and cuts—none serious—he and Ronnie got away clean. He’s going to be sore as hell the next day from the jump to the ground, but that is a small price to pay. He had nearly lost her today.
“I’ve brought you some clothes,” a young woman says, stepping into the infirmary and setting the pile of clothes down beside Ronnie.
Ronnie stares at the clothes for a moment before her eyes come up to meet the woman’s. “Thank you,” she murmurs softly.
“You’re done,” the nurse says after sticking a large bandage over Ronnie’s left palm. “You’re going to be hurting for a few days, but you’re going to be just fine. I recommend you take a couple of Tylenol for the pain,” she adds, handing her a small paper cup with two pills inside. “You may not be feeling it right now, but you will.”
“Thank you,” Ronnie says, sliding off the table, taking the cup. She looks at the pile of clothing again for a moment then picks them up. “Where can I change?”
“Over behind the curtain,” the nurse says, pointing before leaving to attend to other duties.
Ryker starts to hop off the table as well. “Nuh-uh,” the second nurse says, putting her hand firmly in Ryker’s chest. “You’re not going anywhere. The doc wants to run some x-rays on you.”
“For what?”
The nurse looks at Ryker in exasperation. “Petty Officer Evans… did you or did you not jump off a two-story building today?”
“I’m fine!” Ryker protests.
“So... where did you earn your medical degree?” the nurse asks coolly as she finishes cleaning a nasty cut on his cheek. Two inches higher and the piece of glass would have gone right in his eye.
“But, Ronnie...” Ryker says, looking around the nurse to watch Ronnie swallow the pills and wash them down with some water, then step behind the curtain.
The nurse looks over her shoulder before leaning in close and lowering her voice. “She’s still in shock. We have a counselor waiting to see her. She will be okay.”
“But…”
“No buts,” the nurse says firmly, cutting him off. “I’ll have the Marines come and restrain you if I have to. So sit tight and we will have you out of here a few minutes.”
“But…” Ryker tries again, causing the nurse to raise her finger in warning and glare at him playfully.
“Don’t you move,” the nurse warns, pointing a finger at him, then steps away to Ronnie. “Dr. Baker, right this way please,” she says, escorting Ronnie to the door.
Ryker leans forward so he can see around the door as the nurse gently hands Ronnie off to a kind-looking man standing in the hall. Ronnie nods, then follows the man as the door swings shut.
CHAPTER NINE
Ryker is pacing in the hall outside of Dr. Pate’s office, where he had been for the past half hour. He had been x-rayed, then released, the nurse telling him where he could find Ronnie. Part of it is nerves as he worries about Ronnie, but he can also feel himself getting sore and stiffening up from his fall. He is going to hurt like hell tomorrow and he wants to keep moving, trying to walk it off.
“Petty Officer Evans,” the nurse says quietly behind him.
Lost in his own thoughts, he starts and whirls to face the same nurse that had patched him up earlier.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you,” the nurse says.
“It’s okay. I’m just jumpy.”
“I have the results of your x-rays.”
“Thank you nurse… Uhhh…”
“Hughes. Sandra Hughes.”
“Sorry,” he says, slightly embarrassed that he didn’t know her name. “What have you got for me?”
“You have a near clean bill of health. You have small stress fracture in the fibula just above the ankle on your right leg. That’s the big bone. But so long as you don’t jump off any more buildings for a while you should be okay.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Ryker says wryly. “How are the
“I’ve brought you some clothes,” a young woman says, stepping into the infirmary and setting the pile of clothes down beside Ronnie.
Ronnie stares at the clothes for a moment before her eyes come up to meet the woman’s. “Thank you,” she murmurs softly.
“You’re done,” the nurse says after sticking a large bandage over Ronnie’s left palm. “You’re going to be hurting for a few days, but you’re going to be just fine. I recommend you take a couple of Tylenol for the pain,” she adds, handing her a small paper cup with two pills inside. “You may not be feeling it right now, but you will.”
“Thank you,” Ronnie says, sliding off the table, taking the cup. She looks at the pile of clothing again for a moment then picks them up. “Where can I change?”
“Over behind the curtain,” the nurse says, pointing before leaving to attend to other duties.
Ryker starts to hop off the table as well. “Nuh-uh,” the second nurse says, putting her hand firmly in Ryker’s chest. “You’re not going anywhere. The doc wants to run some x-rays on you.”
“For what?”
The nurse looks at Ryker in exasperation. “Petty Officer Evans… did you or did you not jump off a two-story building today?”
“I’m fine!” Ryker protests.
“So... where did you earn your medical degree?” the nurse asks coolly as she finishes cleaning a nasty cut on his cheek. Two inches higher and the piece of glass would have gone right in his eye.
“But, Ronnie...” Ryker says, looking around the nurse to watch Ronnie swallow the pills and wash them down with some water, then step behind the curtain.
The nurse looks over her shoulder before leaning in close and lowering her voice. “She’s still in shock. We have a counselor waiting to see her. She will be okay.”
“But…”
“No buts,” the nurse says firmly, cutting him off. “I’ll have the Marines come and restrain you if I have to. So sit tight and we will have you out of here a few minutes.”
“But…” Ryker tries again, causing the nurse to raise her finger in warning and glare at him playfully.
“Don’t you move,” the nurse warns, pointing a finger at him, then steps away to Ronnie. “Dr. Baker, right this way please,” she says, escorting Ronnie to the door.
Ryker leans forward so he can see around the door as the nurse gently hands Ronnie off to a kind-looking man standing in the hall. Ronnie nods, then follows the man as the door swings shut.
CHAPTER NINE
Ryker is pacing in the hall outside of Dr. Pate’s office, where he had been for the past half hour. He had been x-rayed, then released, the nurse telling him where he could find Ronnie. Part of it is nerves as he worries about Ronnie, but he can also feel himself getting sore and stiffening up from his fall. He is going to hurt like hell tomorrow and he wants to keep moving, trying to walk it off.
“Petty Officer Evans,” the nurse says quietly behind him.
Lost in his own thoughts, he starts and whirls to face the same nurse that had patched him up earlier.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you,” the nurse says.
“It’s okay. I’m just jumpy.”
“I have the results of your x-rays.”
“Thank you nurse… Uhhh…”
“Hughes. Sandra Hughes.”
“Sorry,” he says, slightly embarrassed that he didn’t know her name. “What have you got for me?”
“You have a near clean bill of health. You have small stress fracture in the fibula just above the ankle on your right leg. That’s the big bone. But so long as you don’t jump off any more buildings for a while you should be okay.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Ryker says wryly. “How are the
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