“Oh, smurf me, papa, smurf me hard!” Maddie moaned. It was a little louder than appropriate, but then, it was Maddie. She always prized comedic affect over propriety. And of course they all cracked up.
“Why are we talking about smurfs?” Charlie asked.
“Um, weren’t you just talking about getting double teamed by the guys on Vampire Diaries? I think any topic is fair game,” Paige pointed out.
“Fantasy sex with hot actors. Totally relevant. Blue cartoon characters that wear white no matter the season, not so much. Besides Smurfette ain’t gettin’ any, those smurfs aren’t interested in her. I mean please, the footed tights with a hole cut out for the tail and no shirt…gay!”
It was just like Charlie to protest the topic and then add her two cents.
“The smurfs are not gay! Maybe that one that carries the mirror around all of the time, but that’s it,” Katrine argued.
Charlie took out her phone and pressed a button. “Let me ask an expert…Hey, Tris. We need your gex-pertise about something. Smurfs, gay or straight? Uh huh, uh uh. Okay, thanks. Love you!” She put her phone down on the table. They were all looking at her like she had the answer to end world hunger. “Totally gay.” The smurf sexuality debate continued for about thirty more minutes. Who knew it was such a polarizing topic.
“Do you think vampires wear boxers or briefs?” Jane wondered. And the random thoughts portion of the night continued until they had drained five bottles of wine.
As to the question boxers or briefs, the consensus was commando…
Running in spring when the weather was mild and the trees were heavy with blossoms was definitely on her smile list. What a perfect way to end a great weekend. The night out with her girls and then a tipsy booty call to Ian. But was it a booty call if it was to her boyfriend? She didn’t think Ian cared what she called it as long as she called. He’d been out having beers with some friends, so he was more than willing to come over to her house. He’d kept her up most of the night, so this run was helping the wine head and the exhaustion that had been creeping in all morning.
Sweat started to bead on her lower back and her thighs were burning a bit. Despite that fact she still had gas in the tank well into her sixth mile. “Now” by Paramore was next on her playlist and when it started, Katrine quickened her pace and turned the corner on her way to the park. At the end of a residential area lined with trees there was a four-way stop. She paused, looking for cars. As she started to cross the road, the music stopped. Slowing down, she glanced at her arm band and noticed there was no charge.
“Shit.”
Katrine passed the median. She was still stabbing at her iPod when the music started abruptly, so when the red Beetle blew through the stop sign, she didn’t see or hear it coming…
Chapter 19
“Miss…miss. Can you hear me?”
Katrine felt a jostling of her limbs and something hard under her back. She also heard a muffled voice, it sounded very far away.
Are they talking to me? Why won’t my arms move?
Katrine tried to hang onto the voice and open her eyes. She wanted to respond, but no sound came out of her mouth, she wasn’t even sure if her lips had separated. Deciding it was just easier to let the darkness take her, she relaxed back into her own mind.
She was being pushed down a long hallway. Every few feet there would be a light and then a circular mirror above her. She caught sporadic glimpses of herself, but it wasn’t someone she recognized. No longer able to keep her eyes open, she was out once again.
“It’s a miracle she didn’t sustain more severe injuries. We’ll keep her under observation for a few days.”
“I want to see her test results and I want an update every hour on her progress.”
Katrine knew that voice.What was he doing here? And where was here? Finally she was able to pry her eyelids apart. All she saw was beige. She heard beeping and the voices beside her.
“I don’t want her released until her scans are clear for 48 hours at least.”
“We’re taking good care of her, Dr. Foster.”
Dr. Foster? Oh crap.
When she opened her eyes, she became aware of two things. One, her ex standing by her bed, and two, every inch of her body was throbbing. She was in a hospital and now it all came rushing back.
Stupid. She knew better than to mess with her iPod when crossing a street. That was a rookie move. Always be aware of your surroundings.
“Hey, you’re awake,” David said gently. It was the voice he used when they were married and it was more than a little weird.
I must be really effed up.
Katrine started to check for the full body cast she must be in to elicit David’s sweet voice.
He came over to her and grabbed her hand.
Even weirder.
“How do you feel?”
“Like I got hit by a car.”
“She’s cracking jokes so she must be doing good.” He smiled.
There was a short woman in a white coat standing next to him.
“Hello, Katrine. I’m Dr. Suárez,. I was the attending in the ER when you were brought in.” She had a kind smile and dark hair pulled into a tight bun.
“How long have I been here?”
“You were admitted about four hours ago. You were hit by a car. Do you remember anything?” she asked as she shined a pen light into Katrine’s eyes.
God, give a girl a heads up before you blind her ass!
“Not really, I remember I was out for a run. I was messing with my iPod and then I guess I ran out into the street or something.”
“Trine, the car ran a stop sign,” David said. She wanted to tell him not to call her that, but she let it slide. He was obviously worried about her.
“How did I get here? I guess a better question is where is here and how did you know?”
“The girl that hit you called 911. They brought you to Trinity.”
“But how did you know I was here? I didn’t have any I.D or a phone.” Her head was starting to pound and the right side of her body felt like it had a pulse. She just wanted to sleep and talking was exhausting her.
“Gary was in the ER for an ortho consult when you were brought in. Thankfully he recognized you and called me.” Thank God for Gary. He had been a colleague of David’s for over a decade and knew her well. Not to mention this was David’s hospital.
“Teddy—where is he? Is he okay?”
“He’s out in the waiting area and so is Maddie.” Katrine relaxed back into her pillow. “Can I see them?”
Dr. Suárez seemed satisfied with whatever her spotlight examination told her and nodded. “They can come on for a few minutes, but I’m sure you want to rest.” Katrine nodded and attempted to move her hand without yanking out the I.V. It felt like a shank in her arm.
“Am I okay?” she asked, her voice tentative. David bent down and brushed her cheek. Again weird, but comforting. “You have a mild concussion and a severe contusion on your right thigh and upper arm. That was the area of impact. They were able to use surgical glue instead of stitches for the laceration on your face, so the scarring should be minimal. It’s a miracle your injuries weren’t more severe, but God looks out for his angels.”
Whoa whoa whoa, now I’m an angel? I must be dying…
She used every ounce of strength she had to keep her eyes from rolling, but damn she wanted to.
Just leave and let me see my real family!
Okay, that’s not nice. Head injuries must make me cranky.
“Your first CT scan showed no swelling of the brain tissue. That’s what we’re most concerned with at this point. We want to keep you here for a few days under observation. I’m going to keep you on a saline drip for 24 hours to make sure you stay hydrated.” She smiled and put the pen light back into her coat pocket.
“Can you send in Teddy and Maddie, please? I need to sleep, but I want to see them first.” They nodded and left the room. Several moments later the door opened and th
ey came in.
Unshed tears hung in Maddie’s eyes and Teddy didn’t look much better. Katrine put her arm out and Teddy was by her side in an instant.
“Hey, my sweet boy, I’m okay, don’t you worry.”
“Momma, your face,” he said before breaking down. The minute she felt his tears hit her skin, her own spilled over.
“Shhh, baby, shhhh. I’m gonna be just fine. Your dad said everything looks good. I’m just a little banged up is all, okay?”
He nodded and took in a large shaky breath. Maddie’s tears were silent, but plentiful. Katrine swung her other hand awkwardly in the air, summoning Maddie over to her side. Her sister and son draped themselves over her and cried.
“Guys, I’m fine, really. Cross my heart. I’m just tired and sore, that’s all.” Sore was putting it mildly, but she wanted to downplay it for their benefit.
“We were so scared, Trine. We don’t work without you.” Maddie sobbed into Katrine’s hospital gown and Teddy squeezed her hand.
“I’m so sorry I scared you guys. I was careless and wasn’t paying attention. It’s my fault.”
“The person who hit you, was a sixteen year old girl. She ran a stop sign because she was sending a text. You were on a crosswalk at a four-way stop, Katrine. It wasn’t your fault! Shawn said we should sue!” Maddie cried. Katrine absorbed that information, but knew that if she’d been paying attention, this could have been avoided. But coulda, shoulda never got anyone anywhere, ever.
“Did you call Ian?”
“Yes, he’s worried sick, like everyone. He’s out in the waiting room with Shawn. Everyone wanted to come up tonight, but I told them to wait until tomorrow.”
“Oh god, I have work and school.” Katrine was starting to get agitated. Her pulse rate increased and she started pulling at the tape on her wrist. She saw a worried look come across Teddy’s face, she stopped and tried to calm her breath.
“Sorry, Teddy, I’m just a little upset about being in here,” she said, cupping his cheek.
“Momma, it’s okay, we’ll take care of you. Won’t we, Aunt Maddie?”
“You bet. I’ve already called Hayden and Anita, so work and school are covered. They wanted to come up, too. You have a lot of people who love you, ya know that?” Katrine nodded and a tear escaped her eye. “Now we’re gonna go and let you get some rest.”
They both kissed her and started for the door. “Mads, will you send Ian in? I want to see him.”
She tried to straighten her gown, but it was as pointless as trying to make a white velour jumpsuit flattering. She touched her hair and cringed. It was caked with all kinds of things.
Oh well, if I can’t look like hell after getting hit by a car…
Ian approached the bed quickly and kissed her head. He had tears in his eyes. “Hey, Katie-Mac.”
“Not you, too? Please don’t cry. I hate that I’m making everyone so upset.”
“You got hit by a car, Katrine. I’ve never been so scared in my life.” Her throat closed up, but she blinked away the tears.
“I think the trauma of it all is starting to take its toll. I can’t seem to keep my peepers dry.” Her smile was weak, but it made him grin.
“I’m so glad you’re all right. You’re tough for a shrimp.” That made her laugh.
“I know. People always underestimate the shrimps.”
He kissed her softly and she wished he could climb in bed with her. They always do that in books, but really, with all of the wires and the IV, there was no way.
“Oh, Ian, if my breath smells even half as bad as I think it does, you might be taking your life into your own hands.”
“Well, it does smell like you ate road kill.”
“Eating road kill, being road kill. The results are the same.”
“I love you and I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“Love you.”
The night shift nurse came in and wrote Gwen up on a dry erase board. A short silver bob framed round cheeks.
“I’ll be taking care of you tonight. Can I get you anything?”
“How about a glass of wine and a cheese burger?”
“I’ll see what I can do, but don’t hold your breath.” She patted her hand and smiled, displaying a row of perfect white teeth. Katrine liked her smile; it was comforting. Some nurses were Ratchets and some were Nightingales. Lucky for Katrine, Gwen was definitely the latter.
“Didn’t your momma ever tell you to look both ways before you cross the street?” Gwen said as she checked the bag hanging from the IV pole.
“Yes, ma’am, but I’ve always been rebellious.”
Gwen winked at her and said she would be back later. “You press that button if you need anything, sugar.”
“Thank you. I think I’m just going to pass out for a while.”
“You do that. They’ll be in bright and early to take you down for your CT scan.”
“Another one? How early is early?” she asked, feeling exhaustion seeping into her bones.
“Don’t worry. Just get some rest. I’ll help you wash your hair before you go.”
As soon as Gwen left her room, maybe even before, Katrine was out.
Katrine was eating her breakfast when the barrage of visitors started to arrive. Tristan was the first. And when he saw her in the hospital bed he had the same reaction as everyone else had up to this point, tears and gratitude that she was okay.
“Don’t you ever do that to me again. If anything had happened to you, I just don’t know…”
“Please don’t cry, handsome. I’m okay.” She was determined to act as cheerful as she could. Pain she could deal with, but tears from the people she loved most, not so much.
“Soooo, did you bring me a treat?”
“How did you know?” he said, wiping his eyes.
“I just know you,” she smiled and looked at the messenger bag he had across his torso. He reached in and pulled out her e-reader and a chocolate croissant from her favorite French bakery. She beamed and clapped her hands together.
“You are my hero. I could just kiss you!” He bent down and did it for her. “I love you, Tristan.”
“Me too, gorgeous.”
About an hour later the room was full. She was surrounded by her crew and they had all cried and gently hugged her. She knew she was loved, but sometimes it took a traumatic event to remind everyone how much they meant to each other.
“Isn’t there a visitor limit in this joint?” Katrine teased.
“Apparently your ex is good for something, because I think you can pretty much do whatever the hell you want,” Charlie snipped. They stayed for most of the morning, but when Katrine was being examined for the umpteenth time, they dispersed, giving her a chance for a much needed snooze.
After class, Mila and Hayden came by. It was funny how they had come to mean so much to each other in such a short time. But Katrine had always had that effect on people. Maddie used to tease her about it. “Nobody else got free Christmas cookies from the lunch ladies, Katrine. And when you twisted your ankle on the playground, the janitor carried you the entire way to the nurse’s office.” She just wanted everyone to know kindness and she always stood up for the under dog. Some made the mistake to interpret her kindness as weakness. Those individuals learned the hard way that if you messed with the people she cared about, her hugs could turn into a verbal bitch slap.
Anita and Darren came on their lunch break, which Katrine really appreciated.
“Aw, thanks for coming, guys. You didn’t have to do that.”
“Of course we did, you’re our third amigo. Besides, everyone is so worried about you. We just had to see you in person. They’ll expect an update. Jaimie tried to come, but I told her you could only have two visitors at a time.” Anita winked.
“Thank you. Getting hit by a car was bad enough!”
“So how are you? What happened and when do you get out?” Darren asked.
“I was out running and wasn’t paying attention; at the same tim
e a teenage girl was running a stop sign. She was only going 20 miles per hour, so it could have been worse. I only have a mild concussion. I’m swollen and bruised, but I’ll live. I should get out in a day or two, if my scans are clear.” She gave them the short and sweet version. She had told the story too many times already. They had to get back to work and Katrine thanked them for the beautiful flowers they’d given her. In fact, her room was covered in various floral arrangements. When at last her room was empty, she was grateful. Her head was pounding and she needed another nap.
She snuggled into her pillow and pulled up her favorite blanket Maddie had brought the night before. Just as she was falling asleep, the day shift nurse came in to check her vitals. Thankfully, they’d taken out her IV that morning. She was able to take a shower and put on a tank top and pajama pants. One minute she felt like she could go home, but then she would get a dizzy spell and have to lay down. Her walk was labored as well and it took her twice as long to get to the bathroom. But all things considered, she was doing pretty well.
After a much needed snooze, Maddie and Teddy came back to visit. “Katrine, you better call Mom and Dad. They’re about to book a flight, and unless you want Mom descending upon Dallas like the plague, they need to hear your voice,” Maddie said.
“Phone, please.” She held out her hand. Katrine loved her parents, but the last thing she needed was her mom making a fuss, in person.
“Mom.” She held the phone away from her ear. Her mom was a little high pitched. That might have been an understatement. She could have been communicating with dolphins right now.
“Mom, Mom, calm down. I’m okay. Hi, Dad, yes, Dad, I’m okay. I’m fine.” Maddie laughed, knowing both of their parents were talking over each other on different phones, from different sides of the house.
“Please don’t worry. No…no need to come out here. I have tons of help. My scans have been clear. Yes…mild concussion. You spoke to David? Yes, he is a doctor. He did? Okay…okay.” This one word dialogue went on for thirty minutes. Maddie just rolled her eyes every few minutes.
Resilient (Rebound Book 2) Page 16