Page 64 of No Bed Of Roses

She lay in a crumpled heap on the road. Near her, Reg was shoving to sit up, looking around frantically for his daughter. Carl and Jim were picking themselves up and heading for Isla.

Levi reached her first.

Blood seeped from her head. Not enough to be a catastrophic head injury, but he knew from experience that it didn’t take much to cause death.

His heart hammered in his ribs, and he knew he was barely breathing, but still, the training kept him going.

Be okay. Be okay. Be okay.

He knelt beside her and reached for her pulse. It beat against his fingers, and he sagged with relief. Her eyelids were closed, and she was angled with her cheek on the ground, and her body twisted.

He ran his hands over her as gently as he could, probing for injuries. Nothing was sticking out where it shouldn’t and he managed to draw in a deep breath.

“Isla? Talk to me, honey.”

No response.

He heard the clamor of voices around him, but he didn’t pay them any attention. His only priority was Isla.

He gently brushed his hand over her head, looking for injuries other than the bleeding gash. He didn’t want to move her until she was conscious.

“Wake up, Isla. Let me see those gorgeous eyes. Wake up, Sprite.”

Isla’s lashes fluttered, and she drew in a sharp breath.

He placed his hands on her to stop her from moving. “Stay still, Isla. Did the car hit you? It’s going to be okay. We’re going to make it okay.”

More eyelash flutters, and a soft moan escaped her lips.

The doctor, Lia Moreno, appeared on the other side of Isla. Her hands followed the same path Levi had taken as she probed for injuries.

Levi had enough training to sum it up for her, but he didn’t take his eyes or hands from Isla. “No obvious broken bones, no immediate signs of internal bleeding. She was unconscious, but she’s waking up now. Aren’t you, Isla? I’m here. Doc Moreno is here as well. We’re not going to move you just yet. Can you talk to us?”

“Levi?”

His name was barely a whisper, but relief flared through him. “I’m here, Isla. You’re going to be okay. Stay still for the doc now.”

“My dad?”

Reg leaned in. Apparently, he’d been kneeling at Levi’s side, but Levi hadn’t even noticed the man. “I’m right here, Isla. I’m here. You saved me.”

Reg’s voice shook like the proverbial leaf. A quick peek showed tears running down the man’s face. “You listen to the doc now, Isla. Let her figure it out.”

Isla’s fingers twitched, and Levi shifted to take her hand in his. As soon as he touched her, she smiled softly.

Lia patted Isla’s shoulder. “Levi has some good training. He’s exactly right in what he’s said. No obvious broken bones or other trauma from what we can see. You’ve got a cut on your temple that’s bleeding and a possible concussion. How does you body feel? What hurts more than the rest? Did the car hit you?”

Isla’s lips twitched. “I don’t think so. It’s kind of like the rollover. Everything hurts, but nothing feels serious. I think I’m fine.”

Lia laughed while Levi snorted. “You went cartwheeling like Simone Biles without a mat to land on.”

Her eyes opened, and she smiled. “I doubt I was that graceful. I think I’m okay. Can I sit up now?”

Lia agreed. “Levi is going to ease you up slowly while I monitor. Tell me if anything hurts worse.”

Levi shifted and lifted Isla gently into a sitting position. She grimaced and drew in a quick breath but didn’t complain. She leaned into him while Lia checked out the head wound and where she’d been lying on the ground.

Lia pulled out some gauze and pressed it against the wound. “I’ll have a better look inside the clinic, but the bleeding has already stopped. You’ve got some scrapes on your hands that we’ll clean up as well and have a better look.”

---