‘How is she?‘
The bespectacled doctor was startled into taking a step back.
He opened his mouth to scold the impetuous young woman, but held his tongue when he saw the anxious look on her face and her wet cheeks.
‘She has abdominal bleeding. Multiple broken capillanes. Internal haemorrhage. Hypothermia. And her spleen is this close to being ruptured.”
The doctor held up his right thumb and index finger to mime a tiny gap.
‘There may be further complications. She needs to stay at the hospital for treatment and further observation.”
He cast a disapproving look at Kira. ‘Why didn’t you send her in earlier? She could have bled out!”
Kira’s ears were ringing.
She didn’t reply.
Her fists were clenched, her entire body shaking.
The doctor sighed and shook his head. ‘She needs to be admitted straight away. I’ll administer IV to stop the bleeding. You should go downstairs to fill out the paperwork.‘
I’m on it.‘ Kira wiped her face with the back of her hand. Thank you, Doctor.”
She rushed downstairs and then came back up as soon as the registration was done.
Giana was sleeping in bed.
The doctor had left.
An IV needle was inserted into the back of her left hand.
A pale amber liquid dripped from the clear plastic bag into the tube below.
Kira perched on the edge of the bed, afraid of waking her friend.
Giana’s beautiful face was marred with a coin–sized bruise just under her right cheekbone.
She’d hit her face on the floor when she rolled off the cot in the holding cell.
There was not a trace of colour left on her cheeks and lips.
She lay there, unmoving, like a lifeless doll.
In the quiet ward with no one else around, Kira allowed her tears to fall.
Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!
Admit It, You Have Feelings For Her
Kira hated hospitals.
First, her father.
Now, her best friend.
The place stank of disinfectant.
Everything was sterile, cold, impersonal.
Nurses and doctors bustled about with clinical, detached efficiency.
Hospitals were associated with some of her most unpleasant memories.
Kira’s stomach growled.
She was thirsty, hungry, and bone–tired, but she couldn’t rest easy until she saw Glaña open her eyes again.
Kira washed her face in the en suite bathroom.
She kept her eyes on the IV bag and pinched herself to keep awake.
When the bag was almost empty, she hurried outside to get a nurse.
-She pulled open the door and ran headlong into a solid mass of chest.
An invigorating scent of tangerine mixed with sandalwood and mint drove off the pungent smell of ammonia.
Kira couldn’t help taking a deep breath.
Her head snapped up when she recognised the familiar scent.
It was him.
She froze.
Austyn’s brows were furrowed deeply.
The woman’s eyes were red, puffy and swollen to the size of walnuts.
Teardrops dangled from her long lashes.
Her cheeks were wet.
The sight delivered a punch straight to his heart.
‘Where are you going?‘ he asked, his voice low and hoarse.
Kira blinked.
Realising she was in the man’s arms, she backed away immediately, putting more than an arm’s length between them,
Austyn didn’t miss the look of revulsion that flashed across her face.
She was disgusted by him?
“What are you doing? he demanded.
Kira hung her head.
It wasn’t out of shame or embarrassment.
She simply did not want to look at the man.
She wanted to lash out, but had the presence of mind to recall Austyn was her father’s sponsor.
She couldn’t yell; Glana was sleeping.
But it didn’t mean she had to act as if nothing happened and greet the man with a smile.
If he thought she was going to fawn all over him, he had another think coming!
Thanks to him, she and Glana spent a whole night in the damp police cell.
Thanks to him, Giana was hooked up to an IV drip and lying unconscious.
He should consider himself lucky she hadn’t spat on him.
The thought of Giana reminded Kira of her mission.
With her head lowered, she sidestepped Austyn and left the ward without a word.
When she came toward him, Austyn thought she was going to give him a hug.
But the woman just slipped past him and bolted.
Austyn spun around.
He was about to chase after her when Luca wagged a finger.
‘No need. She’ll be back soon.”
The police captain was leaning against the wall outside the ward, wearing a lake blue Sunspel Oxford and an amused smile.
‘What are you still doing here?”
‘Hey, is that the way to treat a dear friend? If not for me, your young wife would still be in jail.”
Austyn tossed him a baleful look.
Luca had been playing tricks with him since the office.
If he didn’t have more important things to handle right now, he would have wiped that smug smile off the captain’s face with a right hook.
Luca poked his head through the open doorway. ‘See, the young lady’s IV bag is just about empty. Your young wife is probably going to the nurses‘ station. She’ll be back in a jiffy. No need to get your panties in
a wad.”
Austyn checked for himself.
It was
was true.
He closed his eyes and massaged his right temple with two fingers.
How did he miss something so simple?
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