Read Online Trusting Jake (Blueprint To Love Book 1) by Lauren Giordano - Free Book Online
Authors: Lauren Giordano
Ads: Link
still petrified, despite the promising information the nurse had been able to impart. Until she verified with her own eyes that Alex was okay, her terror wouldn't ease. The little guy had been knocked unconscious, but had awakened by the time the ambulance reached school. The ER doctors had decided to run a battery of tests and admit him overnight for observation.
"Here we are. Room 417." Peering through the rectangular window in the door, he was unable to see Alex. "It looks like the doctor's already in there . . . and a nurse too. Why don't you go in? I'll wait out here for you."
"Would you come with me?"
Already settling back against the cool, tiled wall, Jake glanced up, startled by her request, or more specifically, by Jen's manner. Rarely, had he witnessed anything other than calm professionalism. Even in the waiting room, her actions were those of a determined parent, frantic for answers. But now, despite the promising news, she looked so damn fragile. His heart clenched with a surge of compassion for her. Pushing off the wall, he took her hand and opened the door.
***
"So . . . he'll be all right?" Jenna couldn't fight the surge of gratitude that left her limp with relief. He seemed fine, her old, familiar Alex. He'd recognized her the moment he awoke, had remembered Jake, grinning at him. He'd proceeded to answer every question the neurologist posed, amused the doctor with a few of his own, then passed the reaction tests and even asked to see Megan before slumping back against the pillows with a giant yawn.
Still holding his sturdy, little hand, Jen laid her head alongside her son's. Unwilling to take her gaze from Alex, she didn't look up while she continued to question the doctor. "Why is he sleeping now?"
"The trauma has exhausted him. It's a good, steady sleep, but that's one of the things we'll monitor tonight. We'll wake him periodically and see if he reacts properly. If everything goes as anticipated," the doctor explained, "then Alex can go home tomorrow."
"I want to stay with him." She shivered at the thought of her baby here. All alone.
"That won't be necessary, Mrs. Stone. Alex will be well-cared for. And we'll be waking him nearly every hour. You need your rest as much as he'll need his to recover."
Shaking her head to clear it, she sat up, glancing for the first time at her surroundings. The room, though clinical, had been warmed up considerably with the cheery wallpaper and brightly painted ceiling. The framed prints on the wall had been drawn by children. "What if he wakes up during the night? He'll be all alone. He'll be afraid."
"One of you can stay with Alex tonight." The doctor glanced at the chart.
"My daughter– can she stay, too?"
The doctor shook his head resolutely. "Absolutely not. It's against hospital policy." Tucking his hands into the pockets of a blue lab coat, he turned to acknowledge Jake. "Too chaotic for the staff to have the whole family in here."
"But-"
He swiveled back to her. "I'll instruct the nursing station that one of you might be staying. If you have any questions, they'll know how to reach me." With a curt nod, he pulled the door open and stepped into the hallway.
Jake finally spoke, rising from his chair in the corner. She flashed him an apologetic glance. She'd all but forgotten he was there.
"What about Rick? In all the excitement, I don't think you ever called him."
Had Jenna been operating on all cylinders, she would've been prepared for the ordinary question from her scrutinizing boss. Instead, emotionally drained from the scare with Alex, she was confused and consequently . . . she went blank.
"I-I . . . he's-" Now was the time to confess the truth. She'd wanted to tell him for months. That she was alone. That Rick had dumped her for someone else long before he died. Over the last few months, Jake had become her friend. He wasn't like the men she'd worked with before. She trusted him.
"He's uh . . . out of town this week. I don't even
"Here we are. Room 417." Peering through the rectangular window in the door, he was unable to see Alex. "It looks like the doctor's already in there . . . and a nurse too. Why don't you go in? I'll wait out here for you."
"Would you come with me?"
Already settling back against the cool, tiled wall, Jake glanced up, startled by her request, or more specifically, by Jen's manner. Rarely, had he witnessed anything other than calm professionalism. Even in the waiting room, her actions were those of a determined parent, frantic for answers. But now, despite the promising news, she looked so damn fragile. His heart clenched with a surge of compassion for her. Pushing off the wall, he took her hand and opened the door.
***
"So . . . he'll be all right?" Jenna couldn't fight the surge of gratitude that left her limp with relief. He seemed fine, her old, familiar Alex. He'd recognized her the moment he awoke, had remembered Jake, grinning at him. He'd proceeded to answer every question the neurologist posed, amused the doctor with a few of his own, then passed the reaction tests and even asked to see Megan before slumping back against the pillows with a giant yawn.
Still holding his sturdy, little hand, Jen laid her head alongside her son's. Unwilling to take her gaze from Alex, she didn't look up while she continued to question the doctor. "Why is he sleeping now?"
"The trauma has exhausted him. It's a good, steady sleep, but that's one of the things we'll monitor tonight. We'll wake him periodically and see if he reacts properly. If everything goes as anticipated," the doctor explained, "then Alex can go home tomorrow."
"I want to stay with him." She shivered at the thought of her baby here. All alone.
"That won't be necessary, Mrs. Stone. Alex will be well-cared for. And we'll be waking him nearly every hour. You need your rest as much as he'll need his to recover."
Shaking her head to clear it, she sat up, glancing for the first time at her surroundings. The room, though clinical, had been warmed up considerably with the cheery wallpaper and brightly painted ceiling. The framed prints on the wall had been drawn by children. "What if he wakes up during the night? He'll be all alone. He'll be afraid."
"One of you can stay with Alex tonight." The doctor glanced at the chart.
"My daughter– can she stay, too?"
The doctor shook his head resolutely. "Absolutely not. It's against hospital policy." Tucking his hands into the pockets of a blue lab coat, he turned to acknowledge Jake. "Too chaotic for the staff to have the whole family in here."
"But-"
He swiveled back to her. "I'll instruct the nursing station that one of you might be staying. If you have any questions, they'll know how to reach me." With a curt nod, he pulled the door open and stepped into the hallway.
Jake finally spoke, rising from his chair in the corner. She flashed him an apologetic glance. She'd all but forgotten he was there.
"What about Rick? In all the excitement, I don't think you ever called him."
Had Jenna been operating on all cylinders, she would've been prepared for the ordinary question from her scrutinizing boss. Instead, emotionally drained from the scare with Alex, she was confused and consequently . . . she went blank.
"I-I . . . he's-" Now was the time to confess the truth. She'd wanted to tell him for months. That she was alone. That Rick had dumped her for someone else long before he died. Over the last few months, Jake had become her friend. He wasn't like the men she'd worked with before. She trusted him.
"He's uh . . . out of town this week. I don't even
Similar Books
