Page 71 of Give Me a Reason

“I’ll drive the rest of us to the hospital,” he said when Frederick rolled down the window. “We’ll meet you there.”

“Thank you. And, Aiden?” Frederick stopped him before he could turn away. “You’re going to make a great doctor.”

Aiden offered him a small smile and walked over to Bethany’s car, where Katie, Anne, and Tessa waited. Frederick tried to catch Anne’s eyes as they drove away, but she was murmuring something to her distraught sister and dropping kisses on her head.

My Anne. So generous, so strong.

His breath left him on a shaky exhale, and he stared at her through the side mirror until he couldn’t see her anymore.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

The cheerfully decorated waiting room felt anything but as they waited for Bethany’s CT scan results. The sound of Coraline’s muffled sobs broke Anne’s heart, while worry for her baby cousin gnawed at her insides.

She glanced at Frederick, who sat a little apart from their group, his face pale and set. He blamed himself for Bethany’s fall, and she didn’t know how to convince him otherwise. She sighed, feeling helpless and lost.

Everyone rose to their feet when the doctor walked into the room at last. The white coat over her blue scrubs looked a bit rumpled, evidencing a long day, and loose strands of dark hair fell from her low ponytail. Even so, she exuded a calm competence Anne immediately trusted.

Coraline and Joe rushed toward her, and the rest of them crowded around a few steps behind them. Tessa reached for Anne, and she squeezed her little sister’s hand even as her own pulse thudded in her throat.

“How is she?” Coraline asked, her voice husky from tears. Joe rubbed circles on her back.

“Her CT scan shows signs of a moderate concussion, but we believe she’ll make a full recovery in two to three weeks,” the doctor said succinctly but not unkindly.

“Oh, thank God.” Coraline covered her mouth with a trembling hand.

“We need to keep her overnight for observation, but she’ll be discharged in the morning,” the doctor continued. “Once she’s home, make sure she gets plenty of rest. She can ease back into her normal routine gradually. She might have lingering symptoms for as long as four weeks, so she needs to listen to her body and slow down when it tells her to.”

“Thank you so much, Doctor,” Joe said, shaking her hand.

“Of course.” Then the doctor turned to Coraline with a small smile. “I’m sure your sister will be relieved to hear that we were able to repair her scalp laceration without shaving any of her hair. She needs to rest for another hour before we can allow visitors, but you can give her the good news when you see her.”

“I will. Thank you.” Coraline let out a watery laugh. “She’ll be very happy to hear that.”

With a nod at the couple, the doctor left with brisk steps, probably rushing to her next patient. As soon as the door closed behind her, the waiting room exploded with raucous cheers. Luckily, there was no one else in there.

Anne released Tessa from a bear hug, then turned to find Frederick on her other side. She hesitated for the briefest second before she threw her arms around him. With a long sigh, he sank into her embrace. Tears rushed to her eyes when she felt him trembling against her.

“She’s going to be okay,” Anne murmured, running her hand down his back in long, soothing strokes.

Frederick buried his face in her neck, and she pushed onto her tiptoes to hold him tighter. She couldn’t even worry about what her sister or anyone else would think. He needed her. When he finally released her, she took a small step back, her hands lingering on his shoulders.

“Thank you, Anne,” he said in a low rasp. “I was… When I called… Thank you for coming.”

“Of course.”I’ll always come.

Frederick held her eyes for a long moment before looking away, and she wondered if he heard her unspoken words. Suddenly nervous, she wrapped her arms around her midriff and scanned the waiting room. To her relief, no one was paying attention to her and Frederick. Coraline sat next to Joe with Tessa tucked into her other side. Pete, Katie, and Aiden huddled in nearby seats, speaking quietly.

“I should get everyone something warm to drink,” Anne said, her protective instinct kicking in. She wanted to take care of her family and the people she’d come to care so much about. But most of all, she wanted to take care of Frederick.

“I’ll come with you,” he offered automatically.

She looked down at his shaking hands. “I can ask Aiden to come with me.”

Frederick shoved his hands inside his pockets, scuffing his feet on the carpet, but he nodded after a moment.

“What would you like to drink?” She laid a gentle hand on his arm.

“Coffee.” His eyes darted to her hand, then back to her face. “No cream—”

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