He had his hand on the back of her head as he held her against him, then let her loose so she could look up at him. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to shove your face into me.”
“No. I really can’t see. Anything.” She gripped his arms tighter to keep her balance.
“But you saw me come in, right?”
“Yes. But the second I stood up, I lost all sense of balance and everything went dark.” Her heart thundered in her chest. “What’s happening?”
“I don’t know, but I’m taking you to the hospital.” He let loose his grip on her.
She panicked. “Don’t let go.”
He scooped her up into his arms. “I’ve got you. It’s going to be okay.”
“I’ll take care of everything here,” Mr. Wilde said.
She’d seen him many times around town, but they’d never officially met.
“Go, son, get her to the hospital. Could be from that knock she took on the head or something.”
Hunt didn’t waste time; he rushed her to his car, gently set her on the seat, buckled her in and kissed her quick when she wasn’t expecting it, which meant she didn’t really get a chance to kiss him back. Then he slammed her door and she heard the driver’s one open and Hunt start the engine. She expected the car to move, but Hunt hit the gas so hard she jerked forward against the seat belt as he reversed out of the driveway, then fell back in her seat when he accelerated forward.
Her stomach went queasy. “Slow down. You’re going to make me sick.” She put her hands on the dashboard to steady herself.
Hunt took her hand and linked his fingers with hers. “Sorry, baby. Any other symptoms right now, or earlier today?”
She sat back in the seat and tried to relax and focus on Hunt’s hand in hers. “I told you. Dizziness. Which happened when I stood up too fast.” She thought of the rest of her day, lounging on the couch. “I don’t know if this is anything, but I’ve had to pee a lot today. I’ve been really thirsty. I have a headache, but I thought that was from the head injury, but maybe it’s something else.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about all of this?”
“Because I just thought it was symptoms of what happened and I needed to rest, so I did. I only got up to get something to eat and make dinner to thank you for letting me stay with you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I want you with me.”
She sighed and closed her eyes because trying to see and not being able to was making her more anxious and scared. “What if this is permanent? What if it’s something really bad?” She pulled Hunt’s hand to her chest.
“I can feel your heart racing. Take a few slow deep breaths, sweetheart.”
She did as he asked, because she felt a little light-headed still. After a few minutes, she felt steadier. More calm.
Hunt stopped the car. “We’re here. Stay put. I’ll come around and get you.” It only took him a moment to open her car door. He took her hand again and slid his other hand behind her neck. “Get out slowly. Make sure you’ve got your balance.”
She opened her eyes because it seemed the thing to do when she moved, and gasped. “I can see you now.” In fact, the bright lights from the emergency room entrance hurt her eyes and she squinted.
Hunt cupped her face and made her look at him. “You can really see me.”
“Yes.” She saw all the concern and panic in his eyes.
“We’re still getting you checked out.” He slammed the car door, put his arm around her waist and walked her into the emergency room.
The badge, uniform and gun got them some stares, but it also got the receptionist’s immediate attention. “Officer Wilde, how can I help you?”
“This is Cyn Wilson. She suffered hypothermia and a head injury a couple days ago. Thirty minutes ago, she stood up, lost her balance and suddenly went blind. Her eyesight came back a minute ago. We need to get herchecked out to be sure the head injury isn’t worse than initially thought.”
The receptionist turned to her. “We have all your information in the system. Are you currently taking any medication?”
“Antibiotics. Also, I took two ibuprofens for my headache and the pain from my two stitched cuts but they didn’t really help.”
Hunt stared down at her. “Why didn’t you take your pain meds?”