but stumbled again. Nolan caught my arm and walked me to an examination room. He helped me onto the exam table and we remained silent. After thirty minutes a doctor walked in. An older gentleman with salt and pepper hair and a matching trimmed beard.
“Head injury, eh?” He raised an eyebrow as he looked up from the chart.
“Yep.” I mumbled as he flashed a penlight into one eye then the other, a thoughtful “hmmm” leaving his lips as he leaned back from me and rubbed his chin.
“Have you been having issues with balance, Ms. Martin?”
“Well, I mean I got knocked out. I was a little dizzy but I think I’m fine now. If anything I’m a little tired.” I shrugged, a yawn involuntarily escaping my mouth. The doctor’s eyes darted over to Nolan for a moment as his hand dropped from his beard.
“Well, Ms. Martin, from the looks of it, I’d say you have a concussion. Your pupils are uneven, you’re tired, dizzy, good indicators of one.” He stated. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to get a CT-scan done just to make sure there isn’t any permanent neurological damage occurring.”
“That won’t be necessary,” I objected and attempted to slide off the exam table. Just like before, I lost my balance and stumbled, banging my knee on the floor.
“Harley! Will ya just listen ta the damn doctor?” Nolan’s tone was a mixture of aggravation and worry as he helped me up. “She’ll get the CT-scan.”
I looked helplessly back to Nolan, his eyes fixated on mine and unwavering.
“Those are really expensive, Nolan –”
“It’s fine, I’ll take care of it. I want ta make sure yer not seriously injured.” His voice had calmed to a low soothing tone as he sat me down in the chair he’d been occupying. His worried eyes glanced to mine and I felt completely disarmed by the concern in them, even if I felt like this wasn’t necessary.
“Fine then. CT-scan it is.”
CHAPTER NINE
The Boy In The Picture
“I told you I was fine.” I grumbled after Nolan had climbed into the driver’s side of his car. He glanced toward me only shaking his head.
“Harley, that’s not what the doctor said. He just said there doesn’t appear ta be any permanent neurological damage, but given how difficult ya’ve been tonight, I’m inclined ta disagree.” He said, his voice thick with sarcasm as a smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth.
“Har Har Har.” I glowered at him before turning toward the window.
“In all seriousness, I’m glad it’s just a minor concussion. Aggie and I both saw that cue-ball hit ya. I still don’t understand exactly how someone made it go flying like that, but it knocked ya pretty hard.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, as if trying to figure out the actual physics of it.
“Well, I’m already feeling less dizzy. I may have needed a bit more than five minutes, but I was still right.” I glanced over at him as he drove. His index finger and thumb still stroked his trimmed sandy-colored goatee as his eyes swept to my side of the car briefly.
“Harley, someone still needs ta keep an eye on ya, at least fer tonight. The doctor said so.” Nolan’s tone was stern as he returned his attention to the road. I sighed, beginning to feel exasperated. He made it sound like I needed a Victorian fan and a fainting couch.
“I live alone, but I’m sure I’ll be fine, Nolan.” I felt like a broken record, but he didn’t seem to be getting it into his thick skull.
“Sure, until ya trip because yer feelin’ dizzy, fall, and give yerself another concussion.” He raised an eyebrow, looking over at me again. The side of my head started to throb, as if to prove Nolan’s point. Instinctively, my hand went to the side of my head, but I quickly pulled it down into my lap trying to ignore the pain.
“Really?” Nolan shook his head, unamused. “Just stay over at my place for the night.”
“Excuse me?!”
“I didn’t say in my bed, woman! I have a spare bedroom.” One
“Head injury, eh?” He raised an eyebrow as he looked up from the chart.
“Yep.” I mumbled as he flashed a penlight into one eye then the other, a thoughtful “hmmm” leaving his lips as he leaned back from me and rubbed his chin.
“Have you been having issues with balance, Ms. Martin?”
“Well, I mean I got knocked out. I was a little dizzy but I think I’m fine now. If anything I’m a little tired.” I shrugged, a yawn involuntarily escaping my mouth. The doctor’s eyes darted over to Nolan for a moment as his hand dropped from his beard.
“Well, Ms. Martin, from the looks of it, I’d say you have a concussion. Your pupils are uneven, you’re tired, dizzy, good indicators of one.” He stated. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to get a CT-scan done just to make sure there isn’t any permanent neurological damage occurring.”
“That won’t be necessary,” I objected and attempted to slide off the exam table. Just like before, I lost my balance and stumbled, banging my knee on the floor.
“Harley! Will ya just listen ta the damn doctor?” Nolan’s tone was a mixture of aggravation and worry as he helped me up. “She’ll get the CT-scan.”
I looked helplessly back to Nolan, his eyes fixated on mine and unwavering.
“Those are really expensive, Nolan –”
“It’s fine, I’ll take care of it. I want ta make sure yer not seriously injured.” His voice had calmed to a low soothing tone as he sat me down in the chair he’d been occupying. His worried eyes glanced to mine and I felt completely disarmed by the concern in them, even if I felt like this wasn’t necessary.
“Fine then. CT-scan it is.”
CHAPTER NINE
The Boy In The Picture
“I told you I was fine.” I grumbled after Nolan had climbed into the driver’s side of his car. He glanced toward me only shaking his head.
“Harley, that’s not what the doctor said. He just said there doesn’t appear ta be any permanent neurological damage, but given how difficult ya’ve been tonight, I’m inclined ta disagree.” He said, his voice thick with sarcasm as a smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth.
“Har Har Har.” I glowered at him before turning toward the window.
“In all seriousness, I’m glad it’s just a minor concussion. Aggie and I both saw that cue-ball hit ya. I still don’t understand exactly how someone made it go flying like that, but it knocked ya pretty hard.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, as if trying to figure out the actual physics of it.
“Well, I’m already feeling less dizzy. I may have needed a bit more than five minutes, but I was still right.” I glanced over at him as he drove. His index finger and thumb still stroked his trimmed sandy-colored goatee as his eyes swept to my side of the car briefly.
“Harley, someone still needs ta keep an eye on ya, at least fer tonight. The doctor said so.” Nolan’s tone was stern as he returned his attention to the road. I sighed, beginning to feel exasperated. He made it sound like I needed a Victorian fan and a fainting couch.
“I live alone, but I’m sure I’ll be fine, Nolan.” I felt like a broken record, but he didn’t seem to be getting it into his thick skull.
“Sure, until ya trip because yer feelin’ dizzy, fall, and give yerself another concussion.” He raised an eyebrow, looking over at me again. The side of my head started to throb, as if to prove Nolan’s point. Instinctively, my hand went to the side of my head, but I quickly pulled it down into my lap trying to ignore the pain.
“Really?” Nolan shook his head, unamused. “Just stay over at my place for the night.”
“Excuse me?!”
“I didn’t say in my bed, woman! I have a spare bedroom.” One
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