by Susan Sands
Seth needed to check in with Cheryl and make sure there hadn’t been any urgent calls since he’d been gone the past couple of hours. Not a lot happened around here on a normal day besides the occasional skirmish between neighbors and fairly regular calls about unruly teens driving too fast or drinking in the woods around a bonfire. And lots of paperwork. But Seth wasn’t one to eschew his duties, so he agreed to move along for the moment.
“I’ll be right outside if you need me,” Seth assured Bailey.
“Bye, baby. I’ll be in the waiting room with Seth.” Aames blew her a kiss.
By the time they reached the waiting area in the front of the hospital, a small crowd had gathered. His momma was there looking rightly worried, as much for Seth and Aames as for Bailey most likely.
Bailey’s boss, Mr. Stone, and Alexis were in chairs, both busy on their phones, as they multitasked while they waited for news. Mrs. Wiggins, surprisingly sat, swinging her legs, feet not quite touching the floor. Ben and Sabine Laroux seemed to be working the room.
They all looked up at Seth and Aames’s arrival, questions in their gazes. Aames smiled and waved to everyone but deferred to Seth. “Bailey’s okay. Pretty banged up from her fall. She’s had an X-ray on her shoulder to determine if there’s a fracture. No word yet on that.”
Seth felt, rather than heard a collective sigh of relief.
“So glad to hear that she’ll be okay. I feel somewhat responsible. I heard the whole thing through her mic before it went dead. I must have startled her or something because as soon as I called her name, she fell,” Mr. Stone said.
Seth felt a strong urge to punch the graying man in his faux-fur collared jacket and bright yellow sweater. He wore white boots and tight jeans. “Yes. She told me about the cat,” Seth said. That’s all he intended to say. The man could think of it what he liked.
He appeared slightly chagrined. “Yes, well, that damned cat nearly ruined our kissing scene by the Christmas tree, but we went with it.”
Ben Laroux approached Seth. “Thanks for taking things on while I was away, man. I owe you big-time.” He stuck out a hand and kind of pulled Seth in for a bro hug and slapped Seth on the back. “We’re thinking about Bailey, man.”
“Great to have you back.” Seth and Ben worked closely together on an almost-daily basis. They collaborated on ideas and problem-solved when issues arose. His being away had put more responsibility on Seth’s shoulders, but not anything that he couldn’t handle.
His wife Sabine was a lovely person, and also the town’s clinical therapist. She spoke to him, “If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know. I haven’t met Bailey yet, but knowing your history, and Aames, I feel like I do.”
Sabine walked over to Aames and Joella and hugged them both. Sabine wasn’t from Ministry, but she’d earned her place here. It wasn’t often someone from the outside came and fit in with the locals like she had. People loved Sabine, same as they loved Ben. They were as genuine as they were popular.
“Aames, Joella, Seth, we’ve got Bailey’s results. Y’all want to come into the conference room?” Nick indicated they should precede him down the hallway and into a small room with a few chairs. “Seth and Joella, Bailey gave permission for you to be included as a support for Aames.”
That was kind of her. Normally only the closest of kin would be included.
“Bailey’s got a hairline fracture on her clavicle, or her collarbone.” He pointed to the spot on his jacket. “But she dislocated her shoulder, which is why she was in more pain than expected. We’ve reset her shoulder and put her in a sling for the collarbone. She should rest and be careful for the next couple weeks to let the tendons and muscles heal. No running races for sure. She might need help dressing, washing her hair, things like that.”
“So, no surgery?” Aames asked.
Nick shook his head. “No. She should be fine if she follows doctor’s orders and doesn’t overdo it. I’m going to give her something for pain, some antibiotic cream, and a muscle relaxer. We’ve cleaned up her scrapes, but she’s pretty bruised on her right hip, so be aware of that area.”
“How long until she can fly and go back to work?” Seth asked, because he had to know. He might not survive her leaving this time. But he still had to know so his heart could plan to break all over again. But not for two more weeks at least.
“After two weeks, she should be able to do what she feels capable of, but I’d give it a full two weeks before going back to normal activity,” he said.
“Can she use a laptop?” Seth asked, a seed of inspiration entering his mind.
“As long as she’s comfortable doing so. Sitting back with her feet up with the device on her legs might work. I don’t want her at a desk hunched over. If she can type with her arm close to her body, that should be fine, otherwise, she should keep the sling on.”
Aames frowned at Seth. “What are you thinking, son?” he asked.
“She’s got two weeks off work, and she’s stuck here in Ministry. I thought maybe she might get inspired to write.”
Aames whistled softly under his breath. “You’d better be careful how you approach her with it. She’s darned sensitive about her writing every time I ask her about it.”
Nick cleared his throat. “I’ll check on Bailey’s discharge paperwork.”
Seth, Joella, and Aames remained in the consult room after Nick excused himself. “She admitted the other night how much she missed writing and that she’s been too busy with work to focus on it,” Seth told Aames.
“Where’s she gonna spend the next two weeks, do you think? If she can’t bathe or dress herself, who’re we gonna get to help her?” Aames asked.
Seth hadn’t really thought about that. “I guess we’d better leave that up to Bailey. Momma offered, and she’s got her friend, Alexis, who’s her roommate.”
*
“I can walk, you know,” Bailey complained as she was wheeled toward the front entrance of the hospital. She hurt all over, despite the generous amount of pain meds they’d given her while she’d been here.
“That’s what everybody says, love.” The orderly was a tall, muscular black man in his fifties. Bailey sighed. No sense in arguing with him. She might need a little boost to get into the car anyway, and he looked strong enough to help.
“Sorry. I know you’re only doing your job,” she apologized.
They’d wrapped her in a warm blanket and told her to keep it since she wasn’t able to put her same clothes back on that she’d come in with. They were torn, bloody, and dirty. Plus, her shoulder needed to be stabilized, which meant she wasn’t able to raise her arms above her head currently.
The front sliding doors swished, and the cold wind hit Bailey in the face, causing her to catch her breath. Seth’s SUV sat in front as her chariot of escape. He was her rescuer once again. “Hey there. I sent your daddy home.”
He gently laid a large, warm jacket over her good shoulder, leaving it hanging off her injured one. “Let’s get you out of here.” His blue eyes held a tenderness Bailey wanted to dive deep into.
Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. “Th-thank you for being here for me.”
“Oh, hey. It’s okay, babe. You’re okay. Of course I was here. Where else would I be?” he asked, then went around to the driver’s side of his vehicle.
The orderly helped to gently guide her toward the passenger’s side. “Okay, let’s take a big step up, now. I’ve got you on this side. Don’t try to grab onto anything with this arm,” he said. Seth reached from the other side and supported her hand and arm to help pull her into the car while the orderly kind of pushed from the outside. The SUV was equipped with all-terrain tires, so it was pretty high off the ground.
Bailey nearly screeched as they hefted her into the vehicle, but she realized there probably wasn’t any better way. She made a point to thank the orderly for his help. His was likely a pretty thankless job much of the time. When people were sick and in pain, they forgot to b
e courteous.
Bailey was shaking by the time they were moving. “Are you cold?” He cranked up the heat before she said that she wasn’t. “What a day, huh?” he said, sounding worried and uncomfortable.
Bailey hurt head to toe and could only think about how much she wanted a hot bath in the clawfoot tub in her room at Mrs. Wiggins’s place. But she couldn’t manage that alone.
She tried to relax a little to help stop the shaking. “Can you ask Joella to help me when I get home?” Bailey asked, her voice hoarse.
Seth’s jaw was set with obvious worry. “Of course. She told me before she left the hospital to call her if there was anything she could do. Are you sure you want to go back to Mrs. Wiggins’s place? Momma would love to have you at her house and take care of you.”
Bailey shook her head. “I know Daddy wants me to come home, too, but right now I need a hot bath and a hair washing. Alexis and Joella can help me with that. All my things are there, so they can make sure I’m cleaned up and put to bed for the night.” Bailey tried to give him an encouraging smile.
“Do you think the hot water will hurt?” he asked and winced as if thinking about it. She appreciated his empathy.
Bailey pulled up her hand and showed him. “They’ve put some kind of waterproof plastic bandages over the scrapes after they cleaned them. Said I could bathe or shower with them on and they wouldn’t be a problem for a couple days. Tegaderms, I think they called them.” There were large Band-Aid-looking bandages covered by clear plastic.
He nodded. “I’ll call Momma and have her meet us there. Are you up for a veggie pizza? You’ve gotta be starving.”
“Sounds amazing. Have you eaten?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I couldn’t earlier. I was too keyed up. But I have to say that I’m pretty hungry now.”
Chapter Eighteen
Getting her out of the car and up the stairs wasn’t pleasant, but Bailey appreciated the fact that it was a team effort. Between Seth, Joella, and Alexis, they managed to usher her banged-up self inside and into her temporary home. Mrs. Wiggins was on hand to open the doors and murmur her support and kindness.
Bailey was weak and shaky; probably from getting pain meds on an empty stomach. They hadn’t given her anything to eat at the hospital in case she required surgery, which would’ve meant anesthesia, and that definitely worked best on an empty stomach. The nausea hadn’t returned, so there was that.
The pizzas waiting on her kitchen table took top priority to anything else right now, for both Seth and her. Bailey was finally able to relax once she sat down in her own space. Still in pain, but relieved at being back here.
Groaning in pleasure, she bit into the hot, gooey slice using her left hand. Bailey almost forgot about her road rash and broken collarbone due to her pleasure of taste buds overtaking her pain signals. Seth appeared equally appreciative of his loaded meat pizza. Joella knew exactly what they both craved and had, quite literally, delivered.
“Do y’all want some of this?” Bailey asked Alexis, Mrs. W, and Joella.
They all shook their heads, hovering. Mrs. Wiggins spoke up, “Dear, I’ve left some shortbread and fruit for you girls in case you need a snack later tonight.”
God bless the tiny sweet woman. “Thank you.”
Alexis, who was standing next to her, put an arm around Mrs. Wiggins. “You’re so good to us.”
Mrs. Wiggins grinned and blushed. “I like having someone to take care of, what, with my family being out of town,” she said. “And I wanted to apologize that my Scarlett caused a ruckus for the movie people.”
Bailey wanted to laugh or to cry, she wasn’t sure which. But getting angry or frustrated at the elderly woman wouldn’t help. “Scarlett seems to have a mind of her own, that’s for sure. Maybe she could stay up here in our apartment during filming so she can’t scamper out when you open the door,” Bailey suggested. Then she looked over at Alexis, remembering she didn’t love cats.
Alexis nodded. “I can do that.” Her expression was only slightly pained.
“Well, alright. At least I won’t have to worry about her slipping past me or any of the others,” Mrs. W said.
There were others who’d moved in upstairs and their sounds could be heard on the old floors. “How are your new tenants working out?” Bailey asked.
“Mr. Stone is charming. He dresses so dapper and has lovely manners. And that Jem is so tall. They are fine boarders. And they seem to like my shortbread.”
Bailey was relieved. “I’m glad to hear it.” Maureen Laroux seemed to also be enjoying the actors who’d been placed at her home. With the bed-and-breakfast amenities she provided, the talent was spoiled a little more than the rest of the crew, as they were higher on the food chain.
They finished the pizza, and Bailey could tell Seth was almost as exhausted as she was. “Hey, why don’t you go on home? I’ve got reinforcements here.” She put a hand on his arm. His oh-so-muscular arm.
He ran a hand through his hair, something he did when he was tired or stressed. “I hate to leave you.”
“I know, but I need to get into the bathtub. You go. I’ll text you before I go to bed.” She tried to be persuasive.
“If you’re sure you’re okay?” His blue eyes searched hers.
Bailey nodded. “I’m okay.”
He dropped a featherlight kiss on the top of her head; the only place that didn’t seem to have a scrape or injury. But Bailey felt it down to her toes. It wasn’t a painful sensation like all the other ones she’d had over the past several hours. His kiss was part peace and part magic.
*
Mr. Stone had officially relieved Bailey of her duties pertaining to this film. “You’ve done far and away more than your job description to get this one back on track. Put your feet up, and we’ll call or text if we have a question we can’t find the answer to.”
Bailey had tried to protest. This project felt so personal, and it seemed like her future with the studio depended on its success. But that was indulgent and egotistic thinking. She was surrounded by professionals who were excellent at what they did. This film would succeed because of all of them, not one individual. Certainly not her.
Bailey had to let it go. She was injured and needed a couple weeks to heal, as much as Bailey hated the loss of control and the loss of time. The one positive, if there was one she could think of right now, was that Mr. Stone felt partly responsible for her fall and wouldn’t hold it against her for not pulling her weight while she was injured. Bailey’d taken almost no time off since she’d been with Epic, so it’s not as if she had a track record of slacking.
What did one do for two whole weeks without a job to do? Not that she could do much in this shape. Which brought her back to the fact that she could hardly move—because she ached all over. Joella and Alexis seemed to be hovering and waiting to see what her next move might be.
“Um, could somebody help me figure out how to take a bath?” Bailey winced as she stood up from the kitchen chair she’d been perched on since they’d arrived back at the apartment.
“You bet,” Alexis said. “I’ll go and run the water. Bubbles?”
“Yes, please.” Bailey sighed, imagining how awesome that would be. “But how am I gonna wash my hair?” She looked at them both, hoping one would have the magic solution.
“Let’s give it a lick and a promise tonight then we’ll get you over to the salon tomorrow for a good scrubbing,” Joella suggested. “Sound good?”
A lick and a promise was a term Bailey hadn’t heard since she’d been a small child, and her grandmother had said it when she’d referred to doing something hastily or good enough. It brought back a warm emotion just now. All the grandparents were gone now. Momma’s parents had lived far from here and she’d hardly known them. Her grandmother on her daddy’s side had passed when she was twelve, but she’d been a seamstress, and they’d been close.
“I’m not sure what a lick and a promise means, but I’m assuming from context that i
t means we’ll do our best,” Alexis said.
Bailey nodded as best she could. “Yep. And that sounds perfect at the moment, Joella.”
“Then we’d better get to it, sweetie,” Joella said.
They all moved toward the bathroom. Alexis grabbed one of the fluffy white towels off the shelf and turned on the taps as Bailey stood helplessly while Joella began gently undressing her.
“I hope you aren’t too modest, ’cause we’re all about to see you naked,” Joella said, trying to make light of an obviously weird situation. “Here let me help you get that sling off. Seth said to make sure you keep your arm next to your body, so no sudden moves.”
“It’s not every day I take my clothes off in front of someone, but if I have to, I’d rather it be the two of you right now,” Bailey admitted, trying to help Joella as much as she could without moving her arm too much. She tried not to cry out in pain as they maneuvered her out of the sling.
“Aw, girl, that’s some serious road rash you got going on. Yikes, Bailey,” Alexis said when she saw Bailey in the buff. “Gosh, you’re all scrapes and bruises, hon.”
Joella’s face told Bailey all she needed to know. There were tears in her eyes at seeing the shape she was in.
As she carefully stepped into the steaming hot water, aided on both sides by her people, Bailey couldn’t underplay the burning sensation of the heat against her scrapes, despite the fact that the worst ones were covered with the bandages and protected from getting wet. “Owww…that really burns.”
“Water too hot?” Alexis asked, reaching for the taps.
“No. It’s perfect. It hurts on the road rash,” she said, parroting Alexis’s terminology.
Bailey eased down into the bubbles, with equal parts pain and pleasure. After a few seconds, the pain subsided. She sighed. “Thank you both for being here for me.”
“Do you want some privacy?” Joella asked.