He was here now.
She didn’t know if that was a promise or a threat.
* * *
Worry flooded him as he carried her into the emergency room of the local hospital. There were a few people sitting around. He carried her straight up to the desk. By now, she was completely out of it. His heart pounded. Why hadn’t he tried to find her earlier?
“Quick, we need a doctor,” he snapped at the woman behind the desk.
“What’s wrong?”
“She has a fever. Some cuts and bruises. Also she said she has Lupus.”
“All right. What’s her name?”
“Gigi. Georgina Reynolds.”
“Here, carry her through here.” She led him through the doors and into a cubicle. “Set her down. The doctor will be in soon.”
“Her leg won’t stop bleeding.”
“Is she allergic to anything? On any medication?”
“I’m not sure about any allergies. She is on medication; I have photos of the labels.”
Suddenly, another nurse appeared and started working with her. They got Gigi hooked up to monitors, oxygen and a drip.
“What’s wrong with her?”
“Are you family, sir?” The second woman asked. The first woman disappeared out of the cubicle and he wanted to call her back, preferring her caring attitude to this woman’s briskness.
“I’m her guardian,” he told her.
“Her guardian?” She frowned. “How old is she?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted, knowing they’d no doubt catch him out in a lie when they looked up her medical history. “She lives with my grandmother. But my grandmother is ill and left me in charge of her.”
The woman gave him a suspicious look. “If you’re not family and you don’t have legal guardianship over her, I need to ask you to leave.”
“No.”
“Sir—”
“No,” he repeated firmly.
Suddenly, Gigi groaned, her head moving from side to side. She started making low whimpering noises that tore at his heart. “Macca?”
“I’m here, sweet pea.” He moved to her side, clasping her hand in his. “You’re all right.”
Those low, scared noises stopped and she settled.
“All right, sir,” the woman said softening. “I’m still going to have to ask you to leave while the doctor examines her. But I’ll come get you as soon as he’s done.”
Macca sighed. He knew it was as much of a concession as he was going to get. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, worried over her hot skin. “I’ll be back soon, sweet pea. Behave.”
He turned and walked out to the waiting room. He paced back and forth for twenty minutes until that same nurse reappeared in the doorway. He strode over to her. “Is she all right? Can I see her?”
“She’s being admitted,” the nurse told him. “I can’t tell you everything without her permission. However, she does need monitoring. We want to get the fever down and keep an eye on her so she could be here a few days.”