held for observation--"
"I'm fine." She cut him off firmly, even though the very uttering of it shot pain through her head and tensed sore muscles in her neck.
He stood there with his hands on his hips, glaring. And the man had one forceful glare.
"Really, I'm all right," she said. "They checked me over completely--X-rays and everything. I have the papers here to prove it." She held up her dismissal forms. "Besides, some of us small business folk don't have the luxury of health insurance."
"Lack of insurance is no reason for negligent care." He looked as if he was going to pick her up and carry her back to the ER and demand they admit her.
"Dr. Morris gave me all of the lecturing I need."
His eyes narrowed. "So he
wanted
to admit you."
"No, he didn't. Not exactly. He mentioned the possibility. When I said I'd rather not, he didn't argue. He just had me sign an extra paper."
"Abby!"
"I'm
fine
! I just want to go home and go to bed." She realized she sounded like a whiny child, but seriously, if she didn't get home soon she was going to have a breakdown here in public. She added, "And I'll go see my family doctor tomorrow morning if I'm feeling anything more than sore."
He gave an exasperated sigh, but at least he no longer looked as if he was going to go caveman on her. "Is there anything I can do?"
"You're sweet to offer, but no."
Now go away. I want to be alone--just in case the growing cracks cause me to fly into a million pieces.
"I'll stay with you until your dad comes."
The last thing she needed was explaining all of this to her dad in front of Jason. She pointed to the hospital ID. "I'm sure you have doctor things to do."
"Nothing that can't wait."
It appeared he was determined. And she was too tired to fight anymore. So she fell quiet, watching out the front doors again.
Jason surprised her by following her lead and letting silence rule the moment. And, as he stood quietly by her side, he had the same calming effect on her as he had yesterday in the sanctuary. After a few minutes, her tension ebbed and fatigue took the upper hand.
She must have swayed on her feet, because he took her elbow and said, "I think you should wait sitting down."
"I don't understand why Dad isn't here yet. He was at home when I called; ten minutes away."
"How long ago?"
She looked at the clock over the reception desk--her watch had fogged over and stopped working--and was surprised to realize how much time had passed.
A sickness bloomed in her belly. "Nearly an hour ago."
C HAPTER 5
A bby explained to Jason how she'd lost her cell phone in the marsh. She told it dispassionately, but he saw the anxiety in her eyes and tension in every muscle of her body. She must have been terrified out there in the dark, disoriented, hurt, and alone.
It was clear by her scant details that she didn't want to talk about the accident. Jason respected her privacy even though he desperately wanted to know what had happened to her--and, he realized, not because of simple curiosity. For some reason he
needed
to know everything about her.
He swallowed his questions, handed her his BlackBerry, and suggested she call her father again. "Maybe he got... distracted."
The sharp look she shot him before she dialed confirmed his suspicion that Abby wasn't completely unaware that something could be going on with her father's mental health.
Jason watched the worry in her eyes intensify as that call went unanswered.
Dear God, he wanted to hold her, assure her that her nightmare of a night would not turn into a hellish day. When he'd laid eyes on her moments ago she already presented such a tragic picture that he'd had to make a conscious effort not to reach out and comfort her. That contusion on her head had to be killing her. Her white blouse, the same one she'd had on at the funeral yesterday, the one that was fitted and oh-so-flattering, was untucked from her skirt, dirty, and torn slightly at the shoulder seam. She wore tan non-skid hospital socks
"I'm fine." She cut him off firmly, even though the very uttering of it shot pain through her head and tensed sore muscles in her neck.
He stood there with his hands on his hips, glaring. And the man had one forceful glare.
"Really, I'm all right," she said. "They checked me over completely--X-rays and everything. I have the papers here to prove it." She held up her dismissal forms. "Besides, some of us small business folk don't have the luxury of health insurance."
"Lack of insurance is no reason for negligent care." He looked as if he was going to pick her up and carry her back to the ER and demand they admit her.
"Dr. Morris gave me all of the lecturing I need."
His eyes narrowed. "So he
wanted
to admit you."
"No, he didn't. Not exactly. He mentioned the possibility. When I said I'd rather not, he didn't argue. He just had me sign an extra paper."
"Abby!"
"I'm
fine
! I just want to go home and go to bed." She realized she sounded like a whiny child, but seriously, if she didn't get home soon she was going to have a breakdown here in public. She added, "And I'll go see my family doctor tomorrow morning if I'm feeling anything more than sore."
He gave an exasperated sigh, but at least he no longer looked as if he was going to go caveman on her. "Is there anything I can do?"
"You're sweet to offer, but no."
Now go away. I want to be alone--just in case the growing cracks cause me to fly into a million pieces.
"I'll stay with you until your dad comes."
The last thing she needed was explaining all of this to her dad in front of Jason. She pointed to the hospital ID. "I'm sure you have doctor things to do."
"Nothing that can't wait."
It appeared he was determined. And she was too tired to fight anymore. So she fell quiet, watching out the front doors again.
Jason surprised her by following her lead and letting silence rule the moment. And, as he stood quietly by her side, he had the same calming effect on her as he had yesterday in the sanctuary. After a few minutes, her tension ebbed and fatigue took the upper hand.
She must have swayed on her feet, because he took her elbow and said, "I think you should wait sitting down."
"I don't understand why Dad isn't here yet. He was at home when I called; ten minutes away."
"How long ago?"
She looked at the clock over the reception desk--her watch had fogged over and stopped working--and was surprised to realize how much time had passed.
A sickness bloomed in her belly. "Nearly an hour ago."
C HAPTER 5
A bby explained to Jason how she'd lost her cell phone in the marsh. She told it dispassionately, but he saw the anxiety in her eyes and tension in every muscle of her body. She must have been terrified out there in the dark, disoriented, hurt, and alone.
It was clear by her scant details that she didn't want to talk about the accident. Jason respected her privacy even though he desperately wanted to know what had happened to her--and, he realized, not because of simple curiosity. For some reason he
needed
to know everything about her.
He swallowed his questions, handed her his BlackBerry, and suggested she call her father again. "Maybe he got... distracted."
The sharp look she shot him before she dialed confirmed his suspicion that Abby wasn't completely unaware that something could be going on with her father's mental health.
Jason watched the worry in her eyes intensify as that call went unanswered.
Dear God, he wanted to hold her, assure her that her nightmare of a night would not turn into a hellish day. When he'd laid eyes on her moments ago she already presented such a tragic picture that he'd had to make a conscious effort not to reach out and comfort her. That contusion on her head had to be killing her. Her white blouse, the same one she'd had on at the funeral yesterday, the one that was fitted and oh-so-flattering, was untucked from her skirt, dirty, and torn slightly at the shoulder seam. She wore tan non-skid hospital socks
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