“When did they take all the IVs out?”
“This morning,” Zachary said. “The catheter sucked coming out.”
The other men nodded. They’d both been through that, too, so they understood.
“I haven’t seen Anna,” Zachary said.
Travis and Kane looked at each other.
“What?”
Kane cleared his throat. “She’s on a different floor. We asked when we got here, and the nurse from hell said they needed her somewhere else.”
“I want her back with me,” Zachary said.
“Then you’ll have to talk to the doctor. I wouldn’t go to the nurse.”
“Can you get the doctor in here for me?”
“Yeah, let me see what I can do.” Travis walked out of the room.
“Little Anna is a sweetheart,” Kane said.
“Yes.”
“I think you should keep her.”
Zachary snorted. “It’s not that easy.”
“Maybe not, but don’t make it more difficult than it has to be. I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you hire her to come home with you and take care of you while you’re healing? That way, you both have a chance to get to know one another.”
Zachary thought about it for a bit. “What about her work and school?”
“From what I’ve gathered from her, she hates both.”
“She told me a little about the situation. Will she go against her mom?” Zachary asked.
“Yeah, I think so, if she had someone backing her and protecting her.”
The door opened, and Travis and the doctor walked in, followed by the nurse.
“Hello, Mr. Stone, you’re looking much better,” the doctor said.
“I feel better. When can I go home?”
The doctor laughed. “Let’s get an X-ray of the leg and decide from there. The cast and lack of strength will hamper your mobility. Do you have someone at home who can help you?”
“I’ve got an idea of who I can get to help, but let’s get the X-ray first.”
Dr. Fredricks turned to the nurse. “Val, can you order an X-ray for me?”
“Yes, sir.”
The nurse walked out.
He waited until the door closed behind the nurse. “Hey, doc, I want Anna back, and I’d like to get her to come home with me and help. What do you think?”
Dr. Fredricks seemed to think for a moment and then nodded. “I think it’s a great idea. She doesn’t belong here. I can tell she hates it, but her mother’s a snob and a control freak. I think you’ll be good for each other.”