Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 89350 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89350 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
As if sensing the direction of his thoughts, Isaiah said, “Don’t beat yourself up too hard. It was an accident.”
“I should have reacted better,” Mark admitted.
“We were a good team.” Isaiah nodded at Daphne. “Right, Daph? Me and Uncle Mark make a good team.”
“Yup.” She hiccupped. “I don’t wanna get sewed on.”
“They’ll numb you up—make it so you can’t feel it. And then after, like Isaiah said, you can have a big ice cream.” Mark would have promised her a pony at that point if it meant no more tears.
A nurse came in, a guy who was far nicer than the desk clerk, and he did the vital signs, looked at the wound, and said the doctor would be in shortly. The doctor turned out to be an older woman with ash blond hair and a no-nonsense demeanor who quickly agreed with the need for sutures.
“But we’re a bit crowded in here. Any way you can take the younger two out?” she asked Mark. “I’m also thinking you don’t need to watch.”
“What? Me? I’m a medic. I’ve seen far worse,” he blustered.
“Exactly.” She laughed. “You’re looking rather green around the gills. And don’t feel bad. When my son broke his arm, I was terrible. Let your partner hold her while I work, and then we’ll get her back to you, good as new.”
It was the second time today that he and Isaiah’d been mistaken for a couple, but he was too wrung out to correct her. Besides it sort of fit. They were partners in this thing. No way could he have handled the emergency on his own, and that was rather sobering.
“We’re not a couple.” Isaiah set her straight for him, same easy grace he’d had with the women at the park. “But, yeah, I agree. Daph, Uncle Mark’s going to take the babies out while the doctor works, and I want you thinking about what flavor ice cream you’re getting.”
Reluctantly, Mark gathered up Zoe and Liam and went to pace the halls, making a big loop with the kids because no way could he stay still right then. When he made it back, Daphne was all stitched up, sutures every bit as neat as the ones Mark could have done, and Isaiah was talking with a new woman, one who looked a bit like his Aunt Louise with graying hair and a substantial figure.
“Oh there you are.” Isaiah sounded weary. “This is Evelyn, the hospital social worker. I’m trying to explain our situation to her.”
“I live with Uncle Mark and Uncle Ikey since Mommy and Daddy are in heaven.” Daphne sounded every bit as exasperated as Isaiah, like the adults in the room were just silly for not figuring it out.
But Evelyn had a bunch of questions for him, needing his ID, and Mark ended up pulling up the obituary from the local paper on his phone. He needed something far better than that. Evelyn kept calling him the next of kin. This is what Danielle wanted. He needed to protect the kids, make sure if there was another emergency they’d be covered. When he got the phone back, he made a note to call the lawyer his uncle had found. Isaiah was right that they’d made a good team, and Mark certainly wasn’t discounting his help, but he needed to put the best interests of the kids first.
Finally Evelyn decided she had enough information to allow them to leave with the kids.
“I think I’m going to be sick,” Isaiah said as soon as she left the cubicle to tell the nurse they were ready for their discharge papers. He was visibly trembling. “I really thought she might call Child Protective Services on us. Take the kids.”
“I’m not going to let that happen,” Mark said firmly. This was another reason Mark needed the lawyer. He couldn’t let Isaiah be separated from the kids. He needed to protect all of them. Mark shifted Zoe to his hip so that he could awkwardly pat Isaiah’s shoulder. He wasn’t as good at the touchy stuff as Isaiah was, but it seemed to be what he needed right now, as he gave a grateful sigh and sank into the touch. And then, because he figured Isaiah needed to hear it, he added, “You did good. Getting control of the situation, getting us here. I know SEALs who couldn’t have handled things as well as you did.”
“Like you?” Isaiah gave him a cheeky grin, getting back to his usual teasing ways.
“Like me. And I think we all deserve an ice cream now.”
“Yay!” Zoe and Daphne said in unison. The nurse came in and went over discharge instructions with them, and then finally they were free to go.
Isaiah headed right for the frozen yogurt place on Orange Avenue. Helping the kids go nuts with toppings was...well, nothing about this night was exactly fun. But it was nice, getting back to what passed for normal these days, Daphne smiling again, Isaiah spooning a little plain vanilla for the baby. However, Mark’s brain seemed to fixate on Isaiah’s mouth while he ate—watching the way he licked the spoon, the way his lips moved, the way he smiled after each bite...