Read Online In Dark Woods (Signal Bend Series #4.5) by Susan Fanetti - Free Book Online
Authors: Susan Fanetti
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check it out.”
They stared at each other, and then he nodded. “But I don’t want to deal with just whoever’s on call. Wait until they open, talk to Kendrick.”
“Okay. Can I get you anything?”
He shook his head, and she turned to go back to bed. Not that she’d be doing any more sleeping.
“Lilli, wait. Come up here with me?” He pushed a button, and the head of his bed lowered.
She climbed up into Isaac’s hospital bed, and they lay together until the sun rose and Gia woke up.
~oOo~
“I hate this fuckin’ shit. Why’d they have us haul ass in here just to take up space in the goddamn waiting room?”
If Isaac could have been pacing, he would have been. As it was, he was rolling his chair back and forth, three feet forward, three feet back, driving Lilli insane. But she understood why he was amped up, so she bit her tongue.
When they were finally called back, a nurse helped him get into a hospital gown and set up on an examination table—which help Isaac accepted with surprising good grace. Then they had another wait. He was flushed and furious before Dr. Kendrick finally came into the room. But he managed to maintain.
Lilli stood and went to his side, taking his hand. She’d grown used to holding his hand while he was wearing the fingerless leather gloves he now wore all day. As calloused as his hands normally were, pushing the wheels of his chair had still torn them up at first, and she’d bought him the gloves. They were becoming something she identified with him. He’d never put his leather cuffs back on, or any ring but his wedding band. All of that he associated with the Horde. Of the jewelry he wore daily before the shooting, he now only wore his wedding band—and Mjölnir. Thor’s hammer, around his neck.
After the required pleasantries, Kendrick sat on his stool and said, “So tell me what you experienced this morning.”
Isaac explained the sensation he was still feeling intermittently, an itch that eluded his concentration.
“Any notable reaction to direct stimuli?”
Lilli grinned when Isaac rolled and then closed his eyes. He hated the way doctors talked.
“No. Just the itch.”
Kendrick stood and took his pin-prick thing out of his pocket. “Okay, well, let’s do a couple of quick tests and see where we are.”
Apparently feeling a need to be cruel, he lifted Isaac’s hospital gown and began the pinpricks at his waist, rather than his feet. And so began the long, torturous slog downward, Isaac glowering at the ceiling, while Kendrick pricked and asked, “That?” And Isaac said, “No.”
Sometimes, the doctor would not prick and then ask, “That?” And Isaac would say, “No.”
Other times, he would prick and not ask.
Over his lower abdomen, down his hips, his thighs, and on, with nothing different from the dozens, scores of times this simple, horrible test had been performed.
All the way to his feet, no change. Over the top of his right foot. His right heel. By that time, Isaac was just shaking his head, his eyes closed; he’d given up bothering with the word ‘no.’
Lilli saw the shadows massing around him and knew that he’d been far more hopeful about that itch than he’d let on. She bent down and kissed his creased forehead. “We’re okay, love. Whatever. We’re okay.”
Then his eyes flew open. “Do that again. Yes. Fuck. Yes!” Lilli looked down at Isaac’s feet. The doctor poked again, and she saw his right foot move—just a tiny spasm, subtle but unmistakable.
~oOo~
After a couple more tests, Isaac was dressed again and in his chair, and they were sitting in Kendrick’s office. The air was dense with tension.
The doctor cleared his throat. “I tell you what. I’m going to go out and have one of the girls get the scans scheduled for this afternoon, and you two can talk in here for a few minutes. It would be best to make a decision today.” He got up from his commodious leather chair and left the room.
When they
They stared at each other, and then he nodded. “But I don’t want to deal with just whoever’s on call. Wait until they open, talk to Kendrick.”
“Okay. Can I get you anything?”
He shook his head, and she turned to go back to bed. Not that she’d be doing any more sleeping.
“Lilli, wait. Come up here with me?” He pushed a button, and the head of his bed lowered.
She climbed up into Isaac’s hospital bed, and they lay together until the sun rose and Gia woke up.
~oOo~
“I hate this fuckin’ shit. Why’d they have us haul ass in here just to take up space in the goddamn waiting room?”
If Isaac could have been pacing, he would have been. As it was, he was rolling his chair back and forth, three feet forward, three feet back, driving Lilli insane. But she understood why he was amped up, so she bit her tongue.
When they were finally called back, a nurse helped him get into a hospital gown and set up on an examination table—which help Isaac accepted with surprising good grace. Then they had another wait. He was flushed and furious before Dr. Kendrick finally came into the room. But he managed to maintain.
Lilli stood and went to his side, taking his hand. She’d grown used to holding his hand while he was wearing the fingerless leather gloves he now wore all day. As calloused as his hands normally were, pushing the wheels of his chair had still torn them up at first, and she’d bought him the gloves. They were becoming something she identified with him. He’d never put his leather cuffs back on, or any ring but his wedding band. All of that he associated with the Horde. Of the jewelry he wore daily before the shooting, he now only wore his wedding band—and Mjölnir. Thor’s hammer, around his neck.
After the required pleasantries, Kendrick sat on his stool and said, “So tell me what you experienced this morning.”
Isaac explained the sensation he was still feeling intermittently, an itch that eluded his concentration.
“Any notable reaction to direct stimuli?”
Lilli grinned when Isaac rolled and then closed his eyes. He hated the way doctors talked.
“No. Just the itch.”
Kendrick stood and took his pin-prick thing out of his pocket. “Okay, well, let’s do a couple of quick tests and see where we are.”
Apparently feeling a need to be cruel, he lifted Isaac’s hospital gown and began the pinpricks at his waist, rather than his feet. And so began the long, torturous slog downward, Isaac glowering at the ceiling, while Kendrick pricked and asked, “That?” And Isaac said, “No.”
Sometimes, the doctor would not prick and then ask, “That?” And Isaac would say, “No.”
Other times, he would prick and not ask.
Over his lower abdomen, down his hips, his thighs, and on, with nothing different from the dozens, scores of times this simple, horrible test had been performed.
All the way to his feet, no change. Over the top of his right foot. His right heel. By that time, Isaac was just shaking his head, his eyes closed; he’d given up bothering with the word ‘no.’
Lilli saw the shadows massing around him and knew that he’d been far more hopeful about that itch than he’d let on. She bent down and kissed his creased forehead. “We’re okay, love. Whatever. We’re okay.”
Then his eyes flew open. “Do that again. Yes. Fuck. Yes!” Lilli looked down at Isaac’s feet. The doctor poked again, and she saw his right foot move—just a tiny spasm, subtle but unmistakable.
~oOo~
After a couple more tests, Isaac was dressed again and in his chair, and they were sitting in Kendrick’s office. The air was dense with tension.
The doctor cleared his throat. “I tell you what. I’m going to go out and have one of the girls get the scans scheduled for this afternoon, and you two can talk in here for a few minutes. It would be best to make a decision today.” He got up from his commodious leather chair and left the room.
When they
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