Lois Greiman - [Hope Springs 02] (26 page)

Casie smiled woodenly. “How are you feeling?”

Linette blinked and half shrugged but didn’t answer. Her eyes drifted closed.

“Keep her awake,” Colt ordered quietly.

“Linette!” The name sounded panicked to Casie’s own ears.

She opened her eyes slowly. “How’d it go?”

Casie glanced toward Colt. He shook his head, obviously as uncertain as she. She hurried her gaze back to Linette. “What?”

“The transplant. How’d . . .” She scowled, lifted her left hand vaguely. “What happened?”

Casie swallowed, fear turning to terror at the repeated question. “You fell off a horse.”

“I was riding a horse?”

Dear God.

Her eyes went dreamy. “I’ve always wanted a horse.” Her face seemed strangely slack, her skin gray.

“Linette!”

She shifted her gaze groggily back to Casie. “But Mommy says we can’t afford one. Not until Daddy comes home.”

“An ambulance is on its way,” Casie said. “Just hold on. Okay?”

“He’s coming back. I know he is,” she said and let her eyes fall closed.

“Colt!” Casie rasped.

He was beside her in an instant, shoulder brushing against hers, body warm and solid. “Linny, honey, come on.” He squeezed her arm. “Wake up.”

She did so, remained expressionless for a moment, then focused with seeming difficulty on his face. Her lips twitched up at one corner. “You’re a good-looking devil,” she said, then shifted her gaze to Casie. “The handsome ones are always trouble, aren’t they? What are the charges?”

Casie scowled at her nonsensical words. “I’m sorry,” she said. “So sorry. But it’s going to be okay. Hold on.”

Linette shifted her gaze, face becoming vacant again. “Daddy’s handsome, too.”

Casie felt sick to her stomach.

“And he’ll come back.”

“I’m sure he will,” Colt said and stroked the hair away from her face “No one could leave a pretty girl like you.”

“I’m not pretty.” She scowled as if confused by his compliment. “But I’m smart. And Daddy says if I work really hard I can be whatever I want to be.”

“Where’s that ambulance?” Casie wasn’t even sure who asked the question. It might have been her.

“And I’m tough. Daddy told me I had to be. Not like Mother.” She shook her head. The movement was disjointed. “She cries all the time. She thinks I can’t hear her, but I can.” She shifted her gaze upward. “When I grow up I’m never going to cry.”

“Where’s that stupid—”

“There it is!” Sophie cried, and jerking to her feet, waved her arms before striding to the far side of the arena to catch up Maddy’s dangling reins. In a moment she had disappeared with the mare and the ambulance was inside the corral. No lights flashed. No siren sounded. The vehicle sat there like a bulky bug waiting to swallow them up. It regurgitated two men in button-down shirts and blue jeans.

“My name’s Michael. I’m an EMT for Fall River County,” said the taller of the two. “Can you tell me what happened?”

Colt spoke first, voice low as he moved away from them. “We think she fell off a horse.”

“You weren’t here?”

“No.”

The EMT moved toward them. Casie set Linette’s hand carefully atop the blanket and scooted back, out of the way. Michael pulled a tiny flashlight from his shirt pocket and shone it in each eye. “How long ago did this happen?”

Colt shifted his gaze to Casie’s. She shook her head, uncertain of everything as she rose to her feet. Her legs felt shaky. “We’re not sure.” Colt spoke again. “We called you as soon as we found her.”

“Was she unconscious?”

“No.”

Michael nodded. “Hi there,” he said, addressing Linette for the first time. “Can you tell me your name?”

She blinked. “Linny Sue,” she said.

“Do you know this gentleman beside me, Linny Sue?” he asked and felt along her arms as he spoke.

“I—” She paused, glanced toward Casie, and scowled. Her eyes filled with tears. “Heidi . . . I’m sorry, honey. I’m so sorry.”

The EMT glanced at Casie. “What’s she talking about?”

Casie gripped her hands together, gaze never leaving Linette. “My name’s not Heidi.”

“Then—”

“Check her legs,” Colt said.

Their gazes met. Linette was weeping softly as Michael lifted the blanket and glanced down. Casie couldn’t see past his body, but she knew the moment he identified the problem.

His body jerked involuntarily, then he settled the blanket back over Linette and rose quickly to his feet. “Let’s get her on the board,” he said.

The other EMT spoke for the first time. “But if there’s spinal damage—”

“On the board,” he snapped. “Now!”

“E
mily! Em!” Casie shouted, and started up the stairs, but suddenly the girl was there, eyes wide, expression worried.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s Linette.” She felt breathless and terrified, but she forced her voice to be steady, her body to move slowly. “I think she’s broken her leg. Colt’s riding in the ambulance with her. I’m driving separate.”

Emily shook her head, taking a second to orient herself. “I’ll go with you.”

“You don’t have to,” Casie argued, but Emily stared at her for a second, then yanked her backpack from the floor.

“I think you’re wrong. Do you want me to drive?”

“You don’t have a license.”

“But I’m not in danger of passing out.” Emily moved toward the door, movements ponderous. “Are you okay?”

“Of course. I’m fine,” Casie said, but her head felt light.

The drive to the hospital took forever.

“Why are they going so slow?” Casie asked. Ahead of them, the ambulance bumped along at what seemed like a ridiculously leisurely pace. She loosened her grip on the steering wheel, trying to ease the ache in her fingers.

Emily leaned back against her seat and exhaled as if enjoying a day at the beach. “They can’t legally exceed the speed limit, but they sometimes modify that rule if they have extraordinary circumstances.”

“Well, I think this qualifies.” Casie glanced sideways, remembering her passenger’s current state. “What about
you?
Are you okay?”

“Better than Linette. Do you know what happened?”

“Not really.” She shook her head and held herself carefully together. “I thought she was taking a lesson from Colt. But I guess I was wrong. We found her on the ground in the arena. Maddy was saddled.”

“How badly is she hurt?”

“I’m not sure,” she said and didn’t mention how the EMT’s face had paled when he’d seen Linette’s leg.

It felt like déjà vu as she parked illegally beside the hospital and jumped out of the truck. In a matter of moments the paramedics were lowering the legs of the stretcher.

Casie wanted to rush to Linette’s side almost as much as she wanted to stay away, but her desires were a moot point. The patient was already surrounded. Hospital personnel buzzed around her like anxious bees.

“You okay?” Colt asked.

Casie turned jerkily toward him, noticing him for the first time since their arrival. “Yeah, sure.” She glanced around, disoriented and jumpy. “Where’s Emily?”

He shook his head, but didn’t shift his gaze from hers. “Maybe you should sit down for a while,” he suggested and took her elbow in one hand. His palm felt large and strong against her arm, but she pulled from his grip and turned a full circle, oddly panicked.

“I’m fine. Where’s Emily?”

“Listen,” he said, and slipping a hand carefully behind her back, guided her inside. “I’ll find her. You’ll have to fill out the paperwork.”

“Miss . . .” He turned to a fortyish woman who was rushing by. Overweight and harried, she came to an abrupt halt, already scowling. Colt smiled. “Where can my friend here sit down to fill out the necessary forms?”

Her scowl deepened. “You’ll have to go to the front desk.”

“There’s been an accident,” he said, gaze steady. “You’re probably used to that sort of thing, but we’re pretty skittish. I’d really appreciate it if you could help us out.”

Casie scowled down the nearest corridor. It was empty but for a pair of young men in scrubs.

The nurse glanced at her. “Around the corner to the right there’s a visiting room,” she said. Her voice had softened grudgingly. “Grab a seat there.”

“You’re why nurses should run the world,” Colt said.

She chuckled quietly. “I’ll send someone with the necessary forms,” she said and shook her head, but when she strode away, her steps were a little jauntier.

Casie scowled after her, anxious and out of sorts. “Don’t feel you have to charm anyone on my account.”

“Not everything’s about you, Head Case,” he said and steered her around a corner. “Sit down.”

“I’m—”

“Listen, you can pass out later if you want to, but right now it’d be kind of nice if you’d remain conscious for Linette.”

“I’m not going to pass out.”

“Excellent. Then sit down,” he said and motioned toward a couch anchored between two chairs. It looked hard and nondescript.

She sat down. Maybe because she’d never heard him sound so angry. Maybe because she was exhausted. And maybe, just maybe, because she was in danger of passing out.

“Thank you,” he said, and giving her one last glance, turned and walked away.

She was found by a barrage of hospital employees in just a matter of minutes. It seemed that everyone in the world asked her the same questions. She answered them as best she could until the tide of staff finally ran out and she was left alone.

Minutes passed slowly. Worry gnawed at her in concert with fatigue.

“. . . just a friend.”

She jolted awake and glanced around, trying to get her bearings as she pushed herself to a sitting position. An older man in a white lab coat smiled at her. He occupied a chair identical to the one upon which Colt sat not fifteen inches from her couch.

“You must be Casie Carmichael,” he said.

“Yes.” Her voice was nothing more than a croak. She cleared her throat, wiped her knuckles across her lips, and wondered if she’d been drooling. Colt was staring at her. He was as wickedly handsome as ever, but his grin was noticeably absent. Fear crept up her spine.

“I’m Dr. Deacon.”

She nodded, still groggy, as she turned back toward the older man. “How’s Linette?”

He sobered a little, but the crow’s-feet remained around his eyes as if he was accustomed to smiling. “She sustained some pretty serious injuries to her right tibia, as I’m sure you know.”

She didn’t take time to tell him she knew nothing. “How serious?”

He tilted his head a little. “Compound fractures such as this one can be somewhat difficult. But Dr. Lucas is an excellent surgeon.”

“Compound . . .” She felt herself blanch. “That’s when the bone . . .” She swallowed but kept her focus directly on the good doctor. “That’s when the bone . . .” She couldn’t finish the sentence.

“It’s when the bone pierces the skin. Yes, I’m afraid that’s the scenario we’re dealing with. But Dr. Lucas is very experienced with that sort of thing, and . . .” He smiled again. “I’m not exactly a first-year resident.”

She nodded. That’s when he reached for her hand, looked into her eyes. “Try not to worry,” he said. His eyes were a silvery blue. “She’s in surgery right now. Be assured we’re doing everything we can for her.”

She nodded again. He squeezed her hand and stood up.

She blinked and watched him walk away. It was no easy task to gather her wits, but she made a game effort as she faced Colt. “You shouldn’t have let me fall asleep.”

He stared at her, expression bland. “I’ll remember the cattle prod next time.”

She scowled and glanced at the doctor’s retreating back.

“Emily’s fine,” he said. “If you’re interested.”

She scowled at him. “Of course I’m interested. Where is she?”

He shrugged. “Probably flirting with an MD. What is it about you Lazy Windmill girls?”

“What are you talking about?”

He opened his mouth, but a woman in a skirt and heels had arrived with another battery of questions.

By the time yet another person finished interrogating her, Colt had left. He returned just as Casie was finishing up and bent to shove a white paper bag into her hand.

She glared at it. “What’s this?”

“Food.”

“I don’t need—”

“I know. You’re too tough to eat.”

“I never said—”

“Just eat the damned thing,” he said, voice peeved.

“Listen,” she began. If anyone had the right to be irritable she was pretty sure she had dibs, but just then a dark-haired nurse stepped into the room. She was young and attractive, her smile effervescent.

Colt glanced up at her.

“She’s at four,” she said, leaning around the corner.

“Thanks, Shelly.”

“You bet,” she said and left.

Casie sat there like a block of salt, paper sack on her lap. “Got a hot date in room number four?” she asked.

“Just eat your sandwich,” he said.

“How come you’re not hustling out of here? Are you waiting for someone to get discharged so you have a free room?”

“I spent good money on that meal.”

“Your hot date’s not in labor or something is . . .” she began, but in that second the truth struck her like a blow. “Who’s at four?” she asked.

“When was the last time you ate?” he asked, but she jolted to her feet. The paper bag tumbled to the floor.

“Is Emily in labor?”

He gritted his teeth at her. “Damn it, will you eat—”

“You son of a bitch!” Rage trembled through her, though she didn’t really know why. “Em’s in labor, and you didn’t even tell me?”

“What good do you think you’re going to do her if you’re passed out on the floor?”

“Where is she?”

“I’m not going to tell you until—” he began, but she caught his shirtfront in both fists and pulled herself up to him.

“Where is she?” she growled.

His brows rose a little. “You are turning into one scary chick, Head Case.”

“Tell me—” she began, but he spoke before she finished the threat.

“Room two seventy-four,” he said. “But she told me not to bother you.”

“Not to . . .” she began, then snorted and jerked down the hall.

The hospital was like a rabbit warren, but she finally found her way. It took her a while to get permission to visit Emily, who was lying in bed, looking out the window.

“Emily,” she said, slowing her pace as she entered the room. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Hey, Case,” she said. Her eyes were dilated, her tone a little groggy. “What’s going on?”

“What’s going on?” She forced a laugh. “Well, apparently, you’re having a baby.”

“Oh, yeah. It’ll be over pretty soon, I guess, though. Then I can get back to getting things done. I’m thinking maybe I can sell my rhubapple jam on the Internet. You know, get a bigger market for it.”

Casie settled herself on the edge of the girl’s mattress. “I don’t think now’s the time to think about jam.”

“How’s it going?” A woman in turquoise scrubs stepped into the room.

“Fine,” Emily said. Her eyes were dull. “When do you think I’ll be done?”

“Everything’s going according to schedule,” she said, and glancing at the monitors, wrote something on her clipboard.

“Well, the sooner the better,” Emily said. “I got miles to go, if you know what I mean.”

The nurse gave Casie a dubious glance, then ducked back out of the room.

“Em,” Casie said and reached for the hand that was not plugged into the overhead bag of fluids. “Are you okay?”

She shrugged. “Well, I’m higher than a kite. I mean, I figure, why not go the pain-free route? But the docs say I’m fine. I should be home the day after tomorrow. Don’t feel like you have to wait around.”

“Of course I’m waiting around,” Casie said. “But you’re not still thinking of giving up—”

“Did I tell you? They found a family for it,” Emily said. “Isn’t that great? An endodontist and his wife. She’s a gardener. Has a greenhouse where she grows orchids and stuff. Can you imagine growing orchids? I can barely get the carrots to grow. And she does charity work. Volunteers at the food shelves. She wears those shoes with the funny name. Berkenshoes or . . . What are they called?”

“Emily . . .”

“Birkenstocks,” she said. “Ugly things, but they probably cost more than my hospital stay. The kid’ll be spoiled rotten. Like one of those mean girls in school that I always hated.”

“Emily, I think you need to—”

“Hi,” someone said.

They glanced up in unison.

“My name’s Linda. I’ll be taking over for Sue. I’m told you’re just about ready.”

“I
am
ready,” Emily said. Her face was flushed. “Let’s roll.”

“Well, let me take a look,” Linda said, and snapping on a pair of gloves, pushed up the blanket that covered the lower half of Emily’s body. “Great,” she said, replacing the sheet. “You’re almost there. I’m going to call the doctor and then we’ll get down to business.”

“Sounds like a plan, man,” Emily said and turned back toward Casie. “You should get something to eat. You look kind of pale.”

“Are you okay?” Casie asked again.

“Never been better.”

“I really think you need to give this more thought, Em. You’re under a lot of stress right now, and this is a huge decision. Maybe—”

“So, Emily . . . it’s that time,” said a man who entered the room briskly. “Hi.” He glanced up from his clipboard. “You must be Casie. I’ve heard a lot about you. Emily and the baby are going to be living with you at the ranch, isn’t that—”

“There’s been a change in plans, doc,” Emily said. “I’m giving the kid up for adoption.”

“What?” He scowled and glanced at Emily. “Are you sure about this?”

“Absolutely. I mean . . . I’m just a kid myself, right?” She paused and smiled, though there was sweat on her brow. “I gotta live my life before I can be tied down with that kind of responsibility.”

“Well, maybe now’s not the time to decide something of that importance,” the doctor said.

“I’m giving it up,” Emily said. “And it’s going to have a perfect life. Two parents. No money troubles. A private school.”

“Those things don’t make—” Casie began, but Emily interrupted her.

“The decision’s been made.” She gritted her teeth. “Now let’s get this show on the road.”

 

Even with an epidural it was a difficult birth, but finally the baby crowned. Casie cut the cord as a doctor drew the infant into the world. Wrinkled and purple and as loud as a cyclone, she arrived with a gargled wail.