Page 63 of Free to Fall

“What?”

“My dreams have been changing.”

“Changed how?”

“They start out the same.”

“What’s different?”

“Liam rescues me by throwing all the wheelchairs at the Tiberis before the guns start firing.” The words fall out of my mouth without thinking.

I should have known she’d pick up on that faster than she snatches one of my aunt’s freshly baked brownies when I bring them to her. “Liam? Are you seeing someone?”

My eyes narrow at her deliberate obtuseness. She knows who I’m ‘working’ for. “Liam Payne. Bailey’s father. Late thirties. Gorgeous. Single widower.”

“He’s not a widower,” Alice corrects me.

Confused, I cock my head and argue, “That’s not what’s in Bailey’s chart.”

Now it’s her turn to look dumbfounded. “It’s not?” She wheels over to her computer and pulls it up. Exasperated, she flips her screen around to show me. “Laura, it’s right here. Father—single.”

I stand up and move toward her terminal. Pulling her mouse away, I scroll down a few pages and point out the area from Dr. Rosenthal’s intake. “Father—widower.”

She frowns. “I’ll put in an interoffice request to get that rectified. Bailey’s parents were never married.”

Even as Alice types, my skin does that tingling thing the same way it does when we touch. I didn’t want to acknowledge it, assuming he had just lost his wife in the same accident that had caused Bailey’s injuries. Then I scold myself. So what, Laura? They may have been engaged. Or what if he just abhors the idea of marriage? She still may have been the love of his life? Just because you have some chemical reaction to a man doesn’t mean he reciprocates it.

When she turns back to me, she asks me what else has changed about my dream finally ending up with the questions I know she’s bound to ask. Do I remember anything new from that night and do I want to return to work yet?

This time, my answers are different, which also surprises her—no and not yet.

Maybe Bailey isn’t the only one healing as a result of our time together.

Chapter

Thirty-Two

“Daddy’s home!” Bailey cheers.

Behind us, the door to the garage opens. For a split second, Liam’s penetrating green eyes bore into mine via the reflection in the microwave before his face morphs into the most tender smile I’ve ever witnessed—that of a father’s love for his daughter. Not uttering a sound, he immediately goes over to Bailey and lifts her from her chair.

I quickly turn back to cooking to offer them privacy. Sliding tray after tray of homemade meatballs into the oven, I mentally calculate the cooking instructions I need to leave with Liam so dinner will be ready by the time father and daughter have had their moment together.

Knowing that Liam will be taking Bailey to see Alice in a family session tomorrow, I want to spend a few moments updating her charts with the additional information I received from her physical therapist today. I shift out of the kitchen to offer the Payne’s privacy as well as to give myself time to do just that.

Pulling out my cell phone, I dial the hospital’s central recordkeeping number and recite my authorization numbers before I rattle off Bailey’s patient ID. “Copy Doctors Rosenthal and Cleary.

“Bailey Payne is a seven-year-old female who, as a result of a being caught in the crossfire at Greenwich Hospital’s ER, is in the final stages of recovering from multiple breaks to both legs as a result of flying debris including a partial ceiling collapse while in chairs during the events of the ER dated”—I give the date—“Patient was at the ER due to a severe ear infection. Additionally, there was shrapnel that embedded itself in the patient’s skin, missing her inferior medial genicular artery and inferior lateral genicular artery respectively. Patient sustained transverse displaced fractures of her left tibia and a transverse unstable open fracture of her right.”

I launch into basic charting. “Patient has undergone one surgery to repair the damage and a second to remove latent bone fragments. Four months after initial injury, patient’s blood pressure is one hundred over sixty. Resting pulse, seventy beats per minute. Temperature is thirty-six point six degrees Celsius when taken at seven fifty-five am.”

Pausing a second to gather my thoughts, I continue, “Patient continues to receive ongoing surveillance at the request of her primary caregiver due to her age and the extent of her injuries. Agreed upon by ortho due to significance of growth plate. Well documented frustration with physical limitations as a result of the injuries sustained, which is not unusual considering previously documented activity level prior to accident.

“Due to recent at home transition where patient lost previous caregiver, a unilateral decision was made by patient’s care team, at the request of this doctor, to scale back the patient’s at home therapy exercises to build a level of trust with Lockwood, Laura F.” I hear a sound behind me. I whirl around to find Liam’s eyes blazing into mine, questioning my last statement.

Smoothly, I continue, “While this may set her back physically at most a week, it was done with her psychological well-being in mind. Regular at home therapy was resumed the following week and is to be reevaluated after appointment with Cleary, Rosenthal, and PT. Recommend scheduling new X-rays after session with Cleary to determine advancement of whether the knitting of patient’s bones permit removable cast and or casts.”

At my last comment, Liam’s dark brows shoot skyward and a hopeful look takes over his face.

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