Page 94 of Nanny for the Doctor

“I know.” I nod. “And I’ll do everything I can to make sure she’s okay, and the baby.”

The rest of the drive is a blur, and then we’re at the ER entrance. I jump out of the car without a word and run for the doors.

Flashing my ID badge, I get the nurses to let me in, recognizing several but unable to remember their names as terror floods my veins.

It’s swamped as hell in here and the ER is backed up. I have some of the available nurses help me suit up.

I’ve got to find out where she is.

“Mae Marrington? Car accident?” I ask the RN at the nurse’s station, realizing it’s one of my favorites to work with, Laura.

“Hey, umm.” Her sympathetic smile falters as she looks at the charts. “Bed three.”

I take off, running down the hall. When I get to the right bed, I skid to a stop as I see Mae sitting on the dim white sheets, just as pale as all the fabric surrounding her.

“Mae!”

Her eyes shoot to mine as she hears my voice, and then Mae bursts into tears. A bandage is wrapped around her head, there are several smaller ones across her arms, and bruising covers nearly every bit of skin I can see.

I’m at her side in a flash, pulling her into my arms and holding her tight against my chest. I have to convince myself she’s really here.

“I’m here, Mae.” I don’t fight the tears, pressing my lips to the top of her head, which is damp and cold. “I’ve got you, and I’m never letting go. Not for a fucking second.”

She turns to look at me, her eyes so red from crying she looks drugged. “There was this car. He flew up along the side of my car.”

Mae can barely speak through the sobs.

“I-I had to swerve, but th-then there was all this dirt. I flipped—what about the baby?!”

The stark fear in her eyes is like a dagger to my heart, and I squeeze her tight again.

“They did scans. It’s taking forever!”

“Mae!”

Johnny rushes over, coming around on her other side and wrapping her in another hug.

“Johnny!” She cries harder. “Please, Reed—”

Mae looks to me. “Can you check if…”

As the words die in her throat, I nod.

“I’ll track down the scans. Johnny—” our eyes meet “—don’t leave her for a second.”

“Not a chance. Go. Find out what’s going on.”

I have to practically pry myself away from Mae, but I want answers, too. Running down the hall toward radiology, I hunt for any tech in sight.

I’m getting my hands on those scans if it’s the last thing I do.

Chapter33

Mae

The frenzied spin of the world slows, and the frantic pace that infected everything around me when I was brought to the hospital suddenly flips like a light switch.

Now, time drags on like a snail as I sit here in this stupid bed, listening to the incessant beep of the monitor.

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