Ben grinned at him. "You think maybe staying with a doctor would fit the bill?"
Doc nodded and chuckled. "She's a very talented doctor, you know. She acted so swiftly when it happened, and did everything perfectly, so that you were in much better shape than you might have been. The surgeon, Danny Watkins, was impressed."
Ben noted the tone of satisfaction in Doc's voice and knew right away that there must be some kind of medical rivalry going on between them.
The nurse popped her head in the room. "The pancakes will be on their way up in a few."
"Thanks!" Ben said.
"Pancakes, hmm? I might get me some of those, too. Here, let me listen to you."
Doc bent toward him with the stethoscope and had placed it on his chest, when Rose came into the room. Ben smiled at her.
Doc said, "Your heart rate just jumped." Then he saw Rose and laughed. "That explains it."
Rose had a bag with her and began pulling out clothes for him to wear. He saw his pajama bottoms and top, and a t-shirt, with slippers that looked new. Besides the clothing, there was her brother, Sam's, latest book. From a smaller bag, she brought out a bag of cookies from the Bakery, and a large coffee.
"Gimme!" he said, and waved at the coffee.
"Hush, let Doc finish."
After having him sit up and listening to his back, and then listening more to his chest, Doc finally straightened up.
"You, my friend, are one lucky son-of-a-gun. No problems that I can hear. I guess you can let him have the coffee, Rose. But keep the cookies away. He's eating pancakes for breakfast."
"I'll have you both know that my cholesterol and lipid numbers are excellent."
"Then let's keep it that way," Doc said. "All right, I'll tell the nurses the plan for the day. The chair. A walk. Get dressed. That should wear you out. I know you'll be well taken care of."
Rose smiled at Doc and said, "I want to talk to you later, if that's okay."
"Sure, I'll be in the office this afternoon. See you then."
Ben sipped the coffee and let out a sigh. "This is just what I wanted. You know, Rose, this hospital is kind of strange."
"Oh yeah? How?"
"Well they came and asked me what I wanted for breakfast. My choice, whatever I wanted. And they hardly have anyone here, I mean doctors."
"That's because there are very few patients in this place. It's a small town."
"And then there's Doc's name. Doctor Watson? As in Sherlock Holmes' companion?"
She laughed. "Sully Point does have its own personality, that's for sure. I've heard that Maelynne, the local gossip, is livid with Suzanne for lying to her. She hasn't said word one about you being injured and all, but about the lies...everyone in town has heard about that."
"She's locked up still, right? Suzanne?"
"Yes, she is. I checked with the sheriff this morning. The judge didn't allow bail, and now they are talking about moving her out of town and into a secure psychiatric facility. Since she attempted...murder...it's way beyond just stalking. There is a high-security hospital for people who have done this kind of thing. I'm hoping they'll get her moved today, but we don't know for sure yet."
Ben felt himself relax back against the pillows. It was a huge relief to hear Suzanne would soon be gone.
"Doc says I might be able to go home tomorrow if, that is, I can go to stay with someone. Do you think you might be willing to have me stay with you?"
"Of course! You shouldn't be alone yet, and since I'm a doctor, that works out nicely."
He looked at her sitting in the chair with the sun coming in behind her. Her hair seemed to sparkle in the light. It really was no wonder that he'd mistaken her for a model. She was absolutely breathtaking. Her big brown eyes were gazing at him quizzically.
"I was just thinking how beautiful you are."
She blushed.
"I like that top you're wearing."
"It's a bit tight. Maggie let me wear it. She said my t-shirt was too plain to come visit you. Instead, I got one of her purple tops that she can no longer wear."
"Maggie?"
"I stayed at her house last night, and Beth was there, too. We had a brownie and milkshake fest and talked half the night. It was fun."
"I'm glad you weren't alone."
The pancakes arrived on a tray with a large glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice, icy cold milk, maple syrup in a jug, and a cheerful trio of daisies in a short vase.
"Wow," Ben said, after tasting the juice. "This is fantastic."
The nurse took the cover off the plate and he saw a hefty stack of golden brown pancakes, with butter melting on top.
"Okay, I may need to stay longer if the food is always this fantastic."
The nurse laughed and left them alone.
"Help me eat these, Rose. I don't think I can finish all this off."
They ate the pancakes and Ben was pleased to feel hardly a twinge in his chest. Rose told him to rest a bit after eating and then they'd tackle getting him dressed. He hated feeling like an invalid, but there was something very satisfying about how protective she was of him.
"Ben, there's something we need to discuss," Rose said.
"Okay, what is it?"
"I'm afraid the press may soon have the story about you being injured. The town gossips, you know. Shouldn't we notify your sister and your parents before they hear about what happened on an entertainment show on television?"
"Damn, I hadn't even thought of that. Yes, I definitely need to contact them. Is my phone anywhere around here?"
She opened the drawer to the bedside table and brought out his phone. The next twenty minutes with his sister were spent reassuring her that he was actually going to live. She remembered what Suzanne had been like before, and was shaken that it had eventually led to violence. Dealing with his mother was easier. She could tell by the sound of his voice that he was on the mend.
When he was finished with the calls, including one to his agent and another to his manager, he leaned back against the pillows and felt exhausted.
Rose gave him a knowing look. "It takes something out of you, dealing with the emotional reactions of those around you. Take a rest for a few minutes. There's no rush to get up today. You can take your time."
He realized she was right, and that he'd started to push himself. Instead he closed his eyes and within seconds, sleep pulled him under.
* * * *
Rose patted him gently on the leg, but Ben was sound asleep. She smiled at him, and then took the breakfast tray down the hall to the nurse's station.
"He's asleep for a while," she told them. "I'm going for a short walk around the square, and then I'll be back."
They nodded and smiled, and she left. Walking was always her favorite way to think. The miles of corridors in the big hospital she'd worked in were a far cry from a bright sunny day like this one. She headed for the park and found a winding trail. She stopped at one of the picnic tables and sat down to enjoy the breeze and the wildflowers.
"Hi! I'm Nicky!"
Rose looked up to see the young man she and Ben had met in the park before.
"I remember you, Nicky. I'm Rose. I was here with Ben."
"I know. The movie star."
"That's right."
Nicky smiled at her. "You want to pick some flowers for the movie star?"
"Some flowers?"
"The movie star is sick. Doc said so. But he's gonna be okay. Doc said so."
"That's right, he will be okay. We'll come here and see you when he gets out of the hospital."
Nicky frowned at her. "I don't like the hospital. They stick needles in you."
"Sometimes. Did you know that I'm a doctor, like Doc?"
He blinked a few times, his mouth partway open. "You're a doc, too?"
"Yes."
"Do you stick people with needles?"
"Hardly ever. But sometimes medicine is in the needles."
"Doc said that to me. Do I call you Doc too?"
&nbs
p; "Whatever you want, Nicky."
He smiled broadly. "How 'bout...Doc Rose?"
"Sure," she said, smiling back at him.
"I never met a lady doc. You wanna pick flowers? You pick these blue ones cause there's lots of them."
"Okay, I will. Thanks!"
He waved and walked off, and Rose smiled after him. Picking flowers sounded like the perfect activity for her pensive state of mind. She picked a bouquet of blue wildflowers for Ben, and walked slowly back to the hospital. Her thoughts went to Ben's sister out in L.A. and the fact that he had a life established out there. How were they to be together, with him there and her in Sully Point?
When she walked through the door, having first found a vase at the nurse's station, Ben was awake and sitting in the chair by the window.
"Hey, you weren't supposed to wake up until I got back," she said. She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Nicky from the park said I could bring these flowers to 'the movie star' so, I did."
"Movie star, hmm. We'll see when this next one comes out."
"I forgot to tell you earlier that I was asked by Frank to find out your favorite food, and he'll make it for your celebration party."
"I don't know. I like everything."
"If you think of anything just call him and let him know. Otherwise I think he'll be calling you with some choices. I wish I was a cook like him. I haven't ever had time to pursue it as a hobby."
"Rose, what about your work? Are you going back to Philadelphia?"
"No, I'm done with big hospitals. I'm ready for a change of pace." She stopped and looked carefully at him. He was still pale, but he seemed to be handling sitting up just fine. There was no reason to hold back her news.
"Ben, I need to talk to you about something."
"Uh, oh. Why do you make that sound so ominous?"
"Sorry. The thing is, when I say I'm ready for a change of pace—I've figured out where I want to do that, and it's here, in Sully Point. Doc Watson has asked me to join his practice with the plan that he'd retire after a while."
Ben's eyes narrowed. "Hold on...that means...you'd have to live here."
"Yes."
"I live in L.A.—but you knew that already."
"I cherish what we have growing between us, Ben. But I can't go to L.A. with you. I want...I need...a slower environment, without so much stress. I got really burned out, to the point that I considered giving up medicine. Then I realized I can't do that, it's too much a part of who I am."
He sat quietly, looking at her. "Rose...I don't want to lose what we have."
"Neither do I," she said.
"But my work is in Los Angeles."
"Not really, Ben. Your work is all over the world. How many months per year do you live in L.A.? Couldn't you just as easily live somewhere else for those months?"
"I have a life there, with everything all set up. You can't ask me to just walk away."
She moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "I'm not asking you to walk away from anything. I don't have that right. Why don't we see where things go with us? It's been such a short time that we've known each other. Everything has happened so fast."
"But—I love you, Rose."
"I love you, too. If we're going to be together, we both have to be true to ourselves. I'm not sure yet just what that will look like for us, except that I can't see myself in L.A.," she said.
"Long distance relationships hardly ever work."
"I know. On the other hand, anyone you're involved with is going to spend some months away from you, every time you go on location to do a movie."
"Yes, but—"
"Look, how about we don't decide anything right now. We can think about it, talk about it, but no decisions. Okay?"
"Yeah, I guess that's best." He waited a moment in silence, and then looked into her eyes fiercely. "But know one thing, Doctor Rose Carter. I'm not willing to give you up. No matter what else happens, I want you in my life."
She smiled at him. "I want you in my life, too. We'll figure something out." She stood up. "How do you feel about a walk down the hall?"
"Will you be with me?"
She nodded.
"Then let's do it."
* * * *
Rose walked into her parents' house and heard music playing down the hall. Her mother had called earlier and pressed her to stay the night with them, saying she might be out but the door would be open. For a moment, Rose had an awful thought that maybe Suzanne had gotten out of jail and somehow come to this house...until she heard a deep chuckle that could only be her father's voice.
She headed down the hallway and stopped on the edge of the living room and stood there quietly, watching her parents dancing to the music. Sophia was gazing into her husband's face as if he were the only person on Earth, and Ed twirled her around with another chuckle and such a look of love in his eyes that it brought tears to Rose's eyes.
Another twirl brought her into their gaze, and they stopped dancing and came over to her.
"What's wrong, darling?" Sophia asked.
"Nothing—nothing's wrong. You two—are just so—so—beautiful," she said brokenly, and then began to really cry.
Her father patted her on the shoulder as her mother held her.
"Whatever it is, we can fix it," Sophia said gently. "Let's go into the kitchen and have some tea and talk it over."
"I'll make the tea. Why don't you two go out onto the sun porch and talk?" Ed said.
"Thank you, dear," Sophia said with a smile at him.
Rose had never seen the sun porch, which turned out to be a screened in porch on the back of the house, with wicker furniture covered in comfortable cushions in navy and cream stripes.
"Now what's all this about?" Sophia asked.
"Ben. His life, he says, is in L.A., but I've decided to stay here, so I don't see how we can be together."
"Oh, you told him, did you? Hmm. Maybe you should have waited, you know. He's just been traumatized. He's not exactly at his best, darling."
Rose felt stricken. "You're right, you're absolutely right. What was I thinking?"
Her mother smiled at her. "It's not the end of the world. I'm just saying that maybe it will take some time for him to consider everything."
"But, Mom, there is no solution to this no matter how long he considers it."
"Of course there's a solution. Once he realizes that he can live wherever he wants and still do his work—"
"But what if he doesn't? What then?"
"Then he's not as smart as I think he is."
"He has a sister in L.A. who lives at his house. She's in her twenties, but I think he feels responsible for her."
"Rose, darling, here's what I think you need to do. Stop. Stop worrying, stop thinking, and let the man have time. Can you do that?"
Rose thought about it. She'd already thought of what her mother was saying, but when she came in and saw her parents together and so much in love, it had gotten to her.
"Yes, alright. I'll let go of it and wait to see what happens. He's coming home from the hospital to my apartment. I should enjoy being with him while I have the chance."
Ed brought the tea out on a tray, setting it down on the table between them.
"You worry too much, Rose, always did. I heard part of what you were saying. This Ben of yours seems like a nice guy. He'll figure it out. And if he doesn't, well then, he isn't the right guy for you."
Rose burst into tears all over again.
"Oh, Ed," Sophia said, shaking her head.
* * * *
In the end, it took several more days for Ben to recover his strength enough to leave the hospital. Rose moved his things from the cabin over to her apartment, with the help of the bodyguards. Until Suzanne was moved and securely incarcerated elsewhere, nobody wanted to let go of the guards.
Ben decided the hospital was the best he'd ever been around, but he was chomping at the bit to leave by the fifth day in there. He wanted to spend more time with Rose and g
et back to rehearsals. The play was supposed to open in a week. His sister planned to come out to see it on opening night. He was anxious for her to meet Rose.
The one thing that had been on his mind continuously the past few days was Rose's decision to stay permanently in Sully Point. It seemed like an impossible situation.
He squirmed in the chair and wanted to scratch his healing wound. It seemed to itch a lot. Just as he lifted his shirt to scratch around it, Rose came in the room.
"Not so fast, pal. Leave it alone," she said sternly.
"Rose! I thought you were coming to visit after lunch."
"Nope, and it's no visit. I come bearing news. First off, Suzanne is gone. She's been confined in the institution I told you about. She's out of Sully Point. She's locked up. We're safe, Ben. We're really safe."
He stood up slowly and walked over to Rose, taking her in his arms.
"That is the best news. It's over now, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is. Oh, there will be a trial at some point or you might have to speak to a judge since they don't consider her competent to stand trial, but yeah, the Suzanne saga is at an end."
He hugged her tightly, and then let her go.
"What else? You said 'first' so, what is second?"
"You're coming home with me."
"Excellent! When do we leave?"
"Not so fast," she said with a smile. "Doc is headed over here for a final check on your progress, but in the meantime we can gather up your things."
They put his stuff in the bag she had brought before, clearing out the nightstand and closet. Or rather, Rose packed while he sat in the chair. Doc walked in as she was finishing.
"I see the news of your release has come before me. Let's see how you sound today, Ben, and get you out of here. I know for a fact that every cook in town has been waiting to know you're home so that they can bring over food."
"Are they all decent cooks?" Rose asked.
"Most are," Doc said with a grin.
He put his stethoscope on Ben's chest and then his back, listening carefully. Ben was relieved when Doc stood up straight, smiling at him.
"Yes, you're ready to leave. Rose will stay on top of your condition, but you're healing very well now. I think you can return to rehearsals by the day after tomorrow."
Love Imagines (Sully Point, Book 6) Page 15
