'd bought too much to carry, and I was going to fetch the car and drive it around to the shop where Maggie was waiting. Just as I pulled out of the car park, I heard someone shout. It was the attendant. He'd seen the other car coming for mine. There was nothing anyone could do then. There wasn't time. It hit on the side."
She started to shift and her shoulder twanged in protest. "They were going to tow the car away. I can't remember where."
"It doesn't matter. We'll take care of it later. You hit your head." Gently he reached down but kept his fingertips a breath away from the bandage.
"I must have, for the next thing I remember, there was a crowd around, and the American woman was crying and asking me if I was all right. Her husband had already gone to call an ambulance. I was fuddled. I think I asked that somebody get my sister, and then the three of us-Maggie, the baby and me-were riding off in an ambulance."
She didn't add that there had been a great deal of blood. Enough to terrify her until the medical attendant had staunched the flow.
"I'm sorry Maggie wasn't able to tell you more when she called. If she'd waited until the doctor had finished looking me over, she'd have saved you a lot of worry."
"I'd have worried anyway. I don't-I can't-" He shut his eyes and struggled to find the words. "It's hard for me to handle the idea of you being hurt. The reality of it is even tougher."
"It's just bruises and bumps."
"And a concussion, a pulled shoulder." For both of their sakes, he yanked himself back. "Tell me, is it truth or myth about not falling asleep with a concussion because you might not wake up?"
"It's a myth." She smiled again. "But I'm thinking seriously of staying awake for a day or two, just in case."
"Then you'll want company."
"I'll love company. I think I'd go mad lying in this bed alone, with nothing to do and no one to see."
"How's this?" Careful not to jar her, he sat on the side of the bed. "The food probably sucks here. It's hospital law in every developed country. I'll go out, hunt us up some burgers and chips. We'll have dinner together."
"I'd like that."
"And if they come in and try to give you a shot, I'll beat them up."
"I wouldn't mind if you did. Would you do something else for me?"
"Name it."
"Would you call Mrs. O'Malley? I've haddock waiting to be grilled for dinner. I know Murphy will see to Con, but the Carstairs need to be served, and there's more guests coming tomorrow."
Gray lifted her hand to his lips, then rested his brow on it. "Don't worry about it. Let me take care of you."
It was the first time in his life he'd ever made the request.
Chapter Twenty-three
By the time Gray got back with dinner, Brianna's hospital room resembled her garden. Sprays of roses and freesia, spears of lupine and lilies, blooms of cheerful daisies and carnations banked her window, filled the table beside the bed.
Gray shifted the enormous bouquet he held so that he could see over it and shook his head. "Looks like these are superfluous."
"Oh, no, they aren't. They're lovely. Such a fuss really for a bump on the head." She held the bouquet in her uninjured arm, much like she held a child, then buried her face in it. "I'm enjoying it. Maggie and Rogan brought those, and Murphy those. And the last ones there were sent up from the Carstairs. Wasn't that sweet of them?"
"They were really worried." He set down the large paper
bag he held. "I'm to tell you they're going to stay over another night, maybe two, depending on when you get out of here."
"That's fine, of course. And I'll be out tomorrow, if I have to climb through the window." She shot a wistful look at the bag. "Did you really bring dinner?"
"I did. Managed to sneak it past the big, eagle-eyed nurse out there."
"Ah, Mrs. Mannion. Terrifying, isn't she?" "Scares me." He pulled a chair close to the bed, then sat to dig into the bag. "Bon appetit," he said, handing her a burger. "Oh, here, let me take those." He rose again to lift the bouquet from her arm. "I guess they need water, huh? Here, you eat." He pulled out a bag of chips for her. "I'll go find a vase."