Page 48 of A Whole New Play

14

VALERIE

I hate the smell of hospitals.

Whatever cleaning agent they use burns my nostrils as I breathe in my nose, forcing me to do something my mother had chastised out of me growing up and breathe through my mouth. The air passing over my lips makes them dry. I moisten them with my tongue, wincing when doing so tugs on the cut splitting my bottom lip.

I gently touch the wound with my fingers, feeling the two stitches the doctor told me he’d put there. I haven’t looked in a mirror, but I can feel how swollen the thin skin is. Several scrapes and cuts mar my arms and legs from where the windshield glass shattered and flew into the car. It’s a small miracle that the only injury on my face is the cut on my lip.

The on-call plastic surgeon had dropped by a little while ago. He assured me that as long as I kept the wound clean, the cut shouldn’t leave a noticeable scar. He added something about the benefit of being cut by glass versus an impact laceration before he started talking to Dad about the upcoming Rough Riders season. The doctor had recognized him almost immediately, much to my introverted dad’s unease.

With a sigh, my hand falls back onto the pillow. I close my eyes and try to relax on the rough hospital sheets that cover the stiff mattress under me. It’s been a long night.

For the fiftieth time since the ER nurses and doctors have confirmed I’m relatively unharmed, I chastise myself for being so careless when driving away from Carter’s house.

I couldn’t stop thinking about our kiss and what could’ve happened if Andy hadn’t woken up and interrupted us. Would I have really given into temptation and slept with Carter?

I’d like to think I would’ve snapped out of the lustful daze before actually sleeping with the man I work for… I’d like to think I’m more responsible than that. But who am I kidding?

The moment Carter Jones lifted me in those strong arms and kissed me with those mind-blowing lips, I would’ve gone as far as he let me go. I’m only mildly embarrassed by that fact.

I’m more mortified that I’d let those thoughts distract me while I was driving down Rose Hill’s dark country roads. I didn’t see the deer running across the road until it was too late.

My heart aches for the creature. I only had a second to make a decision when I finally noticed him just a dozen or so feet in front of me. I’d slammed on the brakes but resisted the instinct to swerve the car. I didn’t know what the terrain was like on either side of the road, and crashing into a ditch didn’t seem like a good idea.

But despite my attempt to avoid it, my front bumper hit the poor animal. His antlers shattered my windshield when he landed on the hood. The police officer who responded to my 911 call told me it was no small miracle one of the antlers hadn’t punctured my chest when they broke the windshield—an image that’s sure to give me nightmares for days to come.

It all had happened so fast, but I can still see the deer sliding off the hood and bounding off into the dark trees. I hope he’s okay. I hate to imagine him suffering in the wild.

My car, on the other hand, is far from okay. The front bumper and hood are completely smashed. The windshield is non-existent. I was surprised when the airbags didn’t deploy, but the EMT who evaluated me in the ambulance told me they usually don’t deploy when someone hits a deer. Not unless they’re going really fast.

“The cafeteria is closed, but they have a snack bar down the hall with coffee and tea.” My eyes open. Dad walks through the curtains surrounding my hospital bed. He carries two paper cups that look comically small in his large hands. “I didn’t know which you’d want so I got both.”

“Coffee, please.” Normally, I’d stay away from caffeine this late at night, but I won’t have any problem falling asleep once I get home after I’m discharged.

I’m in a smaller rural hospital on the outskirts of Rose Hill. The staff here has been excellent. I’ve been examined, had tests done, received results, and treated far quicker than I would have in one of Dallas’s crowded hospitals.

Perks of getting into a car accident in a small town, I guess.

Dad hands me the coffee, keeping the tea for himself. He sits down on the pale green vinyl chair positioned at my bedside. “How are you feeling?”

“Good. Just tired.”

He nods. “I passed the doctor in the hall. He said he’d be by soon to complete his discharge evaluation and paperwork and then we should be free to go.”

“Thank goodness.” The nurse already came by and removed the IV that was placed to help replenish fluids and provide medication. Thankfully, my injuries weren’t severe enough to warrant pain medication, but I did get a dose of antibiotics. I’ll continue the treatment through oral administration at home.

I stare down at the brown liquid in the cup, wrapping my hands around the thin material to warm my chilled fingers. When I look back up at Dad, I’m surprised to see an uneasy look on his face.

“Dad?” I tilt my head to the side. “Is something wrong?”

His shoulders rise as he takes a deep breath and then sighs. “I did something you might not be happy about.”

I frown. “What do you mean? What did you do?”

He shifts awkwardly in the too-small chair. “I called Carter.”

“You what?”

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