Page 14 of The Long Game

"We’re almost there, Lex. Just a little longer," he says.

"Stay with me. Open your eyes, baby. Look at me," I beg her.

I just called her baby. Fuck. The worst of it…it felt natural. I’ve never called a girl "baby" in my whole life.

"I’m so tired…" she trails off.

I force her to keep talking. After what feels like hours, we pull up to the entrance of the ER. Luca jumps out of the truck, with a towel in his hand, as I kick the door on my side. He is coming to the other side to grab her out, but I can’t let her go. I pull her body into my arms and he tosses a towel over her, and then helpsguide me as we make our way out of the car. Lexi is more alert now, but her words are slightly slurred.

A nurse comes out with a wheelchair, but I wave the nurse off. She’s staying in my arms until the minute the doctor tells me I can’t hold her — not a second before.

Luca gives me a warning look about dismissing the nurse but I'm already halfway to the ER with Luca and the nurse trying to keep up with me.

"She hit her head on the dock at our lake house," Luca informs the nurse behind me.

"We need to get her on a gurney and secure her neck," the nurse instructs as soon as we get through the automatic sliding glass doors of the Emergency Room.

The nurse attempts to direct me to the gurney waiting against the entry wall. I ignore her again, heading straight towards triage. I bet I know the back of the ER better than she does.

"Tucker," Luca's warning tone tells me that I'm running out of his patients.

But I won’t be stopped, not until I have her in an exam room and there’s a doctor hovering over her.

"She needs help, and she needs it now," is all I can say in response.

The nurse runs to keep up with my urgent long strides as she tries to look at Lexi’s head wound.

"I’m so cold," Lexi whispers against my chest.

Luca hears her. "It’s ok, Lex. We’re going to warm you up soon."

The ER is freezing in comparison to the 97-degree weather outside. Being fresh out of the lake, our wet bathing suits are turning to ice.

The towel Luca laid over us isn't enough to keep her warm, but it's as best as we can manage in her tiny bikini. She begins to shiver in my arms so I pull her chest tight against me to cover herwith my body. Her nipples are hard as they press into my chest but I’m too wound up to appreciate it.

My arms tightened instinctively around her. The sterile hospital with its white walls brings me little relief, but I knew she needs help beyond what I can give her. The thought makes me feel helpless, useless, as medical staff swarms around us like buzzing bees. Their voices echo in my ears but I can barely make out the words over the pounding of my own heart.

Get her help!

Protect her!

I have one priority right now.

They take us straight back to a room. The nurse instructs me to sit her on the exam table. I’m reluctant but Luca is going to step in soon if I keep defying their help.

I gently place her down as the nurse immediately steps in front of me, quickly assessing if Lexi's head injury and her neck.

Another nurse comes in and wraps a warmed blanket around Lexi. It brings me a little more ease to see color coming back to her lips. The doctor walks in soon after.

A charge nurse comes in with a computer on wheels.

"Who’s family here?" she asks.

We both raise our hands.

Luca raises an eyebrow at me and looks over at her. "I’m her brother," he informs her.

"Ok, I need to ask you a few questions to get her in the system."

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