“If she doesn’t feel that way, and I really do think she does, then she’d be missing out on a really great guy. And I’ll be the first to tell her that.”
“Thank you. That means a lot, especially since you and I have had our differences.”
“Your heart was in the right place with Chase and my biological father. And Eliza thinks you’re an exceptional uncle.”
“I love that girl.”
“I know you do. It shows. You’re a good man, Hunt. Cyn knows that, too.”
They both stood when the doctor walked in with a soft smile on her face. “Officer Wilde, if you’ll come into the hall with me. Cyn is awake and doing better than expected now that we’ve got her body temperature back to normal. She asked me to update you and gave me permission to speak about her injuries.”
Shelby touched his arm. “I’ll wait here.”
Hunt followed the doctor down the hall to an area where they had some privacy. “She has a mild concussion. We believe she hit her head on a log or piece of wood in the water. We took out several splinters from the gash on her head and neck. We’ve stitched the wound. Her scans and X-rays show no broken bones or internal bleeding. Though she suffered severe hypothermia, she only suffered stage II frostbite on her feet. She’s got some blistering on her toes, but it will heal quickly. You got her warm in a timely manner to stave off the worst of things.”
“What about her leg?”
“She’s got contusions and scratches on a lot of her body. We’ve stitched the majority of the gash on her shin and bandaged the whole thing. We’re giving her IV antibiotics and will prescribe some for her to take for the next ten days at home along with putting topical ointment on her head, neck and shin to prevent infection, too. Any questions?”
“She swallowed a lot of water. Her heart stopped. Is she really going to be okay?”
“Her lungs looked clear, but we’ll keep her here overnight and into tomorrow to recheck them and be sure she doesn’t develop pneumonia. Her heart looked good on the scan. The cold prevented swelling in her entire body, so that helped a lot. Otherwise she’s strong, like you said. She’s in good health and we’ll probably send her home sometime after lunch tomorrow if all stays looking as good as it does now.”
He let out a sigh of relief. “When can I see her?”
“She’s in room 302. I’ve let the nurses know you’ll be up soon.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I have her mother’s contact information. I understand she’s on her way as well. I’ll call and update her.”
“Great. I’m going to see Cyn now.”
“I’m surprised you were this patient.” She gave him a knowing smile.
“Thank you for taking care of her.”
“She’s going to be fine. And with you looking out for her, I bet she’ll recover even more quickly.”
Hunt thanked the doctor again, then stopped by the waiting room just long enough to see his brothers had arrived and to tell them and Shelby he was going to see Cyn.
They followed him up to the third floor, but let him go in to see Cyn alone.
She was lying in the bed, eyes closed, a bandage wrapped around her neck, the blanket covering her all the way up to her chest. Her hair was dry and in wild disarray, but her cheeks were pink, her lips a deeper berry color and chapped from the cold water.
He leaned over without touching her and whispered in her ear, “I’m here, sweetheart.”
She leaned her face into him. He kissed her forehead. “Rest, sweetheart. I’ll be right here beside you.”
She pulled her hand out from under the blankets.
He took it and kissed her palm. “Sleep,” he ordered.
“Bossy,” she whispered, and settled, her breathing soft and even.
He pulled the chair beside the bed closer so he could hold her hand and just be with her.
Shelby peeked in the door. “Everything okay?”