Page 30 of Down and Dirty

Chapter 13

Patricia was true to her word while updating the nurse on my condition and my previous visit, they’d found a room outside of the ER to hold me in until I could be seen.

The orderlies were helping me transfer to a hospital bed when Brandon strolled in, clipboard in hand. “I saw your name and couldn’t believe it.”

He walked to the bed and took my hand in his, giving a gentle squeeze. “What happened?”

“I passed out and probably hit my head,” I answered.

His look turned serious. “You think you hit your head…again?”

“I was standing when it happened, and when I woke, I was on a gurney.”

He snapped on some latex gloves and leaned over me, gingerly pressing on the back of my head and down to my neck. “No cuts but I suggest we run some more tests. There might be something else going on with you that we’re not aware of. This time, we’re keeping you overnight.”

I shook my head. “You can run the tests, Brandon, but I can’t stay.”

The nurse raised a brow when I used the doctor’s first name, but Brandon didn’t bat an eye. I may have inadvertently just contributed to the hospital water-cooler gossip.

“Faith…”

I rested my palm over his. “You know I hate hospitals.”

His gaze assessed mine before he turned to the nurse. “Susan, give us a minute.”

The nurse walked out, smiling behind Brandon’s back, and shut the door.

“Faith, we really need to watch you. This is the second time, and this time, there wasn’t a fall down a hill to contribute to hitting your head. You just passed out without any external cause. That means there’s something going on and we need to rule out any life threatening complications.”

I knew what was going on. It was the damn spirits showing me things. In those moments afterward, I had no control.

“I know you’re worried.”

“Faith.” Brandon’s voice deepened from a caring friend to a doctor in charge. “You need tests, but I’ll make you a deal so you won’t be alone. Reggie is bringing me dinner, and I’ll have him bring you some too. We’ll hang out with you until your test results are in. After that, if the tests are clear, I will release you… with the stipulation you stay in bed and rest for a few days until we can figure out what is going on with you.”

Bed rest. Was that the best he could do? Bed rest meant being home, but would he even know if I wasn’t lying down? “Okay.”

Nina burst into the room. Her worried look landed on me as she rounded the bed, ignoring Brandon as he stood. She stared down into my eyes. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

“What happened?” she demanded.

Heat climbed my cheeks. “I passed out. You saw me through the window,” I said, raising a brow and gesturing to the doctor. “Nina, I’d like you to meet Dr. Brandon Myer.”

Nina pasted on one of her fake smiles. “You’re the man who took Faith on a date?”

He cleared his throat and clutched the clipboard against his chest. “Yes.”

“Um hmm.” Nina’s gaze raked down him and back up before she turned around, dismissing him, and met my gaze again. “You need me to spring you from this place?”

I met Brandon’s gaze before I answered. “If my tests check out, it would be great if you could give me a lift home.”

Apprehension ate at my gut. I was normally a visitor to the hospital and only in dire circumstances. Never a patient. And in the space of a single week, I’d been admitted twice, and worse, wheeled in both times.

If it were up to me and I’d been walking in, I never would have made it through the front door. I’d had to force myself inside when I’d wanted to visit Mary after her heart attack scare. Mortality had smacked her in the face and triggered her giving me the protection bag.

The spirits make me crazy, especially when they catch on that I can see them. Getting rid of them isn’t easy.

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