Page 58 of Clap Back (Carter Brothers)

But before he could get inside, the technician came back inside with a lead apron and handed it to me.

I threw it on, then reluctantly let go of her hand and stepped back.

Maven dropped her hand and sighed. “I don’t think anything is broken.”

The technician didn’t say anything as she set up the portable X-ray and did her thing.

When she was done, she left with nary a word, leaving a nurse who was cleaning up the cut on her forehead.

“What happened?” Ellodie came into the room more fully.

I quickly explained everything that had happened, starting with the way Maven’s stepmother ran the red light, and ending with everything else.

“You left your cruiser there?” Ellodie giggled.

“Well, no,” I said. “I left it with Garrett.”

“And Garrett got it to the station with the help of a friend,” Garrett said from the entrance. “How’s she doing?”

The doctor came in on the tail end of his question.

“She’s good,” the doctor said as he stalked to the head of her bed with an iPad in his hand. “Laceration is just bluster. No head issues. Neck looks great.”

“Does the lac need stiches?” I asked.

“No,” he said. “Just a little bit of glue. She can be released once we get that taken care of.”

More commotion from the hall had us all turning, and then there was yelling.

“Shit,” Maven said, holding out her hand. “Can you take this off?”

The doctor helped her out of the neck brace and helped her sit up by raising the head of the bed. Then he pulled the curtain closed and said, “I don’t have to give him any information.”

“I don’t want him to know I’m here.” Maven’s lip trembled. “I don’t want him anywhere near me.”

I moved in close.

“You don’t authorize any of your information to be shared?” the doctor asked.

I shook my head and said, “No.”

“No,” Maven agreed. “Nothing with anyone but a Carter.”

My heart skipped a beat.

“Where’s my wife?” I heard the chief bellow.

Maven shrank into herself.

“I’ll go deal with that then,” the doctor said. “I’ll have a nurse come in here soon and get your head fixed up.”

Then he was gone.

I heard more commotion, and Garrett, Ellodie, and I were ping-ponging our gazes between each other when Maven whispered, “I want to get out of here.”

I squeezed her hand. “Let’s get that cut taken care of then we can head out.”

“Where?” she whispered. “I can’t go home.”

---