Page 61 of Battle with a Billionaire

“Hey,” she said, “I thought you liked to warn people.”

“I thought I did on the first one.” He grinned at her before he returned to her chart. “But those were good results. No spinal damage, no paralysis.”

She swallowed hard as her stomach clenched. “Was there some question of that?”

“There’s always a question of that in accidents like yours. You were in very bad shape, Julia.”

She sucked in a breath as she shook her head. “Wow. I guess I was lucky.”

“Very. But you’re a fighter, that’s why. Now, let’s get these tests and see where we’re at, okay?”

“Thank you,” she said as the transport personnel arrived.

She shivered as the cold air brushed past her on the way to radiology. She rubbed her arms, unable to remove the chill. What would the tests show? Would she need more surgery?

She desperately tried to recall anything about the accident, but nothing formed in her mind. The doctor said she’d been in rough shape. How bad?

Before she could contemplate it further, she was whisked into another room.

“We’re going to start with your MRI, then a CT,” the nurse said. “Are you claustrophobic?”

“Ah, I’m not happy about going in there,” Julia answered, “but I’m not going to claw my way out of it.”

The nurse smiled at her as they situated her on the table. “Close your eyes and try to stay as still as possible. We’ll get you out of there as soon as we can.”

She offered a tentative smile as she laid back on the cold table. The nurse left the room and the loud machine whirred to life. Julia bit into her lower lip as she slid into the tube.

She wanted to squeeze her eyes closed, but she was afraid she wouldn’t wake up. Had the doctor said how long she’d been out? Forty-eight hours? Longer?

As she tried to focus on that conversation, the technician told her to remain still. She tried to stop herself from trembling, stiffening her muscles until they hurt.

She squeezed her fingers into fists, holding her breath as the machine whirred around her.

“Doing great, just a few more minutes.”

She swallowed hard, wondering what the results showed. Did the doctor say swelling around her brain? Was there more? Was that what her headache was from?

More questions flooded her mind. What if she needed more surgery?

After longer than she hoped, the table finally slid from the machine. She blew out a long breath as the nurse flitted back into the room to get her to her next test.

“This one’ll be easier. Just going to put a little contrast dye into your IV. It’ll make you feel really warm all over, so don’t panic, okay?”

“Right,” she said as the woman injected something into the line in her arm. They positioned her on the bed in front of the CT machine before the woman disappeared from the room.

Heat washed through her as the dye took effect, making her even more uncomfortable than she already was, but at least this one wasn’t nearly as claustrophobic.

When she finished, exhaustion coursed through her. Her headache had dulled somewhat, but not disappeared. She hoped that was a good sign, and she wouldn’t be in need of any more medical attention.

“So, how did it look?” she asked as the transporter pushed her bed back to her room.

“Dr. Gray should be in to speak with you soon. You’re in good hands. Are you cold?”

“I am,” she answered as she rubbed her arms.

“I’ll get you another blanket.” The woman parked her in the hall, darted into a room, and returned with a warm blanket. She draped it around Julia before they continued to her room.

She really hated being in the hospital. No matter where you went, people stared at you, wondering what happened to you.

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