Page 81 of Derek

Two hours later, a college game between two schools he’d never heard of had replaced the basketball commentary. He was saved from trying to care about the outcome by the appearance of an official-looking young man holding a clipboard. “Mr. K-Kirk-Kirk…”

“Kiriakis?” Derek supplied hopefully. He’d not heard anyone stumble so much over his name since elementary school, when his first-grade teacher had called him Derek K.

“Yes, sir. If you would come with me, please?”

Derek followed him through double doors into an area of endless curtains that he realized were concealing patients. Monitors beeped and low voices sounded from behind some of the draperies. At the fourth set, the young man came to an abrupt stop and said, “Knock, knock.”

After hearing, “Come in,” the young man pulled open the edge of the curtain to reveal Sonja lying in bed and a woman with a stethoscope listening to her heart. Derek waited to speak until the woman finished. She settled the covers over Sonja. “Hi, I’m Dr. Walters. I’ve been taking care of Sonja.”

“Derek Kiriakis.” He held out his hand, and they shook briefly. “How is she, Dr. Walters?”

“Very lucky, would be my best assessment,” Dr. Walters replied. “She’s got multiple lacerations, but only three required stitches, the one on her back and two on her hand, for a total of eighteen. No nerve or tendon damage. All the other lacerations are minor. Are you going home with her?”

“Yes.”

“Good. She’s going to need help for the next couple of weeks. The dressings need to stay dry and should be changed daily. I’malso giving her some exercises to do with her hand to keep scar tissue from developing.”

“Anything else we need to know?” Derek asked.

“It will all be in the discharge summary they’ll give you at the desk. I’ll get things taken care of, and everything will be waiting when you get there.” Dr. Walters left to take care of her next patient.

Sonja immediately pulled the covers back and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

“Wait just a minute, babygirl. Let me lower the bed. And you need a minute, or you’ll be dizzy when you stand up.” Derek found the control, and the bed went down so Sonja’s feet touched the floor. “Now hold my hand, and you can try to stand up slowly. Are you dizzy?” he asked when she grabbed his arm with her free hand.

“Just a little. I’ll be fine in a minute. I’m so glad to see you.” Her words were not quite slurred but were enough off that Derek wondered how much pain medication they had given her.

“What did they give you for pain, precious?”

“I don’t know, but I feel really good right now.” Sonja leaned into him.

“Okay, let’s get you dressed. Where are your clothes?” Derek steadied her as he looked around.

“In that bag over there. I think the blouse is ruined, but my pants may survive. They gave me something to wear home, I think.” Sonja seemed steadier on her feet, so Derek hunted around until he found a set of scrubs and helped her dress. It only took a few minutes to get her checked out, and they were in his car on the way home.

Derek led Sonja into his home with a firm grasp around her waist. Thanks to the cocktail of meds the doctors had given her, she was not in much pain, but she was floating like she was drunk.

She looked up at Derek. “You know, you’re the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.” Sonja giggled.

He smiled her favorite way, with crinkles around his eyes, and somehow, the green in them looked brighter. “Your head is pretty fuzzy, isn’t it, babygirl?”

Sonja nodded.

“Let me get you to the bathroom, precious.”

She’d rather go to bed, but the bathroom sounded good, too. She smelled of hospital.

“You know, I don’t like hospitals.”

Derek chuckled as he started to walk her to the bathroom. “Don’t think many people do, except for the ones who work there.”

She pondered a moment. “Yeah, you’re right. Molly must like it, or she wouldn’t do it.”

That made sense. If something wasn’t fun, you didn’t do it, right?

A new thought popped into her head, and she patted his arm. “Next time, we need to ask her.”

“Sure, babygirl.”

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