Read Online Accidentally Amish by Olivia Newport - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Olivia Newport
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free hand, and Rufus halted.
Mo snapped the phone shut. “My mother is having some kind of crisis. I’m sorry, but I think I need to head over there right away.”
“We’ll take the buggy, then.” Rufus resumed his careful pace but changed the direction slightly. “I’ve got you, Annalise.”
She nodded against his chest and took a deep breath, not caring about the pain it caused.
I’ve got you, Annalise.
Rufus stepped easily up into his cart as if he routinely carried around an extra hundred and fifteen pounds. “I’m sorry. This is not as comfortable as a car.”
Annie winced as he set her in the seat. “My bag,” she grunted.
“I have it.”
The room was cold, and Annie was not fond of the beige printed cotton examination gown.
Some things are stereotypes because they are true,
she thought.
She had not persuaded Rufus to go home. Annie had imagined she could call a cab to get back to her room at the motel. Then she reminded herself where she was and that cabs might not be as plentiful as she presumed. Besides, she had to admit that moving any of her limbs involved pain.
“Accepting a little help is not a sign of failure.”
Her mother said that all the time. Annie seldom acted like she believed it, but the fall left her with little choice. She pictured Rufus in the waiting room, guarding her denim bag. At least she had her phone, which she had taken custody of when a nurse helped her out of her coffee-sodden jeans. She searched “Amish medical care.”
Rufus sat in the waiting room, sharing a vinyl seat with Annalise’s bag. He felt the hard form of her laptop pressing against his hip. Rufus considered using a computer a couple of times in a public library to look up specific information but resorted instead to asking a librarian to help him find books he could carry home. It seemed so much simpler than learning how to communicate fluidly with a machine. He spoke English, High German, and Pennsylvania Dutch, but learning the language necessary to think like a computer did not appeal. What could possibly be on Annalise’s computer to make her so attached to it when a live, wild, vibrant world was right before her eyes?
Still, the computer mattered to her, so Rufus would put it in her hands personally. He stood up to approach the reception desk cautiously.
“Excuse me, but can you tell me if Annalise Friesen is all right?”
The gray-haired receptionist glanced up at him. “Is she your wife?”
“No! She’s … a friend who was injured. I brought her in. I just want to know how she is.”
The receptionist glanced at her computer screen and hit several keys. “The doctor is getting ready to discharge her.”
“When she comes out, she will come this way,
ya
?”
“Yes.” The woman softened slightly. “I’ll see if she’d like you to wait with her.”
She was gone before Rufus could object, and when she returned a moment later to lead him to Annalise’s room, he no longer wanted to object. When a nurse pushed the door open, Rufus hesitated in the door frame.
“You can come in,” Annalise said. “They’re about to spring me, but they say I can’t go unless I have a ride. I guess that’s you.”
“I guess so.” She was dressed in her own shirt and oversized pink sweatpants that made her appear frail. Though he had only known her a day, already Rufus knew Annalise did not tolerate frailty.
The nurse held a clipboard and flipped through forms. “Sorry about the wardrobe. It was the best we could do. Nothing is broken, but she may have a mild concussion. She might be a little sleepy and confused for a while, and it’s better if someone is with her. The doctor says three days of rest. We’ve given her something for the pain.”
Rufus nodded.
“Expect considerable bruising and tenderness.” The nurse stuck the clipboard in front of Annalise. “Patient signs here.”
“I feel loopy,” Annalise said, though she signed the form as directed.
“That’s why you need
Mo snapped the phone shut. “My mother is having some kind of crisis. I’m sorry, but I think I need to head over there right away.”
“We’ll take the buggy, then.” Rufus resumed his careful pace but changed the direction slightly. “I’ve got you, Annalise.”
She nodded against his chest and took a deep breath, not caring about the pain it caused.
I’ve got you, Annalise.
Rufus stepped easily up into his cart as if he routinely carried around an extra hundred and fifteen pounds. “I’m sorry. This is not as comfortable as a car.”
Annie winced as he set her in the seat. “My bag,” she grunted.
“I have it.”
The room was cold, and Annie was not fond of the beige printed cotton examination gown.
Some things are stereotypes because they are true,
she thought.
She had not persuaded Rufus to go home. Annie had imagined she could call a cab to get back to her room at the motel. Then she reminded herself where she was and that cabs might not be as plentiful as she presumed. Besides, she had to admit that moving any of her limbs involved pain.
“Accepting a little help is not a sign of failure.”
Her mother said that all the time. Annie seldom acted like she believed it, but the fall left her with little choice. She pictured Rufus in the waiting room, guarding her denim bag. At least she had her phone, which she had taken custody of when a nurse helped her out of her coffee-sodden jeans. She searched “Amish medical care.”
Rufus sat in the waiting room, sharing a vinyl seat with Annalise’s bag. He felt the hard form of her laptop pressing against his hip. Rufus considered using a computer a couple of times in a public library to look up specific information but resorted instead to asking a librarian to help him find books he could carry home. It seemed so much simpler than learning how to communicate fluidly with a machine. He spoke English, High German, and Pennsylvania Dutch, but learning the language necessary to think like a computer did not appeal. What could possibly be on Annalise’s computer to make her so attached to it when a live, wild, vibrant world was right before her eyes?
Still, the computer mattered to her, so Rufus would put it in her hands personally. He stood up to approach the reception desk cautiously.
“Excuse me, but can you tell me if Annalise Friesen is all right?”
The gray-haired receptionist glanced up at him. “Is she your wife?”
“No! She’s … a friend who was injured. I brought her in. I just want to know how she is.”
The receptionist glanced at her computer screen and hit several keys. “The doctor is getting ready to discharge her.”
“When she comes out, she will come this way,
ya
?”
“Yes.” The woman softened slightly. “I’ll see if she’d like you to wait with her.”
She was gone before Rufus could object, and when she returned a moment later to lead him to Annalise’s room, he no longer wanted to object. When a nurse pushed the door open, Rufus hesitated in the door frame.
“You can come in,” Annalise said. “They’re about to spring me, but they say I can’t go unless I have a ride. I guess that’s you.”
“I guess so.” She was dressed in her own shirt and oversized pink sweatpants that made her appear frail. Though he had only known her a day, already Rufus knew Annalise did not tolerate frailty.
The nurse held a clipboard and flipped through forms. “Sorry about the wardrobe. It was the best we could do. Nothing is broken, but she may have a mild concussion. She might be a little sleepy and confused for a while, and it’s better if someone is with her. The doctor says three days of rest. We’ve given her something for the pain.”
Rufus nodded.
“Expect considerable bruising and tenderness.” The nurse stuck the clipboard in front of Annalise. “Patient signs here.”
“I feel loopy,” Annalise said, though she signed the form as directed.
“That’s why you need
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