Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 85342 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85342 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
“The one and only,” she jokes with me, and now it’s my turn to smile. “It must be my lucky night.”
“I don’t know about that.” I look down the hall toward the room where Penelope is. “I need a favor,” I say, looking around to see if I can spot Julia. “A little girl was just brought in.”
“I’m not on call,” she reminds me of something that she knows I already know.
“I’m aware of that, but”—I look down and then look up again—“she needs the best.”
“Oh, come on, you can’t flatter me with words,” she huffs, and I can hear movement from her side.
“She’s two years old,” I say, hearing rustling. “Mother died at the scene.” All of a sudden, all noise from her side stops.
“Fuck you, Chase,” she says, and I know I got her. “You fucking owe me dinner.”
“Now, that would be my honor,” I say softly.
“Oh, it’s going to cost you,” she huffs. “I’m talking lobster. King crab. Caviar.”
“Whatever you want.” I will agree to whatever she demands to get her here.
“I’ll be there in fifteen,” she informs me as I hear her car door slam shut. “What am I looking at?”
“From what we saw”—I put my hand on the back of my neck—“ruptured spleen. Broken collarbone, along with leg and dislocated shoulder. CT scan results should be out soon.”
“See you soon,” she says, and she disconnects as I walk back into the room where Penelope is lying down sleeping again.
“The results from the X-rays just came in,” Jackie says, and I walk over to the wall as she hands me a scan.
I turn the light on, seeing her leg is broken in two spots. “That had to hurt,” I say, looking at the next one that shows the collarbone snapped in half and her shoulder definitely dislocated.
“I think she may have also fractured her wrist,” Jackie shares, and I look at it.
“A cast will help that. It’s the growth plate. I broke that when I was in the fifth grade,” I say. “My brother threw me down the hill, thinking it would be fun.” I shake my head. “It was not to my parents.”
She laughs and shakes her head, looking back at Penelope. “OR is going to be ready in five.” I nod at her.
“Christine is on her way in,” I say, and her eyebrows shoot up.
“Called in the big guns,” she jokes with me, turning around and walking over to the gurney as she pushes Penelope toward the operating room. “You joining us?”
“In a bit,” I say as I walk out of the room and go to find Julia. I look into the room where we originally brought Penelope and find it empty. I walk toward the waiting room, and my eyes find her. The room is filled with brown chairs with two vending machines and one coffee machine. She paces the room, walking from one wall to the other until she finally sits down. Her legs start moving uncontrollably as she looks at the phone in her hand. She must feel me watching her because her eyes fly up to mine.
She gets up, or at least she tries to, but then she sits back down again. I walk to her, sitting in the chair beside her. “Is she…?”
“She’s going into surgery now,” I reply, and her eyes well up. She lifts one of her hands, and I can see it shaking. My hand reaches out to grab hers. Her hand is ice cold as I hold it in mine, willing her to take my heat and strength. “Are you all right?”
CHAPTER 7
Julia
I walk the white-tiled floor twenty steps to one wall, then twenty to the next until I think I’m going to collapse. My stomach is in my throat, and my whole body shakes from my nerves. I sit down in the chair, my legs shaking without me even doing it. I look down at the phone in my hand, knowing I have to call Rosalind. I spring back up on my feet and start pacing the room again. I shake my hands to stop them from trembling.
My body feels like it’s turning to ice, and I start to shiver. I wrap my arms around myself and feel eyes on me, so I look up and see Chase standing there. The last thing I expected when the ambulance doors opened was for him to be standing there in blue scrubs wearing a white medical coat. His hair in a bun on top of his head. I search his eyes, hoping he isn’t coming to tell me she didn’t make it. I don’t think I’ll be able to hear that right now. Actually, I know I won’t be able to. I search his eyes to see if there is something there. His eyes stare into mine, but I can’t see what he’s thinking.