Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“No. Not really. I mean… it hurts to, like, expand my chest too much. Smaller breaths are better.”
“Okay,” he said, nodding. “Did you hear a crack when this happened?”
“No.”
“Alright. There isn’t any swelling and I don’t feel any grittiness around the ribs. I do have a portable X-ray machine, and I’d like to scan you just in case.”
“You have to do it,” I told her when she didn’t immediately agree. “A busted rib can nick your lung.”
“He’s right,” Dr. Price said.
“Okay,” Nyx said, nodding.
Dr. Price moved on from her midsection then, feeling around her face for any fractures and concluding that it seemed all to be surface damage, but that we would be keeping an eye as the swelling went down to be sure.
“Did you knock a tooth loose?” Dr. Price asked, picking up on her jaw moving as she, I imagined, poked the tooth with her tongue.
“Yeah.”
“Want me to look? I’m no dentist, but I can probably tell you if you need to get to an emergency appointment.”
To that, Nyx opened her mouth for the exam. I walked up behind Dr. Price, having had many teeth knocked around in my life.
“Does it hurt?” I asked.
“Not really. A little sore. It just feels weird.”
“If the gums don’t tighten up, you need to get it looked at,” I told her. “Salt rinse until then.”
“He’s right,” Dr. Price said. “Though I think you should get it checked out as soon as possible just in case. There can be small fractures below the gum line.”
With that, he carefully cleaned the blood off of her face, and cracked some ice packs for the swelling.
“I am going to go grab the x-ray cart,” Dr. Price said, standing and turning to me. Glancing down, he saw the pill bottle, quickly read the label. “As a medical professional I can’t tell you to take medication prescribed to another person,” he said, but he gave me a look we both understood. But I want you to give it to her anyway.
“Noted,” I said, nodding.
“There are cups in the cabinet if she wants a drink of water,” he said before disappearing.
“Cillian said you might be a pain in the ass about this,” I said, getting a cup of water, then bringing it over to her, shaking the pill bottle.
“Not tonight,” she admitted, her lower lip trembling now that we were alone.
“This will help,” I assured her, taking out one, then two, and waiting for her to open her mouth so I could slip them inside. “But it might take half an hour, maybe a little longer, but it will work.”
She gave me a nod as she took a drink.
Seeing her losing the battle with her emotions, I sat down next to her on the table, gently pulling her into my side.
“I know,” I said, pressing a kiss to her head. “Just give it an hour. The meds will be kicked in. We will be at home in bed. Morgaine will be bringing toxic waste in a cup and calling it tea…”
That got a little chuckle out of her before she sniffled hard as we heard Dr. Price coming.
The door opened and in came a massive-ass cart with an x-ray on it, as well as lead bibs.
“Can you step out for a moment?” Dr. Price asked.
“I’ll be right outside the door,” I assured her, getting a tired nod.
“How is she?” Cillian asked, stopping his pacing as I walked out.
“Hurting,” I told him. “The doc wants to check her ribs. But otherwise, it’s a lot of rest and babying things.”
“I’ve never seen a woman beaten that badly,” he said, looking a mix of sad and murderous somehow at the same time.
“Me either,” I told him, flexing my hands, and the way the cuts on my knuckles broke open helped me think past the anger that swelled in my system once again.
“I hope he hurt,” Cillian said.
“Oh, he fucking did,” I said, remembering his bashed-in face.
“Any idea if she’s safe with him being gone?”
“Not yet. Haven’t had much time alone. Best guess, though? No. I mean, if he worked for the Bulgarians…” I said, trailing off, making Cillian exhale hard.
“Yeah,” he agreed. “I don’t imagine you want him in your lives now, but could Czar be any help with what’s going on?”
“Maybe,” I told him. “But we won’t know that until the morning. I mean we can’t call there, but I’ll see if Coach or Judge has any contact inside that could get him to call us.”
“I have someone inside. Doing time,” he clarified. “He’s a good son. Calls his mother every morning.”
“Thank you,” I said, nodding. “Is Nyx’s phone out of commission? He has her number.”
“It’s a mess, but you can still answer a call.”
New phone.
Had to add that to the to-do list.
I could outsource that to one of the other guys, though.