by Dace Everan
“Yes.”
“‘Kay, when you get to the hospital, tell them she is Dr. Langrin’s patient. They will know what to do. She has a blue card in her wallet. You need to make sure they get that blue card. It’s the first card in her array of cards.” She stumbled across the room. Jared had already dressed and was draping a long shirt over her. “Stay calm, Sam. She’ll be fine. I’ll tell you more when I get there. Is she still bleeding? Does she have any other wounds?”
Sam glanced at her. He had her head wrapped in a towel in his lap. “I don’t know?”
Lila ambled down the stairs, Jared already out the door starting the truck. “Did you grab her? If you touched any part of her roughly, you need to tell the doctor. He needs to know of every possible part that could be hurt. Did you rub her, anything?” she asked.
Sam choked. “Rubbed her back, grabbed her elbow, her shoulder… She fell on her ass, hit the wall.”
Lila cried out. “Oh God, you make sure they look at all of her. There should be a needle in her purse. You need to give that to her. I didn’t realize she was this bad,” she cried.
Sam glanced up. “I’m at the hospital now.”
“Make sure to get them to give her that needle! She needs that shot,” she ordered.
* * * *
Sam was a shaking wreck when they appeared. Lila hugged him close. “Oh God, I’m so sorry, Sam. She should have said something to you,” she comforted. Her hands shook, eyes searching his. He looked lost.
“Lila! Oh, thank God. Could you come back please? She’s awake and rather frantic. We can’t get a hold of her father,” a nurse called from the other end of the hall.
Lila nodded, handing her purse to Jared. “Be right back, hon.” She followed the nurse into the room they had taken Paula.
Sam stumbled to the chairs, sitting heavily on one, head falling in his hands, rubbing his hands through his hair. Jared settled next to him.
“I didn’t do anything to her, Jar. She fell and it all happened so fast, one second fiery and trying to punch me, then next looked like a fucking ghost and out. Then the blood.” He looked at his brother. “What the fuck?” He didn’t understand. How the hell did someone as strong as Paula fall like that?
Jared shook his head. Lila had told him very little of Paula’s condition. Truthfully, they weren’t even sure what it was she had, just that the occasional shot of steroids seemed to help her manage better.
* * * *
Lila settled on the bed next to her, taking hold of her hand. Poor Paula looked in rough shape, ghostly pale, her normally red lips a dried-out pale pink. Her eyes struggled to stay open and rolled every time her mouth opened to speak.
“Oh God, hon, what happened?”
Paula released a shaky breath and the weak grip she had on Lila weakened further.
Lila teared. She could see her friend struggled to talk. The words wouldn’t form for her, though. Lila leaned over, kissing her forehead. “He’s still here, Paula… He looks a wreck. You should have told him, hon.”
Tears rolled down Paula’s cheeks. “Want…” she sobbed.
Lila frowned. “You want him here?”
Paula shook her head. Well, tried to.
Lila cringed at the way her friend shook. “Rest, Paula. It can all wait till you’re ready,” she assured. “Jared and I will be here. I will stay.”
Paula shook her head, her eyes widening and just as quickly closing.
Lila nodded. “Not leaving your side, girl,” she promised. “Okay, maybe to go pee, but other than that, no, not leaving. I’m staying right here. Think they would get mad if I crawled in with you?” she joked. A small smile tried to lift at the corner of Paula’s lips.
Lila caressed her forehead. This had been a bad one. She had a fever this time. The last time Paula had a fever, she had spent a week in the hospital. “Hey, maybe I can have the baby and come room with you. You don’t mind a crying baby, do you?”
Paula’s eyes drifted closed, a small smile on her lips.
Lila nodded. “Yeah, I’ll let you sleep on that, then,” she whispered, tears rimming her eyes. She should have told Sam, should have let him know how fragile she was. He would have taken care of her, been cautious with her.
* * * *
Jared stood when Lila waddled out of the room, her hand on her lower back. “How is she?” he asked.
Lila released a heavy breath. “Sleeping now. Oh God, they had to shave her head. She has fifteen stitches on her head.” Her lower lip trembled. She looked at Sam. “She never said anything to you?” she asked, pain striking her heart that Paula would put Sam through that.
Sam shook his head. He felt horrible. They probably thought he was some wild animal.
Lila settled in the seat next to him, draping an arm around his shoulders. “I…we don’t know what it is she has, just that she gets hurt easy.”
Sam stared at her. Did she just say Paula was weak and breakable? Shit she was the toughest woman he had seen in a long time… Wait, no, she had a mouth on her and she knew how to use it. He had not actually seen her strike anyone. Well, besides him when he pissed her off.
“She’s had the condition her whole life. She bruises easily, skin will tear in some instances. Her shoulder, which you may have grabbed with very little effort, is actually bruised.”
Sam paled. He had broken parts of Paula? Disgust settled in his gut. He had hurt Paula, had manhandled her!
“She won’t hold you responsible for anything. She knows she should have told you.”
Sam couldn’t digest it all. None of it made sense to him. Paula was frail? She broke easily? What the fuck was going on? Not his Paula. She was not a weakling!
Jared took a seat on the other side of Sam. “Paula was born that way. She has always been on the breakable side.”
Sam stared at his hands. That was why they had kicked her out of physical education. She literally couldn’t handle it. How the hell had she managed to get her black belt? He knew she had one.
Lila rubbed his back. “Some days, it’s good for Paula. Others, real bad. It intensifies when she’s scared or upset.”
Sam grunted, confused and lost. “She was fired today because of me, saw my dungeon. She lost it there. I took her away. Wasn’t pushing anything on her.” Fuck’s sake, he sounded like a little boy trying to get his way out of trouble. He didn’t need to explain himself to these people.
Jared grasped his shoulder. “She’ll be fine, Sam,” he assured.
Sam looked at him. “You didn’t see her, Jared! Don’t you fucking tell me she’s going to be fine!” he barked.
Lila trembled at the big voice Sam used with Jared. These Keepher men were all big men, but the softest-mannered men she had ever seen. Never had she seen any of them raise their voices like this.
Her hand trembled as she reached for Sam. “Sam, I’ve seen her go through worse. She’ll be fine. Come morning, she’ll be coherent. She likes exotic flowers,” she offered.
She and Paula had always joked to ease the situation. If they didn’t joke, it became all too real. She hoped Sam could find his humorous side and ease the situation. He would never be able to deal with the issues Paula brought to the table if he didn’t keep a sense of humour, lightheartedness.
* * * *
It was afternoon when Paula finally awoke. She reached out, her eyesight blurry. The beeping of machines filled the quiet room. A heavy moan escaped her dried lips as she struggled to get rid of the dried-out-carpet feeling from her mouth.
Sam took hold of her hand. “Paula.” He whispered her name. Her eyes blinked a few times then she managed to focus on him. Guilt. He had seen that look in many a woman’s eyes. He caressed her forehead, cringing, hoping he wasn’t hurting her.
After sitting and taking in anything else Lila could tell him and inhaling the coffee Jared had gotten him, he figured it had been him rubbing her back that set her off. With everything else on her mind, it was the simplicity of comfort that had turned the nig
ht into a disaster.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Sam shook his head. He reached above her head and produced a glass with clear liquid, straw poking out the top. “Here, drink. The nurse said to make sure you drink,” he whispered. He didn’t want to raise his voice in fear that he would hurt her friggen’ hearing.
Paula gulped back the water, eyes closing. She could feel it sear through her body. She cringed. She hated this part. She would fill up on her water, her body would be slow to recover, and peeing would be painful. She moved away from the straw, turning her head away from his intense gaze. She heard him put the water back.
“I’ll call Lila to let her know you’re awake… She just had to go get you some clothes.”
Paula nodded. She pressed the button for the nurse.
The nurse entered minutes later, first glancing at the handsome man next to Paula then at Paula. “Oh, Paula, you lucky girl. He stayed by you the whole night,” she praised, offering him a smile.
Paula closed her eyes. “I need to use the washroom,” she whispered.
The nurse nodded. “‘Kay, let me know when you’re ready.” The nurse hummed, leaning close, easing her hands under Paula.
Paula cringed as sharp needles pricked every part the woman touched. Tears streamed down her face and she whimpered through the pain.
Sam’s heart clenched. “I can help Paula,” he uttered, rounding the bed.
Paula shook her head, inhaling a deep breath. “No,” she panted, winded from the action of just getting into a sitting position.
The nurse offered an apologetic look. “She’s fragile right now, sir.”
Sam nodded, ushering the woman away from her. “I was a nurse for a few years after college,” he offered. Mind you, he never did this kind of nursing. More along the lines of bandaging up soldiers and sending them on their way out to fight.
Paula whimpered, hand grasping his bicep. More tears, and she shuddered, a soft wail escaping her.
Sam stared as a puddle formed at his feet. “Well, if that doesn’t beat all. I guess you really meant it when you said piss off, eh?” he joked.
Paula sobbed, falling limply in his arms. He shushed her, holding her close, careful not to squeeze. “You have another gown, Nurse?” he asked.
She nodded, racing from the room.
“‘Kay, Paula, you have to help me out here… Can you move? I’ll help you to the shower. Are you able to shower?” He was sure water beating down on her skin would be pure torture.
She shook her head. “Bath,” she panted, her nails digging into his skin. Her grip was weak but those nails were sharp.
The nurse returned, going straight to the washroom. “You’ll have to pick her up and bring her over, sir,” she called, already turning the water on and checking the temperature. She returned to them, lifting the front of Paula’s shirt.
Sam pushed her hands away. He didn’t like the way the nurse handled Paula. “Ease up, would you?” he ordered, fierce gray eyes flashing at her as Paula tensed in his grasp.
The nurse raised a brow at him.
He narrowed her eyes. “She’s resting. Just give her a second,” he grumbled, feeling Paula relax in his arms. “Okay. Now we can move,” he murmured.
The nurse lifted the front of her gown and produced a needle out of nowhere. Sam stared, wide-eyed, as she plunged the thing in Paula’s firm, round belly. He cringed, feeling himself turn green. He hated needles. The world spun and he averted his gaze, inhaling a few deep breaths.
Paula laughed, or tried to, resting her forehead on his chest. “Big baby,” she teased.
Sam scoffed. “You have no idea.”
Chapter Five
Paula inched her way across the bed, huffing heavily. For two days, she had been at home. Lila spent the first day with her. Sam showed up on the second and kicked Lila the heck out, said she should be a good girl and go home and take care of her husband.
Sam lurched awake at the slight shuffle of noise. He darted to the other side of the bed.
Paula glared at him. “I need to get up on my own!” she barked, slumping heavily, her breath huffing from her.
Sam knelt in front of her. “I can help you.” His voice was full of concern.
Paula dared look him in the eye. “You know how you can help, Samuel?” she gritted.
He waited, expecting a sharp remark.
Paula closed her eyes. “Go get my damn hat! I’m getting tired of this half-shaved head,” she grumbled.
Sam held back the smile trying to creep to his lips. He reached out, caressing the outside of her stitches. “Fuzzy,” he offered, eyes twinkling with mischief.
She laughed, reaching out to smack him, her arm falling short. “Don’t you have a friggen’ job? Shouldn’t you be at work?” she asked, easing up, arms shaking uncontrollably.
Sam smiled, bracing himself to catch her in case she fell. He would hate to see her fall off the bed and hit the floor. “No, I quit my job. Jared was heartbroken. Don’t suppose you know of any places I can get work?” he teased.
Paula stopped and stared at him. Her brain screamed out to join his laughter. Her heart cried, “Run away.” She may regret it. “Yeah, feel free to go run a bath for me. I stink, Nurse Sammy,” she retorted, managing to lift herself to a sitting position, dragging her legs over the edge.
Sam knelt in front of her, hands braced on either side of her. “Promise me something first,” he ordered.
Paula released a heavy breath. She felt like she was going to be sick. She nodded, wishing she hadn’t as the room spun around her.
“You don’t move.”
Paula opened her eyes and tried to focus on him. She offered a crooked smile. “Look at that… Three of you now… Yummy,” she drawled.
Sam smiled. “Does this mean you like me?”
Paula laughed, teetering.
Sam gripped her lightly. “What do I do, Paula?” he asked, panic hitting him. Something was very wrong. What the hell? Lila should have left more instructions. He wasn’t sure how to deal with this.
“Lay down,” she mumbled.
Sam eased her back. He flipped out his cell, calling Lila. “Hey, she’s seeing three of me, looks pale, really shaky,”
Lila sighed. “Give her a shot in the stomach. Give her a few moments and she should be comprehensible,” she instructed.
Sam nodded. “Anywhere?” he asked, already crossing to the drawer Lila had told him where the needles were.
“Yup, you’ll see the others. Don’t go over any of the others,” she advised.
Sam smiled, readying the needle. “‘Kay, talk to you later.” He hung up and eased up Paula’s long night shirt. He had laughed his ass off when he saw it, the figure of a sexy woman on the front, big tits, wide hips with the likeness of Paula. Written on the back in big black letters was, “I tap this piece of ass every night.”
He looked over her tummy, cringing at all the dots where she had taken shots. He glanced up at her. She was trying to focus on what he was doing. “Sorry, sugar,” he whispered, easing the needle into her flesh. He cringed and felt lightheaded. “Good God, woman, you couldn’t have some other issue? Like needing pussy massages or tit rubs?” he joked, injecting the contents of the needle. He held a cotton ball to the puncture, easing out the needle.
He could feel her relax. He taped the cotton ball and disposed of the needle, caressing her cheek. “Still want that bath, sugar?”
She licked her lips, nodding.
He smiled, kissing her forehead. “Yeah, finally I get to get her naked,” he teased.
Paula laughed, hand grasping her tummy. “Don’t make me laugh,” she cried.
Sam smiled. “Be right back. You wait till I get here to help you,” he ordered. She tried saluting, totally missing her forehead, and then got distracted by her hand.
When he returned to the bedroom, she was looking at him and looked rather alert. “‘Kay, Miss Paula, clothes?” he asked, looking around the room. She had a
lot of medical equipment in here. He thought he had walked back into the room at the hospital when he entered this room.
Paula pointed to the closet across the room.
Sam opened it wide, standing and assessing what he had to work with. He scrunched up his nose, grabbing another long shirt. She sure had a lot of them. This one had a frog on it. Or was it a toad?
Paula cringed when he picked her up. “Sorry,” he whispered.
She shook her head. “I’d help, but I think my arms are not working,” she admitted.
Sam furrowed his brows. “How’s your shoulder feeling?”
She nodded. “A lot better now,” she whispered. She knew he felt bad about that.
Sam eased her onto the seat of the toilet. “I can get it from here,” she stated, shoving his hands away.
Sam laughed. “Ha, as if I’m walking away from this,” he teased, hand dipping in the water, making sure the temperature was good. He glanced at his own clothes, grimacing. He tugged his T-shirt off. “Should get Jared to get me some clothes,” he thought out loud.
Paula laughed. “What I don’t get naked, nurse?” she asked, eyes gazing over his broad chest. She reached out, touching the large gash on his side. “What happened?”
He flinched, smiling. “A year nursing out east, our hospital tent was hit. I was one of the lucky ones. Had I been standing on the other end of the tent, I would have been sent home in pieces.” He half turned, showing her his back.
Paula’s eyes widened and her fingers traced the jagged scar that went from shoulder to below his pants.
He laughed. “A friend pushed me down and saved my ass. Literally.” He tugged down the top of his pants. Paula smiled. It ended just below his pants. Paula allowed him to strip her naked and ease her in the warm water.
“Lila said to put in salts.”
Paula nodded. “It helps relax me. I should have said something, I panicked,” she started.
Sam nodded. “Yes, you should have. Scared the crap out of me.” He reached for the large sponge.
