Page 21 of Timeless Pages
“The doctor will be here in fifteen minutes,” Evan reported when he returned. “What are we talking about?”
He sat on the foot of the bed facing us, his worried eyes never leaving Isa. I was concerned, too. While her breathing had calmed when I lay beside her, it still sounded labored. There were only small spots of blood soaking through the shirt we had put on her, which meant they had stopped bleeding, but her face… fuck, he did a number on her face. It didn’t look likeMorris had broken any bones, but we wouldn't know for sure until the doctor examined her.
“We were talking about whether we needed to have a conversation about our relationship with Isa,” Dom told him.
“If there is a relationship with Isa,” Evan replied. “We still don’t know how she feels about it. Though the fact that she held on and stayed conscious until we got there says plenty.”
“I don’t plan on giving her a choice,” I said.
“You know that’s not how to handle this,” Evan groaned. “The last thing she needs is another man telling her what to do. She has to want us, too.”
“I’m not going to force myself on her, asshole,” I replied, kicking him. “But I’m also not going anywhere. I’m in this, and I’ll make that known.”
The intercom by the elevator buzzed, and Evan went to answer it. “That’s the doc,” he said as he left the room.
Minutes later, Doctor Smith entered the room, carrying a black medical bag and pulling a tank of oxygen behind him. “Ok, move along. Give me room to work on the poor girl,” he ordered.
Reluctantly, Dom and I got off the bed, and immediately, Isa began to breathe heavier again. “She gets agitated if I’m not touching her,” I told him.
“Then you can come back, but leave me room to work,” the doc agreed.
I sat on the bed and took Isa’s hand. “I’m here, Little Bell. So is the doctor. He’s going to take care of you. We can trust him, I promise.” Isa calmed down again, and the doctor started his exam.
He listened to her lungs with his stethoscope. “Can we remove the shirt, please?” A growl sounded in my chest against my will, and he gave me an amused look. “I’m a doctor, son. I’ve seen more lady parts than you’ve dreamed of. I need to see her other wounds. You can get a towel to cover her for modesty.”
Evan darted into my bathroom and brought back a white towel. The doctor politely stepped away and turned his back to us as we carefully removed Isa’s shirt and draped the towel across her breasts. I tucked the ends beneath her body for good measure. He wasn’t getting any sideboob action either, if I could help it.
As far as I was concerned, only three people on this planet were allowed to see them, and the doctor wasn’t one of them. Well, I guess four. Isa was obviously allowed to see them anytime she wanted since they were hers, but if I were being honest, I think it’s only fair that if she’s going to look at them, we should get to look with her. I might be dipping into the unhealthy obsession territory regarding her. Hopefully, she didn’t mind too much because I was quickly finding that I was unbothered by it.
The doc checked and fixed up her cuts. Thankfully, she didn’t need stitches. Her legs and torso seemed to have escaped injury. Morris was primarily focused on her face. As Doctor Smith prodded Isa’s face with his thumbs, she winced in her sleep. He gently opened her mouth, looked inside, and then felt her neck and throat. Finally, he checked her scalp.
“Judging by the egg on her forehead, I would say she likely has a concussion. I didn’t find any broken bones in her face. Her breathing is labored, so I’ll put her on oxygen to help with that. Otherwise, she’s one lucky girl. Most of her injuries will start to heal or be completely healed within the next few days. Apply a cold compress to her face and neck to help reduce swelling. For now, the only thing she can take for the pain is Tylenol. Give her lots of fluids and low stimulation for the concussion. You may also want to get some softer foods. I imagine chewing will be painful for her over the next few days.”
“Is it normal for her to have slept through that exam?” I asked.
“It’s not unusual,” he replied as he placed the nasal cannula for the oxygen in her nostrils and turned the tank on. “She suffered a very traumatic event, and judging by her scars, that wasn’t the first time. Her brain needs time to heal, as does her psyche.”
“Is she in a coma?” Dom asked. “Should we bring her to the hospital?”
“She isn’t in a coma. If she were, she wouldn’t have responded to the pain during my exam or reacted the way she does when you aren’t nearby,” Doctor Smith explained. “She needs to rest, so let her. No strenuous activities, reading, and absolutely no screens. When she wakes, give me a call, and I’ll come back over for a follow-up.”
Doctor Smith turned to leave and then spun back around. “And absolutely no fire near the oxygen tank! If you smoke, go outside.”
“No worries there, Doc. I’ll show you out,” Dom replied.
“I’ll get the cold compresses for her,” Evan said, leaving the room.
I lay back down beside her on my side with my head propped up on my hand so that I could watch her as she rested. The scars covering her arms and torso sickened me. Not because I found them disgusting or Isa less desirable for having them, but from imagining the pain and torment she went through as a child. From what that sick fuck did to her.
It was close to midnight when we finally crawled into bed with her to sleep. Isa hadn’t stirred once, and it was beginning to worry me. If she hadn’t woken by morning, I would be taking her to the emergency room. We had only been asleep a couple of hours when I felt her move. She began to hyperventilate as the panic set in, and she fought against the blankets covering her.
“Isa, Isa, it’s ok. You’re ok!” I said quickly, worried she was going to hurt herself if she didn’t calm down. I switched on the bedside lamp as Evan and Dom woke up and sprang fromthe bed to give her space. “It’s just us. You’re safe, Little Bell. I promise.” Isa’s eyes were wide open and crazed as her eyes darted around the room, searching for the monster in her nightmares.
“He can’t get you here, Beauty,” Dom assured her. Slowly, her breathing evened out, and the sheer terror left her eyes.
“Would you like to go to the bathroom?” Evan asked her.
Isa nodded and winced at the pain the motion gave her. “Yes, please,” she croaked, wincing again.
