He settled himself in for a long night.
3
She placed her arm over her eyes, trying to shield them from the light assaulting them. She’d been having a nice dream about being hugged by a giant teddy bear when she’d been rudely awakened by this torture.
“Go away. Sleeping. Don’t wanna get up.”
“Honey, I’ve just got to check your pupils then you can sleep some more.”
She tried to turn her head away but a sharp pain radiating through her head made her still, a cry escaping from her lips.
“Little girl, stay still,” the stern voice told her. “This will only take a minute and I don’t want you hurting yourself.”
“Too late.” Her stomach rolled sickeningly as the light went on and off. It felt like fireworks were going off behind her eyes and she groaned. “Don’t feel well.”
The light went away and a large hand landed over her forehead. “You don’t feel warm, but I’ll take your temperature again.”
“I’m sick,” she said miserably.
“Tell me if you’re going to throw up, all right?”
“Don’t like throwing up,” she told him. “Yucky.”
He snorted. “I don’t think anyone likes throwing up.” There was a rustling noise. “All right, open up.”
She pressed her lips together stubbornly.
“Little girl, I’ve got a rectal thermometer in here
, wouldn’t take much for me to pull these covers down, bare your butt and push it up into your bottom.”
She immediately opened her mouth. But even though she definitely didn’t want anything going up her butt, her insides tingled at his words. What was with that?
He slid the thermometer back out. “Just a little elevated. I think it’s the head injury making you feel sick. How is your pain level?”
She forced herself to open her eyes and stare up at him. Her rescuer. “It’s okay,” she said automatically.
“Okay, huh?” He gave her a chiding look.
She bit her lip. She was used to downplaying her own issues, because her parents had always been so ill. Seemed selfish to complain about bronchitis when your mom had cancer.
Except she hadn’t had cancer. And Ellie had still been expected to take care of them while she was ill.
“Want to try that again?” he rumbled.
“My head is pretty sore.”
“Good girl. That’s better.”
His praise filled her with warmth. What was it about this man that a word of praise meant so much to her? Was it because she’d had precious little praise in her life? She guessed so. But for some reason she wanted to know more about this man. “Is Bear your real name?”
He blushed slightly, surprising her. “No, it’s not.”
“What is it?”
He didn’t answer her. Huh. That just made her feel nosier.
She took the painkillers he gave her then had a few drinks from the sippy cup. That still felt a little embarrassing, but he didn’t act like it was out of the ordinary for a grown woman to drink from a child’s cup.