“Honey, you’re going to be all right. You were in an accident. Do you remember anything about it?”
He shook his head slowly and then winced from the pain.
“Don’t move your head. Just rest. The doctor will be here and hopefully he’ll explain things to you. To us.” She smiled a sympathetic smile, wishing the last forty-eight hours were something she could wake up from, too.
He closed his eyes and gripped her hand. The doctor knocked a few times on the door before entering. He was of ancient age and wore his glasses at the end of his nose. The chart he carried held his interest.
“Dr. Masterson, I see you had a nasty collision with a windshield.” He smiled a fatherly smile at Elise.
Darren opened his eyes. “What about my head? It’s killing me.” His voice was weak and still scratchy.
“You’ll have one hell of a headache for a day or so, but I’m pretty certain you’ll live. We’ll just take a CAT scan to make sure your brain didn’t fall out in the accident.” He chuckled and scribbled something down before hanging the clipboard at the end of the bed.
“My leg?”
“Your leg is broken, sir. It was set while you slept. Five weeks, and we bust the cast open like a piñata. I hope the candy doesn’t go bad between then and now.”
Where did they get this guy? Clown Doctor University? He knocked on his cast a few times to hear the echo. With a shake of Elise’s hand, he was gone. She looked at Darren and laughed.
“We need to invite him to the next fund-raiser and ask him to take the microphone.”
There was a knock on the door. Elise sobered up from her hilarity, hoping it wasn’t him and he hadn’t just heard her comment. She stretched back to see who it was. It was Stacy and those noisy heels of hers. She’d probably never left the hospital.
“I hear we have a coherent doctor again.” The rays from her smile were brighter than the ones filtering inside the room.
Stacy’s eyes seemed to be glued to Darren. She stood at the foot of the bed and wiggled his foot. Elise assumed she had to touch him somewhere. Toes were probably not the top choice of those places.
“I have a terrible hangover. What kind of drinks did you serve at that party, anyway?” He grinned at her. A language they shared, evidently.
“I told you the punch was spiked, but you insisted on drinking it.”
Elise suddenly became the third wheel in the small one-windowed room. Number three was never her taste. “I’m going to go steal some coffee, Darren. It will give you two a chance to talk.”
Bitterness came as a very early taste that morning on Elise’s tongue. Why was Stacy so interested in Darren’s health status? Barney Fife, the guard on duty last night, only made stops before going on shifts. Couldn’t Cindy Crawford do the same?
Elise meandered down the hall, hating the fact that Darren was alone with that she-devil. And more than that, she was disgusted with herself for hating it. After all, wasn’t she wearing a shirt from the boudoir where she’d made love to another man? Who was she kidding? She was a harlot and a slut. Someone who didn’t deserve the company of Darren Masterson. Still, she was deeply concerned for his welfare and felt she did still rate as the hand-holder in this messed-up situation.
Elise carried her hot coffee back to his room, hoping she had given enough time to make it seem she wasn’t in the least bit jealous of Stacy. Figuring she still looked like an extra on The Walking Dead, she didn’t desire to be put beside her.
She pushed the large door open and peeked behind the curtain. Stacy was finishing up her conversation. “Well, I’ll check back in after my afternoon rounds, Darren. I’m glad you’re doing better.”
Elise could have sworn Stacy could see the scarlet letter beneath her shirt as she said good-bye to her. Elise watched for the door to shut before rearing her two horns. “Well, I’m happy to see you have someone who cares that much to stay the night to make sure you were better.”
“What are you talking about?” He tried to sit up a little more. The hospital bed was unyielding of any type of comfort.
“Cindy Crawford, Darren. She was here the whole time and didn’t leave last night.”
“How do you know? She’s just a concerned friend.”
“She has on the same shoes as when I got here last night. And she’s more than a concerned friend.” Elise knew what she was talking about. Girls were less mysterious than men tended to believe.
Darren gave a wide grin, breaking Elise’s tirade. “What are you smiling at?”
“I’m happy to see you, that’s all. And a little bit of jealousy isn’t so bad either.”
“I assure you, I’m not jealous. You can have her if you want.” That would solve her guilty dilemma. Why was she raising a stink? Maybe it did scare the crap out of her when she got the call he was hurt.
“Come here, baby. I’m sorry I got banged up just to get you to come back home, but it did seem to work.” He opened his arms, inviting her to him.
Elise sauntered over and bent down for a gentle hug. He smelled like surgical tape and astringent. Soon, their love fest was interrupted by a male clearing his throat.
“Excuse me, but we’re here to take him for a CAT scan.”
Two guys approached, both dressed in solid white; the only thing different was their own style of tennis shoes. The pictures on their badges matched their faces without discrepancy. Elise backed up from Darren. They got on opposite sides of his bed, both unlocking the wheels at the same time, and started to roll him away.
“I’ll be right back. Get yourself something to eat,” Darren told her before getting rolled out into the hallway.
Elise sat on the windowsill, thinking about the last twenty-four hours of her life. The phone in her bag called out to her. Wondering if Ben had left a message tore at her curiosity. Finally, she broke down and searched for it. It had sunk to the bottom of her bag, underneath the damp clothes that had begun to smell. She turned it on, biting at her nail, waiting for the answer. Finally it lit, but nothing was there except a missed call from Melanie. No doubt, she wanted to know if Darren was okay.
“Excuse me, ma’am?” a voice called from the opened door.
Elise looked up. “Yes?”
“Is this Dr. Masterson’s room?”
The young man wore a rescue squad uniform and was holding Darren’s attaché case and a brown envelope. He walked closer to her.
“Yes, it is. They just took him for a test.”
“I’m Jaime Duncan. I know Dr. Masterson from EMT classes. He’s a great guy. I was devastated to be the one called on the scene when it happened.” His fair complexioned cheeks began turning rosy the more he said to her.
“I’m sorry. But he’s okay now. He just has a concussion and a broken leg.”
He held out the two items for her to take. “I’m so glad to hear that, ma’am. I wanted to make sure I got the things out of his car before the wrecker took it away. You know how things can ‘disappear when that happens.” He couldn’t have been a native to California. His mannerisms reminded her too much of back home.
“Thank you. I’ll make sure I let Darren know that you took good care of his things, Jaime.” She checked his shirt to make sure she said the right name, but only his last name was embroidered on the navy polo shirt.
She took the items and set them on the sill.
“Well, I’ve got to go. Have a nice day, and don’t forget to tell him.”
“I won’t.”
She took her phone from her pocket and began a message to Ben. What was there to say? Kentucky was another planet away. One that she wouldn’t have to go back to, ever, if she chose not to. What would she choose? She deleted the beginning words and shoved the phone back in her pocket, catching the envelope that was sliding off the ledge. It was lumpy, probably filled with his wallet and whatever else was in his car. She opened it and peeked inside.
A wallet, a set of keys, a box, and a…a box? What? She looked at the hospital door before opening i
t. Positioning her body away from exposure to anyone who would catch her snooping, she took the top off. Her breath caught as she saw the velvet trim. She swallowed hard and unhinged the top. An enormous thing of beauty sat in the crease of two wedged pillows. Its shine blinded her. She couldn’t move for what seemed like an eternity. It was gorgeous and completely the last thing she needed to find among his personal belongings.
Shoving it back in the envelope was the only thing she could do, and she did it as though it had caught fire and scorched her hands. No one had to know she found it. That would make it easier until she knew what to do.
Darren’s test took thirty minutes, and Elise slipped into a coma of indecision for most of them. She managed to tuck the envelope behind his case before he was completely inside the room. The young men locked his wheels in place again, and he seemed sprier from the journey. He was sitting more erect with less clouds floating in his eyes.
“Did you get breakfast?”
“I didn’t. I wanted to see what you wanted first. I could get us something.”
“Honey, I’m not hungry right now. You go and get something for yourself. Did you come right from the airport?” He looked toward her luggage sitting against the wall.
“I did. So, that means I don’t have a car.”
“Neither do I.” He laughed. “Oh, no.” Alarm rang from his lips. “My car, I had my things in it.”
“While you were gone, Jaime came and delivered them. He wanted to make sure you received them personally.”
She picked up the case and envelope and showed them to him.
“You didn’t…” he started.
“He just left. I put them there. Do you need something in them?”
“No, just leave them there. And if you want, just go home and get a shower. I know you must be exhausted. I’ll be here until my results come back. Just bring your car back, so we can leave in it together. By the way, is that what they wear in Kentucky?” He looked at Ben’s shirt with fun poking in his eyes.
Trying her best not to look like the poster child of cheaters anonymous, she blurted out something to distract from her wardrobe. “Kind of. Do you think you’ll be discharged today?”
“I don’t see why not. I only have a broken leg and a tiny concussion.”
The nurse who followed him into the room finished checking his vitals and cleared her throat. “A tiny concussion? Dr. Masterson, you will do good to be discharged today. You know that. We’ll want to keep you for observation.”
“But if I have someone to stay with me, I will be fine.”
He looked over at Elise and winked. “I’ve been wanting a roommate and this worked out to my benefit. Miss Newton is the best observer I know of.”
Nothing could have made her more uncomfortable than that new arrangement. What? Stay with him? How long was it going to take to get better? Was her business with Ben finished? Was it business? Because she only recalled a whole lot of pleasure that night.
“I’ll be back, Darren.” She ignored his casual hint and stacked her luggage. A quick kiss on the cheek and she was gone.
She stepped out of the taxi into the welcoming arms of her home. Just as she had left it, it carried with it a sense of safety. Her sanctuary from the storms her life had run into; one of them being quite literally.
After she dropped her bags on the living room floor, she went and fell on top of her bed. Two hours later she raised her head and headed for the shower. Hoping it would solve the immediate problem of jet lag and dirt, she made it last ten minutes longer than usual. The steam helped bring clarification to what she was going to say to Ben when she called him. The call was necessary. Cliffhangers were never something she did well.
Stray hairs from the twisted towel on her head clung to her cheeks. Another towel doubled around her as she stared blankly at the cell phone screen. A couple more paces back and forth in her room and she might get enough nerve to press out his number. Ben had no right to hate her. She had to return home. Darren could have died. It had nothing to do with choosing men. One was unconscious. Surely, that changed the rules of how long one should snuggle with her co-cheater.
The phone rang. She squinted her eyes and bit her lip, a bad habit of hers.
“Hello.”
“Ben, it’s me.” Her pulse raced as she felt the spotlight on her face. There was no hanging up until pertinent information was discussed.
“Elise.”
She waited for something to follow. Something to help her with the next thing to say. But the phone line remained quiet.
“I’m home. I just wanted to call and let you know.”
“I realize you had to leave, but I guess the part I’m confused about is whether or not you are coming back.” Whoa. Completely didn’t see that coming. Direct, succinct, blunt, to the point, concise...what now? Would it be obvious to sit by her toilet bowl and pray for the call to naturally drop? Wouldn’t that be the lowest point of the house?
“Ben, Darren has been in an accident. He has no one to take care of him. I’m pretty sure I’m the one to be nominated for the job.”
“Not if you decline the position.”
“Are you that heartless? The man just woke up from a twenty-four-hour coma and has a broken leg. I’m supposed to say, ‘Hey babe, while you were sleeping a few things changed.’ Are you kidding me?”
“Well, when are you going to enlighten him? Sometime during the week when you roll over to his side of the bed to turn off the light for him? I’m not heartless, Elise. I just know you, and you don’t do confrontations well. I’m sure he has someone on this earth, other than you, to take care of him. This could last for a month or more.”
“What if it does?” She traced the fringe on her bedspread with her free hand. It could take that long. After all, he wasn’t exactly mobile at the moment.
“I don’t know. Are you asking me to wait for you to play nurse and girlfriend to this guy for that long?”
“I’m asking if you will give me some time. I’m not sure of anything right now.”
“I love you, Elise, and I’m sure that if you loved me you would know what to do and return to me. At least, I thought you loved me. I could’ve sworn it was my name you were calling out last night.”
“It’s not as easy as that, Ben.”
“I’m pretty sure it is.” His tone was too forthright, too demanding. Not the one she thought she’d hear on the other side of the conversation.
“I’m sorry it’s so easy for you and so difficult for me. And since I don’t have my calendar out in front of me, telling me exactly how long it will take, maybe we should just say we’ll keep in touch. Or not.”
The nerve of him to demand she leave in the middle of a crisis. ‘Oh, and by the way, Darren, I slept with my ex, and I’ve called a cab to pick your sorry broken butt up. Good luck hobbling up the steps to your house and hope you don’t get dizzy going for a whiz in the bathroom. ’Yeah, that would be so easy for Ben.
“Fine.”
Fury blew through her as she hung up the phone. Tears rushed past her anger and streamed down her cheeks. She threw the phone on the bed and buried her head in the pillow screaming. The problem was not solved. Only left much worse, like burying a homeless man in an unmarked grave. ‘Here lies Ben and Elise’s one night. It should have never happened. And now what?’
She got dressed, despite the random outbursts of bawling. Her puffy eyes couldn’t withstand any more makeup concealer. She’d simply have to explain it away with lack of sleep. She stopped at a drive-thru on her way to the hospital and ate like a demon at all the red lights that managed to catch her.
She wiped her mouth in the reflection of the rearview mirror before going inside. Renegade lettuce couldn’t have made her look any worse than last night, arriving in a post-sex shirt, unruly hair, and squishy shoes. Although her eyes had seen better days. It was too late to stop for cucumber slices.
Darren was all smiles when she walked in the room. The results came back good f
rom his CAT scan and he was to be released in her care. Plenty of bed rest, hands-on help with moving his large casted leg, and even more dodging of public displays of affection. The last one was the unwritten instructions on the doctor’s release of patient form that Elise had concocted herself. Until she knew what it was, or who it was she wanted, she would float around Darren like an ice formation. She could give him no indication of a green light to whip that ring out anytime soon.
One of the gentleman that took him for his CAT scan arrived to wheel him to the front door. Elise carried his case and envelope, walking beside them. Darren barely took his eyes off the package. When they got to her car, the guy helped Darren inside. He had to lay almost completely back in the passenger seat; his leg barely fit inside her BMW SUV.
She drove gingerly back to his house, avoiding any sudden takeoffs and sharp turns. With each acceleration, he clenched his jaw and pressed down tightly on her armrests. They finally made it through his gate. Getting him out of the vehicle and inside was a valiant effort on her part. The cast had only managed to bang a couple railings before making it inside. Her short height made it so she fit snuggly underneath his arm. He hopped on the other crutch and they made it to his bedroom.
“This is one way for you to move in with me, huh?” He hobbled over to the bed and lay down, watching cautiously at her reaction.
“Darren, I will stay as long as you need help. You know that.” She took his belongings and set them on the dresser. “Can I get you something to eat or drink?”
“I ate a sandwich before I left. One of my associates brought it when he visited. Now come here and sit down with me.” He held out his arm, inviting her closer.
“Honey, I have a million things to do before tonight. I have to go to the grocery store for you because I’m sure you have nothing to sustain life past a snack here. I have to get your prescriptions filled. I have to...”
“Elise, just come and sit with me for a moment,” he said, raising his voice above hers.
She stepped to the side of the bed and put a pillow underneath his cast. Darren scooted over and patted the empty place beside him. She sat down. A heavy sigh slipped out of her. She covered it up with a dry cough.
The Kentucky Cure Page 19