Prologue
The light was too bright. Matt instinctively covered his eyes with the crook of his elbow. Did he have a concussion? It wasn’t the first time he’d wondered. Gunner wasn’t supposed to allow anyone to hit the back of the head, but that hot-head Ace had gotten a few extra shots in before he was restrained.
A knock on the door had him groaning.
“Matt, it’s Angie.”
“You know the code,” he yelled out.
Angie let herself in and frowned down at him when he looked up at her. “Again, Matt?”
“It’s no big deal.”
“What hurts now?”
“My head. I think I might have a concussion,” he admitted.
“Matt. You have to stop,” Angie implored. “I don’t understand what you’re doing or why you’re doing it.”
He moved into a sitting position with a grimace of pain.
Angie huffed. “Do you ever hit them back? Geez.”
“Sometimes,” he murmured.
“Well, the last time I picked you up, you did none of the hitting, only the taking.”
It was Matt’s turn to huff. “I have to learn to take a hit.”
“That’s bull.”
“Can you just make sure I don’t have a concussion?”
“I’m not a nurse! Call your sister. Or better yet, go to the ER.”
“I’ll go, but you have to drive me. I barely made it here this morning.”
Angie rolled her eyes. “Do you need to take anything with you? And what if I needed to work?”
“I took a chance.” He smirked.
“Come on, then.” Angie sighed.
Matt grabbed his sunglasses before walking outside. It was early yet, but the sun rose early in May, and it was already light out. The sun was too bright for his taste. He climbed into the passenger side and buckled as Angie walked around the front of the car, mumbling to herself. She slammed the door, and he grimaced as it rattled his head. He felt like he had a hangover, and he hadn’t had one of those since college.
She didn’t say anything as she started the car and drove out of the apartment complex. They quietly made their way to the hospital, and she let him out at the ER while she went and parked the car.
When she returned, he grabbed her elbow, and she led him up to the front desk, where the receptionist frowned. “Matt.”
“Charity.” He smiled.
“What is it this time?”
“Concussion?”
She clicked a few buttons as Matt shifted from one foot to another. “I have you in the system. Any changes since the last time you were in here?”
“Nope.”
“Someone will call you back shortly.”
“Thanks, hon.” He flashed her a slight smile before walking away. He found a bench and dropped into it.
Angie walked over and sat beside him, but still, she wasn’t talking. Angie had become one of his best friends since they met, but she tended to have mood swings. She could be happy and smiling one minute, and the next, well, not. She also had bouts of extreme quietness. He guessed it was one of those days.
Matt looked at his watch. He was supposed to be at work in a few hours. He had some clothes in his office; he’d walk over there after getting checked out here. “You don’t have to stay, Ang. I’ll get an Uber after work. I have to be over there in a few hours. Your brother is my first patient today.” Her brother, Tony, who was also his sister’s boyfriend, was shot almost two months ago but was doing great, all things considered.
Angie gave a noncommittal shrug as the doors opened and a very harried-looking Dylan Anderson ran in. “My wife. I think she may be in labor,” he told Charity before even making it to her desk. Matt and Angie stood while Charity grabbed a wheelchair and followed Dylan out the automatic doors. They met them at the door as Dylan pushed Sam into the room. She was flushed, sweaty, and had a death grip on the handle with one hand, and the other clutched a small backpack to her chest.
“Do you guys need something?” Angie asked.
Sam pushed the backpack into her hands. “My phone. Call people, please. And move my jeep. The keys are in it.”
Another nurse came, and the Andersons followed him down the hallway.
“Do you know the code to unlock it?”
“Yeah. You sit down, and I’ll move the car. I’ll be back.”
Matt watched her stroll through the doors before slumping down on the bench again. He was called back before Angie returned. He guessed she was making phone calls from the parking lot.
After answering all the questions, the older nurse said someone would see him shortly. His head was pounding, and now nausea was setting in. He might have to cancel the session with Tony if this didn’t go away.
His phone dinged in his pocket. It was Angie. She had to do some things for Sam, and she would check on him later. He groaned. He was the one who’d told her she could leave, but he didn’t want an Uber right now.
His eyes were closed when someone knocked, and he answered for them to enter without ever opening them. They opened at a sharp intake of breath. Elizabeth Woods was a vision in light blue scrubs as she stared at him, seemingly at a loss for words. She looked paler since the last time he’d seen her. She shook her head and walked farther into the room. She placed a bag beside his head. “That’s if you’re going to throw up. They’re going to take you for a CT scan.”
The room began to swim around him, and he slammed his eyes shut. “Thank you,” he croaked.
She seemed to hesitate, and he opened one eye to look at her. “Do you have a ride home? You shouldn’t drive. How did you get here?” she rushed out.
“No,” he answered. “Angie dropped me off. She had to go.”
Elizabeth turned and clicked off the lights, and Matt sighed in relief. “Thank you.”
“We all know you have a concussion. We’re making sure it’s not more serious…” Her voice trailed off, but she continued after a moment, “I’ll drive you home.”
He closed his eyes. “Thanks.”
Elizabeth left, and they rolled him over to get the scan. He fell asleep waiting for the results. When he woke up, Elizabeth was in his room. It gave him some comfort, even though she wasn’t doing anything but scrolling through her phone. If he felt he could keep his eyes open without the room spinning, he’d be content just to watch her.
Finally, he was released, and a nurse rolled him out to Elizabeth’s car. He slowly got in and let down the seat to recline back. He didn’t think his head could hurt worse.
He gave her directions and had almost fallen asleep by the time they pulled into his parking lot. He gingerly walked into his apartment and into his room and fell into the bed.
“Is Angie coming back?” Elizabeth asked from the doorway.
“I doubt it,” he muttered. “Will you please bring me a garbage can from the bathroom? I’m gonna puke.” Why hadn’t he held on to the doggie bag?
Elizabeth handed him the can right before he vomited. When finished, he lay back on the headboard, and she gave him a washcloth.
“Thank you.” He wiped his face and watched her take in his bedroom. Normally, he’d be ecstatic for her to be here, but he knew deep down that she didn’t want to be.
“I’ll get your papers and things.” She turned quickly and left the room. She returned with instructions, some pain meds, and a water bottle. “Take these.” Their fingers brushed, and she froze, her eyes snapping shut. So maybe she wasn’t as indifferent as she wanted him to believe. He took the pills out of her hand and swallowed them. “Do you have someone to stay with you for the next day or two?” she asked.
“No.” He probably did. He could always call his sister, but he knew for a fact that she was working right now, which reminded him that he needed to call HR and then cancel his appointments for the day.
Elizabeth bit her lip and again seemed to check out every nook and cranny of his bedroom before her gaze finally landed back on him. “I guess I’ll stay.”
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