Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“Lil, you don’t—”
I held my hand up for Maverick to stop talking. “I’m not leaving your side. I didn’t leave it when you had the flu, and I sure as hell am not leaving when you are in the hospital and in pain.”
The nurse smiled. “You are one lucky man to have so many people who love and care about you. The waiting room was packed earlier, with everyone waiting to hear how you were.”
His eyes moved from the nurse to me.
I shrugged. “It was.”
He blinked a few times, then looked away.
“Is your throat still sore?” the nurse asked.
“A bit.”
The nurse set a pitcher and a cup with ice on the little table to the side of the bed. “Make sure he drinks plenty of water. We’re giving him fluids through the IV, but the ice water will feel good on his throat after breathing in that smoke.” She looked at Maverick. “If you need to get up to use the restroom, just push this button and a nurse will come to assist you.”
A low “thanks” came from Maverick as his eyes drifted shut.
Turning to the nurse, I whispered, “Thank you.”
She glanced back at Maverick. “He’ll tire out really easy at first with his punctured lung and broken ribs, at least until he gets his strength back, so don’t be alarmed by that, okay?”
“Okay, I appreciate you telling me that.”
With a single head nod, she made her way back out of the room.
Once Maverick fell asleep, I headed out to the nurses’ station to find the nurse who’d been helping Maverick.
She looked up and smiled. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, um, everything is as good as it can be, I guess.”
Her smile warmed. “Would you like that pillow and blanket?”
“That would be lovely. And I did want to ask if you knew how long he’d have to be here?”
“They’ll look at everything tomorrow and make sure the air is draining as it should be. If everything is okay, he could go home as soon as tomorrow. He didn’t inhale enough smoke to do any damage to his lungs, which is a good thing. It’s just getting that punctured lung taken care of before we send him home.”
I nodded and rubbed my hands together nervously.
The nurse stood and came around the desk. She took my hands in hers.
“He’s going to be okay. He’s young and healthy, and there’s no reason at all why his lung won’t heal up nicely. The biggest issue for him will be the ribs. It will either be me or another nurse who’ll give you all the instructions you need for his care tomorrow or the next day, before we send him home.”
“Thank you,” I replied, giving her hands a light squeeze. “He means the world to me.”
A wide grin spread across her face. “He was calling for you when he first got here, and I see the way he looks at you. That boy is head over heels in love.”
“I feel the same way about him,” I replied with a grin. I thanked her again for allowing me to sleep in the room. I still had the overnight bag that I’d taken to Uncle Brock’s, so that was a good thing.
I headed to the hospital’s little lounge and got myself a cup of hot tea and a bag of chips out of the vending machine. When I returned to Maverick’s room, the pillow, sheet, and blanket were sitting on the chair. I moved the blanket to the wide window ledge and sat down. Pulling up my text messages, I sent out a group text to the entire family, letting them know Maverick was sleeping comfortably and would most likely be in the hospital a day or two, depending on how things went with draining his lung.
When I started to doze off to sleep sitting up, I stood and made the makeshift bed. I had to admit, it was pretty darn comfortable. I had the leg rest out, but the back still elevated some, so I could watch Maverick sleep.
I wasn’t sure when I’d drifted off again before the sound of someone crying had me flying up and nearly breaking my leg when I attempted to get out of the chair.
“What’s going on?” I asked breathlessly.
Maverick looked confused, the nurse surprised, and I was sure I looked like a madwoman.
“What happened?” I asked as I held a hand to my chest.
“Mr. Prescott’s vitals started to rise, so I came in here to check on him. He was having a nightmare and moved around a bit too much, and his sore ribs woke him up.”
“A nightmare?” Maverick asked, his oxygen mask gone.
“Yes. Do you get them often?” the nurse asked.
Maverick looked unsure. He swung his gaze to me. “Have I had them before?”
I nodded. “Just one.”
“Well, don’t you worry about a thing,” the current nurse on duty stated with a pat to his arm. “No one is going to be leaving you anytime soon.”