“I’m here, Pep. I’m not leaving you,” he said, and his hand covered mine like a comforting blanket that I wanted to wrap myself in.
“We’ll see you at the hospital.”
I was glad my dad capitulated and let Ian go with me, unlike the last time he wouldn’t even let Ian see me in the emergency room. Something squeezed my nose and I groaned in discomfort, but I relaxed when Ian squeezed my hand and in a whisper reminded, “I’m here, Pep, and I’m here to stay.”
I sat in my living room a few hours later with Mo sitting pressed against my leg staring at me and Roxie on the arm of the couch looking at me bewildered.
“It’s me, guys,” I assured them and couldn’t blame them for being unsure. I’d been unsure when I got a glimpse of myself in a mirror. My nose was swollen, leaving my breathing a bit labored and under my eyes were black and blue. Thankfully, the doctor got the bleeding stopped without having to cauterize my nose. X-rays showed no break and he told me the bruising would fade to almost nothing in about three or four days as would the swelling to my nose.”
“Remember now, Pepper,” my mom said as she handed me a cup of chamomile tea. “No lifting anything heavy and no strenuous activity for at least two weeks like the doctor instructed.
“I’ll make certain she follows the doctor’s orders,” Ian said.
“I know you will take good care of her, Ian,” my mom said with a generous smile and a pat to his arm.
He joined me on the couch.
“I took some of my chicken soup out of the freezer so Ian could heat it up for you both when you’re ready to eat. I’ll be off now and leave you to rest,” my mom said and looked to each animal who had yet to leave my side. “Mo, go watch the TV and, Roxie, go nap on your cat tree, Pepper needs to rest.”
Mo immediately obeyed not wanting to alienate someone who brought him treats as much as my mom did. I still couldn’t figure out how she got Roxie to obey her when she obeyed no one, but Roxie went and curled up for a nap in the top tier of her cat tree.
“Thanks again for picking up our purchases from Yesterday’s Treasures,” Ian said.
“No problem, Ian. Kate had them all wrapped and ready to go when I stopped there,” my mom said.
The door burst open and Amy rushed in. “I got here as soon as I could get free.”
I had warned my dad not to call anyone but mom when I was at the hospital since I didn’t want my brothers hovering around making fun of me, and they would have definitely seized the opportunity to do so. I also talked with Amy to let her know what happened before the gossip mill got to her and told her to wait until I got home for her to see me.
“Oh my God!” Amy said when she came to a stop in front of me.
“It is not nearly as bad as it looks, dear,” my mom assured Amy. “I’m taking off now. Rest, Pepper, rest,” she called out as she disappeared out the door.
“Tea, Amy?” Ian asked to break Amy’s trance and went to get up.
“Stay, I’ll get it,” Amy said.
My dad arrived just as Amy sat. I hadn’t had a chance to tell him what I’d heard and was the reason for my fall. I didn’t think it was something to be shared with so many people mulling around in the hospital, though I had managed to tell him that we needed to talk.
He got himself a cup of coffee after slipping off his jacket and hat and joined Ian, Amy, and me.
“Feeling better?” my dad asked.
I could see the worry for me in his eyes and guilt poked at me again. “I’m feeling good and as Mom told Amy… it’s not nearly as bad as it looks.” I quickly changed the subject. Well, partially changed it since what I was about to tell him had to do with me falling out the window.
“I suppose you are about to give me a good reason for tumbling out the window,” my dad said.
“I’ve been wondering it myself since you dinnae seldom take foolish chances,” Ian said.
My dad almost spit his coffee out of his mouth since he failed to hear the tease in Ian’s remark.
Amy, however, did not hide her laughter.
I got busy explaining. “I heard voices somewhere below the window. I recognized Mayor Barrett’s voice. He was talking with someone, warning whoever it was to continue to keep quiet, that it wouldn’t make a difference speaking up after all this time. I leaned out to see who Barrett was talking to and that’s when the window gave way.”