I did a mental inventory. “My side.”
“Let’s have a look.” Dr. Balicanta pulled down the blanket. “Just roll onto your side.” I did as she asked, and she lifted my scrub top. “Ouch.”
Angry scrapes and blooming bruises looked back at me. “Not exactly pretty.”
“Joe, can I get antiseptic, ointment, and some bandages?”
“You got it, boss.”
She ripped open a gauze pad and poured something onto it. “This is going to sting, but I’ll be as gentle as I can.”
“I can handle it.” Pain was something I’d learned to live with as a child, and that had stuck with me—a handy by-product.
The doctor moved swiftly, and I simply focused on my breathing. The ointment soothed away the sting the antiseptic left behind, and soon, Dr. Balicanta was taping off a large bandage. “All done with that portion of events.”
I rolled to my back. “Thank you.”
“Let’s see if you’re still thanking me when I do these stitches.” She moved with practiced ease as she readied her tools. “Ready for a little pinch?”
“Sure.” Pain was one thing, but I’d never been a fan of needles. What other choice did I have, though?
Joe moved to the other side of the bed. “Here. Squeeze my hand. It helps.”
I took his offered hand. It wasn’t as rough or warm as Hayes’, but it was comforting. And the kindness of the gesture had that burn returning to my throat. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
Dr. Balicanta readied the syringe. “Here we go.”
I kept my eyes closed as she worked. I mentally reviewed all the bones in a cat. The symptoms of diabetes in a dog. Anything I could think of to keep my mind off the needle in my flesh.
“We’re all done. I just need to cover the sutures. And Joe will print out aftercare instructions while you’re getting your scans.”
I slowly released Joe’s hand, heat rising to my cheeks. “Thanks for that.”
He sent me a wink. “Any excuse to hold a pretty girl’s hand.”
Dr. Balicanta chuckled. “I’ll be back as soon as we get your results, and then we can get you some painkillers.”
Anything to dull the pounding in my head would be a miracle at this point. I didn’t have to wait as long as expected. An orderly came in moments later, and the scan itself went quickly. I guessed that was the benefit of coming in after ten on a weeknight.
“Knock, knock,” Dr. Balicanta said as she pulled back the curtain. “Everything looks good. Since you have a concussion, we can keep you overnight, or you can go home if you have someone who can stay with you and wake you up every three hours.”
The burn was back, and it was fiercer than before. The last thing I wanted to do was stay here tonight. I wanted real sleep. “I guess I’ll have to stay. I don’t have anyone to come get me—” The curtain being pulled back cut off my words, and then Hayes appeared. “W-what are you doing here?”
He rubbed at the back of his neck. “I figured you’d need someone to take you home.”
Dr. Balicanta’s eyes held a twinkle when she spoke. “Can you stay with her tonight? Everly will need to be woken up every three hours and asked simple questions since she has a concussion. If she seems confused or her pain worsens, you’ll need to bring her back. But I’m about to give her a painkiller and a prescription that should help.”
“It’s okay. I can just stay here.”
“No. You’ll stay with me.”
I couldn’t help the scowl that rose to my lips. “Will I now?”
He took the papers the doctor handed him and turned to me. “Do you really want to stay here and be woken up every hour to have your vitals taken? Or would you rather suck it up and sleep in my guest room for the night?”
I really didn’t want to stay here. “Fine.”