Page 19 of Nowhere to Hide
The door opened and Theo came up behind me. “Okay, let’s get you back to bed.”
I blinked away the tears. “I’m good.”
“You don’t want me to get in trouble with the charge nurse do you?”
I sighed and nodded, letting him take most of my weight as I hobbled back into the room. Exhaustion hit as I sat on the edge of my bed.
“Okay, let’s just ease these up.” He gently lifted my blue socked feet, swinging my legs back into the bed. He tucked the blankets around me then helped me shift my body up on the bed until I collapsed against the pillows.
“I feel like all I’ve done is sleep.”
“Well, you did lose a lot of blood. Your body is still trying to recover and make some more of those red blood cells to make you feel strong again.”
“Don’t sound so logical.”
“You know I’m right.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I sighed.
He straightened the pillow under my head and one under my side. “Try and sleep.”
“You guys don’t let me sleep,” I muttered.
Theo huffed out a laugh. “Once we get you off the ICU you won’t get poked at so much.”
“When do I get out of here?”
“The doctor will be doing their rounds soon.”
My eyes felt heavy. “Will they wake me if I’m asleep?”
“I’ll leave a note.”
“Okay,” I said with a murmured sigh.
The next thing I knew the sun was a helluva lot lower in the window. I rubbed at my eyes until the wall clock came into focus. No way I was conscious when the doctors came around.
My stomach growled and my bladder made itself known again.
I hit the button for the nurse. This one a surly brunette woman who was no-nonsense.
“How are you feeling?” She bustled in with one of the rolling carts.
“I have to use the bathroom.”
She nodded. “All right. Can I take your vitals first?”
“I don’t think so.”
She nodded and adjusted the bed. My thigh burned and pain bloomed.
“Your block is probably wearing off.”
I gritted my teeth. “You don’t say.”
“Can you sit up? Or would you like the bedpan?”
I moved my leg and I cried out. The throb and tear of what had to be the staples had me hissing out a breath. Tears pricked and the room swam.
